SCOALA, NAZI's, TOO MANY STORIES

My head is spinning with this book that I have just finished. That's the beauty of life without tv, no distractions. I have been averaging two books a week, which isn't bad for me. I am starting to run out, but head is so filled with stories, I am not sure there is room for much else. The apartment at first seemed so quiet but I have managed to keep myself in the middle of one book or another which adds to the noise. At least the noise in my head. I am starting to ramble like a crazy woman.
On to more important things...The first day of school went off without a hitch. I have two tenth grade classes, one eleventh and it looks like I will have two ninth grades. Man are the eleventh graders hyper. They have already started to test me, cursing and yelling and being outright obnoxious ( in a cute sort of way). So I shot them the evil eye and I joke along with them, but I assure you that i did lay down some ground rules. The other classes are a little quieter. The hardest part is getting past Chad the recently departed super volunteer. They really liked him. And he did a lot of drama activities. I want to do some drama things, but I want to other stuff as well. A little creative writing here and there, maybe some poetry and short stories, I don't want to corner myself into drama games and that's it. The hardest part of my job will be to remind them that I am not Chad, I am Nina, and I still can be just as fun. Anyways, I am planning to do a unit on music first. They are really into Metallica, the Doors, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Nirvana ( all of my favorite bands =) BUt I am going to introduce them to Jazz, the Blues, and we are going to have a lesson on Rap slang. I thought it would be fun if they had to write their own rap song, or a dialogue using only rap slang ( Bling bling etc...)
What other interesting things have happened........OH YEAH, how can I forget. So, it is the first day of class and the first time that I see one half of my eleventh graders. I hear them filing up the stairs. My class is in what they call the Dungeon, but is more like Rapunzel's tower, because it is high isolated corner of the school. There are no windows and you can hear the Philharmonic ( which is shares a part of the school building) practicing below. To get to class you have to climb a series of stairs. They made their way into the classroom and two boys are laughing hysterically, joking around. I turn around from the chalkboard to see what's the fuss and this kid is wearing a gigantic swastica. The boys see me and laugh, "You're not Jewish are you?" I was stunned, I hadn't expected to bear all about myself before they knew me. They didn't even know my name. "Well, actually, yes I am." Their faces went blank and they shut up really fast. I guess Bogdan ( the kid with the swastica is a nazi). I didn't know what to do. I still haven't told Vanda because I don't want to make it a big deal, but from then on I knew that I am going to plan a lesson about difference. And I am going to plan a lesson about prejudice and Judiasm. It's cool to be anti-semetic. It's cool to be anti-gypsy. It's generally cool to be an anarchist. I told him to put the swastica in his shirt and that I didn't want to see it. He didn't say anything offesive. Honest to God, I don't think any of these kids have actually ever met a jew before, let alone know anything about Judiasm. They have to take a compulsory Romanian Ordothdox class for goodness sakes. All I kept thinking is, "Today is the day after Yom Kippur, what are you trying to say?" In life when you look left things always seem to come from the right. Hmm...
It has suddenly gotten cold here. Just a month ago I was sweating in 110 degree heat and today I broke out the scarf. I wonder what it will be like in December. Tomorrow I have five classes and it's going to be a long day. Teaching is tiring. Well, that's all folks...until next time. yours, nina