Wow...what a night!

So...let me start of with something exciting: I went through my first earthquake last night! Talk about wild!!! I was in my room starting to go to sleep when the bed started moving under me. I opened my eyes and it was over. It was really nothing at all..BUT...it was an earthquake!! WOW! It was around 11 p.m. and I started laughing because it was just so funny to me!!

In other news, Yap has has 6.51 inches of rain...this MONTH! I heard that on the radio this morning and I just had to share. I mean..here we are in January and have so much rain. I guess that's what you get when you live in the rain forest region....Yes, I was looking up biome maps in an Earth Science book, OK?!?!

I also finished a book called, "Letters to a Young Teacher" by Johnathon Kozol. It was really amazing. I suggest that anyone in teaching...first year or not...read this book. I went through some of the EXACT same issues. It's also very interesting because living in Micronesia they copy the American Education System...flaws and all!

While, everyone is trying their best, well....most of them, the same innate problems of our system raise their ugly heads here.

--Special Education Labeling
--Large class sizes (thank the lord I don't have that problem)
--Qualifying Teachers
--Lack of Teachers
--Lack of Diversity--Segregation (think echelons of wealth instead of color)

...the list goes on and on.

So..anyway...READ the book!!

Lastly, I just thought I would share a small highlight of my day. I have a student, a solid student, that get embarrasses to speak English. I know he understands...but he just had trouble putting into the words that are in his mind. So usually, he starts to laugh, giggle, or smile. The funny thing is he has a chipped front tooth (about half is missing). When he laughs you see this gap in his smile that just make me smile as well. I can't help but laugh!! Any irritation I feel simply melts away!

Anyway, just thought I would share.

Miss you all,
D