I have two classes of 18 students each and a 10 student advisory group that meets once a week starting on Sept 16th. They are amazing people. Very kind and motivated for the most part, though some bullying rears its ugly head and racism is subtle but present on the students parts, mostly it is historical however and not personal. Students here work hard and have for the most part two supportive parents. Mom's usually stay home and join the PTA or run and manage the campus store. They represent a lot of high ability women, making the best of the fact that they sacrificed their career for the family. I think it is particularly difficult when their kids reach High School, soon to leave for the States for college. Then what do they do?
The students whose picture I cannot post come from forty different countries and have in many cases parents from two different countries. Some of the children have never been to the country on their passports. When parents mentioned this at Open House they were quite wistful about this fact; disbelieving almost using "How did that happen!" voices.
The biggest problem students can have here is no contact with parents for a variety of reasons. One is that both parents work at jobs that require a lot of travel. The other is that a marriage between people of different nationalities breaks up. It can be very stressful for families here, and almost impossible for a two career family., I think, though teaching couples is very doable and common at JIS. Many families though at Open House mentioned how much they love living in Indonesia.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A day in the life of a JIS teacher
The call to prayer begins at the local mosque at 4 am every morning. It is a recording and hauntingly beautiful and rhythmic. I've decided to get up at 4 am and pray too, following the routine of millions of Muslims here in a country with the largest Muslim population in the world!
After a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal or red rice with papaya, guava and pineapple topped with yogurt or a tad of thick coconut cream, I get dressed in something called smart casual and head out by 6:30 am to walk to school. In ten minutes I have passed the three guard stations, practicing my Bahasa greetings: Selamat Pagi in the morning and Selamat Siang in the afternoon or Selamat Sore after 6pm. I get very enthusiastic responses. My next trick is to ask how are you -Apa Kabar? and when they ask me the same I say Baik, Terima Kasih! And finally, See you again later- Sampai jumpa!
(I have a private lesson every Tuesday by a man named Paul. He charges RP 90,000 an hour. (Divide by 10,000 to get the approximate dollar amount. Services are inexpensive here, but quality Western goods are not!!!)
The air temperature is cooler in the morning and lots of people are at the track exercising as they are also in the evening. The weather is quite agreeable here. Unfortunately, I spend too much time in a/c, but recently I got a few fans for my apartment and use them. My classroom has a/c with no thermostat, as are most of the offices. It is like a freezer. I go outside to warm up. I teach two 90 minute periods of either 6th grade math of science, separated by a period where I am usually in a meeting. Out of the entire week I get only two preps. During these times though you usually go to the campus bank, post office or some other office to sign up for a course or some other administrative task. A stop at the fruit smoothie bar is a must as well. They have so many kinds of fruit to choose from for a price of RP 13,000. The server gave me a small one, which is what I thought I paid for and then in checking my slip he gave me another small one to equal much more than a typical large, which I actually paid for.
At the end of the day we have a 1.5 hour meeting after school twice a week and Thursday mornings there is a Stand up 20 minute meeting at 7 am.The meetings are with all sorts of combinations of people. Just 6th grade teachers, just middle school teachers, just 6th grade math/science teachers, just science or math MS teachers, all teachers in the Cilandak Campus, with counselors...You get the picture. Irt is great to keep the faculty in sight of each other and I'm learning a lot. After school you can sign up for adult classes or lead a club or coach a sport. It is a very busy place. And the number of e-mails you get!!! At least an hour a day just to read them and they are all important, but also usually change at least three times.
It takes me about an hour to recover, and then when I am ready to go home, it starts to pour!! By the time I do get home it is dark and after 6 pm.
At home, the maid has cleaned up and chopped up my dinner so I just throw it in the Wok. I only eat Indonesian dishes. This way I get to learn what all those strange fruits and vegetables are. She also shops for food, otherwise I would never buy any of it. I also learn what to eat by my church friends and students. One Korean student gives me a package of dried seaweed to snack on. It can also be used for sushi. It is very good.
After reading a bit, grading papers or going online or on MagicJack to talk to family I try to go to bed early. It is usually almost 11:00 pm.
Nightlife here is available in clubs and hotels. Mostly expats frequent them. Large grocery stores are open till 10 pm. But banks are from 10-3:00 pm and you can only do certain transactions at certain times, so you better get there in the morning. Expats drink a lot. Every invite I get involves alcohol. It is hard to get though, as the traffic is so bad and it is only sold in Duty Free shops. In restaurants I hear that the quality doesn't match the price (of wine at least).
