Just call me 'Miss...'

I'm starting to think that my first name is actually "Miss." Students are supposed to call me "Miss Elizabeth, but they constantly shorten it to plain old "Miss." Only in most of their languages, it comes out like "Mees." I'm told that in Greek it's the sound they make to call a cat: "Misss-miss-miss". It must be hard for the Greek-speaking teachers to accept this.



Miss, I have an old aunt who has a face very much like you.  She even wears glasses!
--a Chinese student

My jaw drops in feigned horror.
Well! Are you trying to tell me something about my face, X?
Chinese student giggles hysterically.



Foreign accents are a beautiful thing, and one of my favorite parts of school is hearing the different languages on the playground. Of course, this means every so often a pesky English word comes up that someone hasn't seen before:

Miss, what are Broosel Sproots?

Two of my students in particular are quite attuned to the presence of beauty. First thing every day they come to compliment me and the other teachers on what we are wearing: "Miss, I like your sweater." "Miss those are pretty earrings." "Miss, you look stylish."  I take it as high praise, considering that they both embellish their homework with colorful cursive headings and create the most elaborate illustrations for class projects.

For whatever reason students in the U.S. don't shorten the teachers' name to "Miss." This is the first and probably last time I will ever have this title. I'm getting quite comfortable with it. It will be sad to say 'good-bye' to them in a couple weeks (before our 2-week break) and hear them say "bye Miss!"

Greek Independence Day

 

Greek Independence was won from the Ottoman Empire after the Greeks declared independence on March 25, 1821. Hence, the importance of March 25. Actually, my street address in Nicosia is Kolokotroni Street, named after a famous genera Kolokotronis who fought in this war of independence...  (this street name would probably not be found anywhere in the northern part of Nicosia.)

This is a clip of one school marching in the parade... all the schools marched just exactly like this, in their own style of formal dress. All the high schools have a uniform set aside just for this day of the year.The public Greek schools are just as uniformed as the private international schools (like the English School, the Grammar School, and the American Academy). Only the best students from the school are invited to march. Participating in this parade is considered a great honor. It's even more of an honor to be asked to carry the Greek and Cypriot flags, or the school's banner. 

A couple dozen schools marched in this parade. All of them were high schools from the Nicosia district. Aside from the one or two dozen Greek schools and a few private schools, there was one band. The Nicosia football team (Abuel) also made an appearance. I was told that the best marching schools have their way paid to Greece for an even bigger parade.

The main streets were closed down around 10:30; the parade started at 11. People lined the streets three or four deep. The music played through a loudspeaker system. Someone turned up the volume halfway through, which made it impossible to talk or hear anyone speak!

My camera battery died before the American Academy students came past, but they showed with the very best. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Anti-Bullying Week

3 Rules to Prevent Bullying
(author: anonymous 5th grader):

1. The first time a student bullies someone, he should receive a detention.
2. The next time, he should be suspended from school for a day.
3. On the third time, the student will be banished from school forever!

"How did you decide on those rules?" I asked the student.
"Well Miss, someone might bully once; maybe even twice. But he would never do it the third time!"


Another question: "What should you do if your friend is not honest?"
One response:
"Take away their thing and say, 'I will give this back when you can tell the truth.' If they are honest, then give back the thing."

How to Read Λευκοσια

A Greek picture-dictionary--street style.

Words, words, everywhere...

"park kiosk"
(the only thing translated by the author without Google Translator...)

"An account with so many benefits!"

Fortunately for the photographer, much of the Greek is already translated...

"City Theater of Nicosia"

"Keep the Park... Dumping is punishable by a fine up to 500 pounds or 3 months prison"
(not yet updated to Cyprus' new currency...)

"Russian Advertisement"

"bookstore"
I found more than one... this sign is for a shabby, almost-out-of-business shop on the corner of my street.

"City of Nicosia"

Your Foreign Correspondent

Dear Reader,

Please consider this your first letter from Cyprus.

First (for all my friends in City House and at Highland), let me inform you that I've found a place where people do things the way I end up doing things anyways...last-minute, relaxed, one step behind the set schedule. I'm staying with a more-than-kind family who has graciously overlooked more than one ignorant blunder in the past 4 days (they try so hard to tell me everything... sigh.). They are loads of fun.

Some initial observations:

Cypriots talk at once; using Greek or sometimes English.

They love football (the non-western-PA-type), but not necessarily Cypriot teams.

They love to eat food. And it's really good food, too.

The natives fry a squeaky, salty cheese and eat it in slabs. It's delicious.

Tonight is the coldest night of the year--a frigid 44 degrees Fahrenheit--and they're walking around in wool winter coats and high boots. I'm sitting in my room in a Gap fleece, thinking that it's been a beautiful day--in the 50's, bright sunlight...

When I said that to a student this afternoon he said, "It's just too cold, Miss."

Well, as a student teacher, I study students, mostly. And this class of students, all around 10 or 11 years old, is precocious, social, eager to impress, and excited to learn. They come into the classroom with an attitude of experience, volunteering wealth of information and stories about any given topic. Some seem to have a strongly ingrained sense of superiority toward teachers as well as other students. I had an encounter with a student who had simply no idea how to complete a math problem. As I explained to her the steps she needed to take, she confidently explained that she knew already what I was going to say. "Can't you see what I've done here?"--she raised an eyebrow and pointed to that incorrect problem.

Students are quick to correct each other. If a student volunteers a wrong answer, ten other students will say "What? No!" and some will supply the response for them.

The students are highly social and love to do things in groups, or in relaxed situations where they are allowed to freely move about and talk. If this set-up is not purposefully created within the classroom, students create it for themselves at any free (or perceived "free") moment. I've never had so many children ask, "Miss, what was that you said?" simply because they were having a whispered laugh with the person next to them in the middle of correcting their papers. On the positive side, they also love to talk to me and Ms. D. When asked a question, they all want to talk all at the same time--and do!

They are unsuccessful listeners, especially in whole-class situations. No one else seems to be saying or thinking of anything valuable enough for them to stay quiet... Everyone's mind is active, thinking their own thoughts, their own responses to the teacher, and sharing those responses all at the same time. The downside: they don't seem to understand or appreciate each other as they could. The upside: they are independent thinkers, bright, intelligent... talking seems to be their way of showing appreciation. Oddly enough.

They are a funny bunch, and I can't wait to learn more from them as I ease into the role of their teacher...

Good night,
Elizabeth