It is a new year

It's a new school year and I'm back in Manila for year 2. It was so nice to return back to my apartment that feels like home with hints of all the places I've lived before. There are so many things that are already better, not being the new teacher - just knowing how things work, and having a better idea of what I need to do and where I can go to get it done makes a huge difference. Not being sick this year, also gives me a bit of a new lease on this experience, and so I'm going to start over in so many ways. Start over trying to make this experience more what I want. Start over with trying to get myself into a routine, one which hopefully, this time around will include writing a bit more and sharing what my life here in the Philippines is like.

My wall of masks welcoming me back home.

In the meantime I'm glad that I have made it through my first week of school with students with no issues. My classes are a bit smaller this year, my largest at the moment is 19, although that may change a bit in the next few weeks. I'm already a few weeks ahead of where I was last year in terms of learning names. It is always helped when you have at least a few kids in each class that you already knew. I'm more relaxed and able to focus on teaching, instead of just trying to survive. As I've said many a time there is definitely a reason that contracts are for two years! The second year is almost always so much smoother. Stay tuned for more to come about what life here in the Philippines is like, both the exciting and the mundane.

A few students engaged in a first day activity