It is quiet in my apartment, as I am facing the 30 acre school. The views are spectacular from every window as we are one of the few high rises. On the other side it is quiet too, as everyone uses A/C or fans.
This Friday we take the 6th graders on an all day picnic and then the following Thursday through Sunday it is Idul Fitri or the celebration of the end of Ramadan! It is a very difficult thing not to eat or drink for a month between dawn and dusk. There are exceptions, of course. Laborers and breasting feeding moms and children are all exempt.
During this holiday, many Jakartans go home to their village, so it is more congested than usual. I'll be taking a trip to a resort on one of the 1000 islands off Jakarta, 1.5 hours by boat away to dive and hang out on a beach. I'm looking forward to getting out of town!
Pictures of that trip are coming soon, followed by a weeks vacation to one of the most beautiful dive sights in the world and a backpacking trip up a volcano 3 hours away. The streams we cross are running very hot water. Wow! I hope it doesn't downpour like it has been doing lately and unexpectedly , since it is not the rainy season.
After a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal or red rice with papaya, guava and pineapple topped with yogurt or a tad of thick coconut cream, I get dressed in something called smart casual and head out by 6:30 am to walk to school. In ten minutes I have passed the three guard stations, practicing my Bahasa greetings: Selamat Pagi in the morning and Selamat Siang in the afternoon or Selamat Sore after 6pm. I get very enthusiastic responses. My next trick is to ask how are you -Apa Kabar? and when they ask me the same I say Baik, Terima Kasih! And finally, See you again later- Sampai jumpa!
(I have a private lesson every Tuesday by a man named Paul. He charges RP 90,000 an hour. (Divide by 10,000 to get the approximate dollar amount. Services are inexpensive here, but quality Western goods are not!!!)
The air temperature is cooler in the morning and lots of people are at the track exercising as they are also in the evening. The weather is quite agreeable here. Unfortunately, I spend too much time in a/c, but recently I got a few fans for my apartment and use them. My classroom has a/c with no thermostat, as are most of the offices. It is like a freezer. I go outside to warm up. I teach two 90 minute periods of either 6th grade math of science, separated by a period where I am usually in a meeting. Out of the entire week I get only two preps. During these times though you usually go to the campus bank, post office or some other office to sign up for a course or some other administrative task. A stop at the fruit smoothie bar is a must as well. They have so many kinds of fruit to choose from for a price of RP 13,000. The server gave me a small one, which is what I thought I paid for and then in checking my slip he gave me another small one to equal much more than a typical large, which I actually paid for.
At the end of the day we have a 1.5 hour meeting after school twice a week and Thursday mornings there is a Stand up 20 minute meeting at 7 am.The meetings are with all sorts of combinations of people. Just 6th grade teachers, just middle school teachers, just 6th grade math/science teachers, just science or math MS teachers, all teachers in the Cilandak Campus, with counselors...You get the picture. Irt is great to keep the faculty in sight of each other and I'm learning a lot. After school you can sign up for adult classes or lead a club or coach a sport. It is a very busy place. And the number of e-mails you get!!! At least an hour a day just to read them and they are all important, but also usually change at least three times.
It takes me about an hour to recover, and then when I am ready to go home, it starts to pour!! By the time I do get home it is dark and after 6 pm.
At home, the maid has cleaned up and chopped up my dinner so I just throw it in the Wok. I only eat Indonesian dishes. This way I get to learn what all those strange fruits and vegetables are. She also shops for food, otherwise I would never buy any of it. I also learn what to eat by my church friends and students. One Korean student gives me a package of dried seaweed to snack on. It can also be used for sushi. It is very good.
After reading a bit, grading papers or going online or on MagicJack to talk to family I try to go to bed early. It is usually almost 11:00 pm.
Nightlife here is available in clubs and hotels. Mostly expats frequent them. Large grocery stores are open till 10 pm. But banks are from 10-3:00 pm and you can only do certain transactions at certain times, so you better get there in the morning. Expats drink a lot. Every invite I get involves alcohol. It is hard to get though, as the traffic is so bad and it is only sold in Duty Free shops. In restaurants I hear that the quality doesn't match the price (of wine at least).
