Teaching English Makes Friends

That's not why I started teaching English, but it has certainly been a wonderful side note to my teaching experience. I have made dear friends with some of my students AND people in the community. Just today Max and I took the bus into Beit Hanina to drop off my time sheet and we stopped at the little market I frequent to pick up a little package of my favorite little two pack of cookies that are only sold in East Jerusalem.

"What do you do here? Do you go to school, or teach?" asked the white haired man from behind the counter in almost perfectly accented English. I stop by his shop about 3 times a week to buy said cookies and we have become friends.

"Oh, I teach English just down the street." I told him. He then went on to tell me that he owned (?) the school across the street and was looking for teachers for the summer and the fall. I was sad to have to tell him that we are leaving in June and I wouldn't be able to help him, but he gave me his card and if we ever come back I just might give him a call. I'm glad that I have had the opportunity to teach English for what it has brought to me here, but also the opportunities it will provide for me in the future. ...in Lybia, or Egypt, or Saudi Arabia...

I gave a final to my level 6 students last week and a took a few pictures. Behold, my lovely class:

A few people declined to be photographed, and I forgot my camera when I gave the final to my other class - but you get the idea.


ALSO thanks to all of you sweet souls who wished me a fast recovery. I'm almost completely back on the wagon. I think it was a little foodstuffs gone wrong. Thanks!