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I was invited to a surprise birthday party for one of my students who was turning 7. In Kuwait you’re allowed to go to these things and the students and their families love you and genuinely want you to attend. Her mum has been planning this since September when it was actually her birthday, but she waited about a month in order to make it a ‘real’ surprise which was cute. In Kuwait if you’re going to have a party or a function you go all-out, so a hall-type movie theater was rented out for this occasion which was like ohmygyashshesonly7! There was a stage for the other kids to dance and play on and clowns to entertain them alongside a Dora life-size impersonatorthing (forget what they’re called!) Bless her little heart when she walked in all dolled up thinking she was going someplace else and everyone yelling surprise! She was overjoyed and changed into a princess outfit and these silver sparkly hightops as a gift from her grandma to complete the look. Dinner was what we’re used to having at a wedding lol buffet style ofcourse, but it was an opportunity to sample traditional Kuwaiti cuisine which is similar… View Post

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This isn’t reaaallyy meant to be just a school blog lol so I figured I would include some pictures I’ve taken over the past few days of Kuwait and my surroundings in general! We haven’t been able to travel around Kuwait much yet just because you need a car to do that and there’s only so much money one’s willing to fork out for a taxi lol but inshallah we’re planning on hiring one out soontime! The week after next we’ve got a week off for Eid (yay Muslim country lol) so we want to go explore and do some sightseeing! A lot of people, including teachers are travelling because everything is kinda sorta nearby (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain etc.) but I personally want to get to know Kuwait first before I go elsewhere. It really is a beautiful country and I want to see more of it! The sunrise in the morning when I’m up getting ready is amazing! I don’t have the best view from my apartment, but if I step onto the balcony I get a good enough glimpse of the gulf and a few palm trees and it does the job in satisfying my ickle heart… View Post

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Thursday was dubbed ‘Princess Day’, and literally looked like it sounds. Instead of students, we had princesses. Cute little girls dressed up as their favourite Disney princess, with dresses that lit up, tiaras to match, and a hint of rouge on their lips. It was a half day due to teacher accreditation meetings so the school decided to do something fun which worked out well! Before school started, a couple teachers and I peered through the window from up above looking out to the playground and it was princess mania! There were princesses of all heights and colors and wigs and crowns and bags; basically like an all-girls Disneyland a la Kuwait. Instead of the usual morning routine, there was a princess assembly in the playground consisting of a grade-by-grade princess catwalk, Ariel and Snow White oversized bobble heads (?!?) dancing and lots of photos. We had to get through some ‘work’; essentially just a spelling test lol but I found a cute princess wand DIY which was a cute craft we all made together with loads of glitter and markers (my girls favorite!). We spoke about princess ‘etiquette’ and qualities of a princess (they help others, they are nice,… View Post

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So I had my very first open house as a teacher this past week (eep!) ! it was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time and a lot of running around to try and make my class look perfect. Bulletin boards needed to be covered with my students work and it kind of felt like I had to sell myself/my classroom to ‘the parents’ lol butt… it wasn’t what I had initially expected which was a teeny bit of a shame. I think I’m just used to open house or even a meet-and-greet being a big deal at schools back home (Canada) where we typically have BBQ’s and a bit of fun with a huge turnout of parents, siblings, grandparents etc. but it didn’t quite go down like that. 6 parents (out of my 18students) turned up just to stroll around, look at where their child sat in my class and walked out; no one even looked at my boards 🙁 It sounds lame, but I was excited to show my parents that their child was actually learning something in my class aka affirmation that I’m not too shabby of a teacher haha Anyways, I know my mama is my… View Post

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The stresses associated with the first day of school and being a teacher for the first time ever in a new country have passed (just a little), but having time to set up my classroom and organize everything helped put me at ease. Teaching at an all-girls school has its perks; everyone loves pink and purple and fairies and princesses and stickers and glitter and shiny things, so I tried to incorporate as much of that as possible! Rhinestone magnets for my whiteboard which is framed in a pink glitter border alongside pink and limegreen pencil baskets followed by ‘student princess’ of the week which includes wearing a tiara and matching earrings for the day kinda sorta excites most girls between the ages of 6-8 which works just fine for me. My girls are lovely little people and each time I stand at the front of my class staring back at their precious innocent faces, it hits me that I am playing a part in each and every one of their lives that may mold them for better or for worse. Little girls grow up to become young ladies who become women who will oneday become mothers inshAllah so I… View Post