It is quiet in my apartment, as I am facing the 30 acre school. The views are spectacular from every window as we are one of the few high rises. On the other side it is quiet too, as everyone uses A/C or fans.
This Friday we take the 6th graders on an all day picnic and then the following Thursday through Sunday it is Idul Fitri or the celebration of the end of Ramadan! It is a very difficult thing not to eat or drink for a month between dawn and dusk. There are exceptions, of course. Laborers and breasting feeding moms and children are all exempt.
During this holiday, many Jakartans go home to their village, so it is more congested than usual. I'll be taking a trip to a resort on one of the 1000 islands off Jakarta, 1.5 hours by boat away to dive and hang out on a beach. I'm looking forward to getting out of town!
Pictures of that trip are coming soon, followed by a weeks vacation to one of the most beautiful dive sights in the world and a backpacking trip up a volcano 3 hours away. The streams we cross are running very hot water. Wow! I hope it doesn't downpour like it has been doing lately and unexpectedly , since it is not the rainy season.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Indonesians
The second reason that JIS faculty give for staying here so long is the Indonesian people. It is what the guide books say and it is my experience that Indonesian people respect differences. Their motto is Unity in Diversity. They are kind, patient, graceful and caring. They are also always working at something, but are unhurried. They have an easy smile that lights up their eyes when they greet you, like to laugh and take great pleasure in helping you practice Bahasa Indonesian as well as help you in anyway they can. They take great pleasure in service. I get to practice greetings as I pass three checkpoints of guards on my way to school each morning and spend Sunday afternoons with the first Reader and her parents. Today we had the afternoon to ourselves. I like learning to eat, shop and obtain services like the local people here.
I've posted my classroom photos, Nadya and her family and some new friends I met at church.
I've posted my classroom photos, Nadya and her family and some new friends I met at church.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
My Apartment II
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| Batik napkin of Shadow Puppet: Pointy nosed people are considered wise |
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| Guest bedroom in need of comforter |
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| Rufus art Home |
Reflection of the last three weeks
Hi Everyone!
Last Wednesday school started after two weeks of orientation filled with celebrations of the new staff (32) and appreciation of the returning staff. (270) It was heart warming to feel so welcomed. I keep pinching myself. Can this be real!! Increasingly in the States teachers are treated as mere chess pieces. I can see why teachers stay here an average of 7 years on to decades. They are all very happy people, too. They have smiles on their faces like a person that just won the lottery. Ask them where they spent summer vacation and stories of catching the best surf in three continents, is not unusual. More common is visits to friends all over the world. How often does a teacher get to be part of the nouveau riche? (Read Tim Ferriss’s book “The Four Hour Work Week” for a definition. It doesn’t have to do with having gobs of money, but it does have to do with a “rich” lifestyle.
I believe the administration at this school is sincere in their appreciation, but they are also savvy business people as well. The welcome and caring atmosphere is a wonderful way to save money. The initial investment is steep, but the payback pays off high dividends. The cost of recruiting and getting excellent teachers to want to work for you, training, and the expense and efforts of support staff to getting the teacher over to Indonesia, is not cheap, particularly if the turnover average is every 2 years, like in many international schools. If good teachers want to come to your school and stay everyone wins, especially the students.
Many welcome receptions, hot Thai, Indian, Vietnamese lunches, furnished apartments, designated settling in and Orientation Planning staff, translating and brokering services that help us “newbies” transition to life here stress free, is worth the investment. From a free taxi van for 6 weeks 12 hours a day, fieldtrips to malls, food stores, spas, great restaurants, assistance acquiring excellent maid service, interest free loans for cars, a settling in allowance in Rupiah, a bouquet of flowers for new teachers delivered to their classroom, an orchid plant gift in their apartment to name a few, all create an atmosphere of family and in gratitude we teachers want to give our best. The best was yet to come though. Once we were in our classes we actually are given lots of time to collaborate with many different groups of other relevant teachers during hour long “stand-ups” (meetings). We have small classes under 20 , and few of them with only one or two preps, a cleaning team that daily washes dishes, sinks, white boards, floors and table tops, lots of prep time, lots of technology and staff to support us in tech, lab set-ups, special ed and ESL issues. How novel to give teachers the time to be in the business of supporting student learning instead of burdening them with so many chores that do not support student learning. Oh! And did I tell you about the business cards!!
