Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Nilufer School Bursa

My overall experience was quite successful with my lovely 6th grade class.  The students I absolutely adored. At first, they were a handful like most students are in the beginning.  They test their boundaries with the teacher and see just see how much they can get away with.  My students do well because I gain their respect. Respect is something that works both ways with all human beings and even animals.  With children especially, when you respect them and treat them like little adults, they respond very well. 
Naturally, teachers have their favorite students and mine were basically all the boys in my class. There were the most adorable set of twins(handsome and very smart). One can not help, but wonder what these boys will become when they get older.  Asim and Atif were my also my two favorite boys.  Atif was always enthusiastic and dramatic when trying to explain something in English only as no turkish is allowed in the classroom.  And of course, there was my adorable chunk of love Sahim.  He was overweight with black square glasses and he was very shy, but always very polite.  He would always smile big and offer me some of his chocolate wafers-priceless.

My other class was not as great as my first class, but they respected me, which resulted in great lessons, enthusiasm, and participation.  The girls were chatty and not as enthusiastic as the boys, but it is all good.  The last day of class we were playing games, eating marshmallows, and dancing to the party rock anthem(boy that video is addicting). I still do not know how to fully do the dance. My team teacher, Angie, picked it up faster than me ha!

The principal, Mr. Fahie, was always so kind and had the cutest mannerisms. He would always squint and be walking around the school looking confused, but he knew what he was doing. He took us to the Whirling Dervishes dance one night as a school outing.  We also went on a picnic with the students and took them to a lake for fishing. 

I just loved, loved this school and this whole experience.  It was very little money, but it was such a pleasure.  When you have such a nice experience, money is the last thing that matters-really.  I got caught up with my running, met wonderful new friends, explored Bursa, loved my students, loved the school, the Saturday bazaars, bonding with my roommates, long lunches, and cafe stops snacking on honey dew and chai.  It was wonderful...






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