Some Days

Some days are hard.

• When you sit alone at the teacher table because your colleagues are tired of trying to include you in a language they're less comfortable.
• Or when every word you type is red underlined as a misspelled because you're not typing on an English keyboard.  And every meeting is conducted in a language you don't speak.
• Or when your lesson completely flops because you didn't translate enough vocabulary in advance.

Some days are hell.

• When a child is crying and you can't help because you can't understand what the problem is.
• Or when you can't talk down two students who are hitting each other because they don't understand you. 
• Or when your have to hide under your desk in your office to cry, because there is no one you can talk to at work.

But some days.. are not miserable.

• Like when one of your students sees that your sitting alone, and moves her and her friends to join you. (Even though they can't speak English really either). 
• Or when you pantomime sucessfully enough that a child understands you, and laughs at your joke. 
• Or when you overhear a child ask why she can't have YOU as a teacher (and you understood it in German!).
• 
  

Some days are even Schön (beautiful).

• Like when you're planning a music lesson and play a 1st grade "Learning English" song about feeling happy and wiggling fingers, and your intimidatingly-tough Russian colleagues join in a dance party in the office. 

• Or when the lesson you had to change/invent on the spot went really well.

• Or when your students swarm you with hugs when you approach so you can't get into the classroom.

• Or when little messages and notes appear, and who knows if they are sincere or just sucking up, but either way, they make you feel great. 

Lies I was told before I moved to Germany:

-Everyone in Germany speaks English

-Your students speak English

-Your co-workers speak English

-Google translate is easy and accurate

-You've never taught before? Zero formal training? You'll be fine. Teaching is not that hard.

...

IT TAKES TIME.

It takes time with your students to build trust, to build friendships, to understand one another, regardless of what language either of you speaks. It takes time for collegues to realize you're hilarious.

It takes time to learn how to manage squiggly, ridiculous, (mostly) well-meaning, little humans. And it takes time to figure out how to teach them something on top of that.

I'm so grateful for the squiggly humans that have allowed me to learn by teaching them. I'm grateful for their patience, their forgiveness, their resilience, their humor, and their love.

The takeaway is to be patient. In any new situation, it takes time to not be new. Be patient with yourself, be patient with the new characters in this new chapter, with your skill-set, and your ability to adapt.

I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of this all. Just as I'm about to leave. 
Perfect.