The result is a very hardworking, dedicated staff. It is a very large, fast moving place, but everyone is patient and supportive as you work to figure it out. Enough said. You get the picture. Are all International schools like this on? NO! But because of this school’s ability to attract and retain top people, it is one of the best international schools in the world. I am grateful to be here and hope to give all I have, and more.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Photos from walking to town in South Jakarta
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| Watch your step! |
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| A break in the traffic and a proper sidewalk near our apartment building |
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| A deluxe vendor stall |
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| Most buses have a guitar player on board |
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| Sidewalk and a drainage canal cover all in one |
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| Don't walk after dark! |
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| Time for a photo in a side neighborhood |
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| Tracy and Neil buy a measuring tape |
Walking the streets of South Jakarta!
One of my favorite pastimes is to walk fast in beautiful settings. That was easy to do in Henniker, NH on a daily basis. On the second day here a bunch of us from the apartments decided to try walking to the center of town. We were told by experienced expats that no one does that. You call a taxi even to just go down the street. Well, we decided to try it anyway. Off we went. We were greeted by open air Indonesian vendors with big smiles and waves. They were delighted to see us. Why? Maybe it was very unusual to have foreigners or maybe anyone who could afford a car of motor scooter walking along. Or maybe it was the blond haired, big chested women in my party or the tight fitting athletic clothes some wore or the 6 foot tall guy who was with us. It is true that the man were more enthusiastic than the women. The women mostly appraised us with very serious faces, for the most part. Anyway, after carefully making our way along sidewalks that had large gaps in them that would cause you to fall 4 feet into a narrow drainage canal if you didn't jump across them, and avoid the 4 lanes of vehicles crowded into two lanes with no shoulders as you attempted to cross the street (rarely was there a stop light) and all this in very humid and hot weather, with the deafening roar of small motor scooters, you understood why people who can afford a scooter of car of taxi do not walk in Indonesia except in the center of city in a posh shopping area near the embassies. (It is safe however, to do it, just as long as you watch your bag very carefully, like in any big city.) At least I can walk to school ever day, through about five security gates and beautiful covered walkways surrounded by lush tropical gardens. I am so fortunate to live right next to campus!
All School Orientation
I've just finished two days with the entire faculty of JIS who number 300. Each day of orientation, we are served an Indonesian or Indian hot lunch that we eat outside in an the Bali amphitheater in a garden. At the end of the week there will be a party at one of the administrator's homes.
We are working on PowerSchool and PLC communities as a whole faculty and then break into PLC's in 6th grade science and math and then middle school LC's for science and math, too. I teach only two 90 minute classes a day and one of two preps a day is for collaboration with my PLC teams. To allow more time for collaboration, the science teachers have a person who sets up the experiments, another person who I share with my (ELA/history partner for 40 kids) helps me to teach so that the ESL students are helped with language skills and I have a learning support person to help me with slower learners or groups since we differentiate. Also, my classroom has a Smartboard and a TV on the ceiling and an opaque projector. Everyone is so happy and helpful. And did I mention that we were all given business cards?
To allow me to have more time to work on amazing lessons for my classes, and to help the local economy, I have hired a maid who I share with another teacher. She made me Gado-Gado for tonight, cleaned the house, washed my clothes and ironed them, all after she went shopping for groceries and cleaning supplies. Not much to complain about!!! I feel like a professional in more than in name only! :)
We are working on PowerSchool and PLC communities as a whole faculty and then break into PLC's in 6th grade science and math and then middle school LC's for science and math, too. I teach only two 90 minute classes a day and one of two preps a day is for collaboration with my PLC teams. To allow more time for collaboration, the science teachers have a person who sets up the experiments, another person who I share with my (ELA/history partner for 40 kids) helps me to teach so that the ESL students are helped with language skills and I have a learning support person to help me with slower learners or groups since we differentiate. Also, my classroom has a Smartboard and a TV on the ceiling and an opaque projector. Everyone is so happy and helpful. And did I mention that we were all given business cards?
To allow me to have more time to work on amazing lessons for my classes, and to help the local economy, I have hired a maid who I share with another teacher. She made me Gado-Gado for tonight, cleaned the house, washed my clothes and ironed them, all after she went shopping for groceries and cleaning supplies. Not much to complain about!!! I feel like a professional in more than in name only! :)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
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