The Learning Curve

This has been a whirlwind first couple of weeks at work. The last time I posted was right before my IB course. Participating in the course really pushed me to my limits last week. I found myself in the position on Wednesday where I was just about to crash and burn from stress if I had to solve another problem, plan another lesson, or grade another paper. I forced myself to stop and rest for the evening. Exactly what I needed, but the real rest didn't come until the three day weekend we had.

I had hoped to go out into Malaysia for a view of the wider world beyond Putrajaya, but instead I had to go into KL and pick up some documents. This led to a visit to Ikea, and putting furniture together once I returned home. All ending in a full day of grading on Sunday. But I slept, and the boys let me sleep and all in all I felt more prepared for this week.

Although I haven't written in a while I have been thinking about what to post, and it just has to be about the learning curves I am going through. So I wanted to make a list just so you see.

Driving:

• on the wrong side of the road
• looking the right way when reversing
• turning on the signal instead of the wipers
• using the rear view mirror to my left instead of my right hand mirror to see what is behind me.
• learning to feel where my gears are with the gear shift using my unconditioned left hand.

Progress? Developing for the most part, but I have stopped turning on my wipers, the rest I still worry about. Although I haven't turned onto a main thoroughfare the wrong way, I still do so in parking lots. My gear shifting on some days is excellent. Others, when I am stressed about the rest of the driving it just sucks.

Becoming a full time Mamma and housewife again:

• Managing all the laundry
• Cooking meals
• Keeping the house clean
• Traning the boys to do all of these things to lessen the load.
• Celebrating two September birthdays

Progress: Actually not bad. The boys are doing more without complaining too much. I have a clothes dryer that works. The ironing might kill me. There is a silver lining - within the next month or so I will be able to afford to hire a housekeeper to do the cleaning and the ironing! In terms of the birthdays I am very lucky that the boys are patient and willing to wait for a proper celebration. I haven't baked any birthday cakes yet. They are really terrific kids. :-)

Learning about life in Malaysia:

• Finding things - the road systems here are so many crazy loops that I often don't recognize if I have been somewhere previously. And Putrajaya does have public transport, but it doesn't come to where we are.
• Learning Malay.
• Malay, Chinese, and Indian culture
• Understanding what people say and how they say it.

Progress: Once I get out there more it will all start to fall into place. I have a book to learn Malay that I need to find the time to read, and I think it all just requires patience and acceptance of being in a new location. So far the people are very friendly and kind.

Work:

• Learning the new curriculum and how it works, including IGCSE system (including getting that acronym right - and to be honest I don't know if it is right here!)
• Working in a 1:1 Laptop program.
• Working in an environment where full inquiry based teaching is not only expected but actually done throughout the school.
• Learning to understand what my colleagues are saying using British terminology for the educational language and everyday things (for instance when being given directions someone said to me on the roundabout take the right turn - my reaction was: how do I take a right turn on a roundabout on which I am going to the left! She meant take the third exit which is on your right if you looking at the roundabout...)
• Just in general always being one step ahead of the students.
• Relearning how to organize myself with less planning time and more subjects to prepare for than I have had in 10 years.
• Learning new procedures and processes that no one thinks to tell you about until you need them or do them wrong. :-)
• Remembering my duties!

Progress: Getting there, barely, and will be running to catch up until at least Christmas. But I am still enjoying the process. If I stop enjoying seeing the results then I will start to worry.

Apartment comfort level:

• Boxes not unpacked
• Some furniture but missing shelves and wardrobes to put in key things, thus the boxes that are not yet unpacked
• Pictures out of the boxes waiting to be put on the walls
• We do have comfortable beds with bedside tables and reading lamps, the boys have chests of drawers and I have a cupboard.
• No TV

Progress: It's OK. Things will come as we can afford them. I am not missing the TV much, and the boys have adjusted better than I expected. The pictures could begin to go up this weekend as I bought a hammer the other day. I am just happy to have a space to sit, eat, and sleep.

I can't fully speak for the boys, but they seem to be adjusting well. They feel like they have friends and have found company at lunch time. The learning process is not too difficult, and in some ways they find it easier. They are especially enjoying learning Spanish and Madarin. But they are missing many of their wonderful teachers and friends from TIS. Slowly but surely we are moving forward. Hopefully the learning curve will straighten out and we will be on the right path.