How Garfield feels about Mondays.

That's the way I feel about Tuesdays. It seems like it will never end and I have to maintain a high level of energy to entertain kids 6-12. Oy.

I start at 9 a.m. at one school trying to make sleepy and bored middle school kids fall in love with English. I think I'm pretty successful so far. I share an office with the three male gym teachers who are very nice and told me I have to hang out in the office more so they can teach me Czech swear words. I'm sure I'll pick it up from my students soon enough. Some of them already know English swear words. Around 11, I leave and have one hour to walk to the bus stop, which is a little bit of a walk from the school, catch the bus, grab lunch and run to the next school for afternoon classes where I need to have enough energy to last until 4 p.m. I decided to stop by this little Chinese restaurant Kristy has been telling me about so I grabbed some sort of chicken and noodle dish and ran out the door completely forgetting to grab a fork and napkins. I realized this once I got to the school and was so hungry I didn't care and started eating with my hands. I considered for a brief moment using my pens as chopsticks but decided against trying. I'm sorry I'm not the most lady-like all of the time. You try teaching kids for 7 hours and then tell me whether you will wait for a fork. And don't worry, I washed my hands before class.

A teacher was nice enough to lend me a spoon so I was able to eat more between one of my classes. I know I sound like a poor, starved college student all over again but I promise I'm healthy. Among all my books and papers I don't have room to store lunch on Tuesdays so I just grab something to go.

I am exhausted by my last class but I know I need to muster enough energy to entertain the last few kids so I harness the spirit of a second grade teacher I once knew (Mrs. Robinson) who was delightfully crazy and throw in a dash of various entertainers and I can just survive. Today was a nice surprise though because I got an early Christmas present from one of my second graders, Veronika, who loves to hug me and not let go.

She made it herself. :)

Also Veronika and the other two girls in that class, Miša and Hana, like to run down the hallway screaming, "ARIANA IS A PRINCESS!!!" 

I am really loving these kids. As many times as I have to tell them to sit and yell, "Quiet!" to get their attention, it makes me happy to see them. 

Ariana Hakim: Writer. Goofball. Giggle Monster. Teacher. Princess. I like it.