Luckily for me, my first full day of "work" was a school holiday, celebrating the 21st year of the school's founding. The school is named after a famous poet, and the official name is pronounced something like "Estemirova Gymnasia" - I've learned to say this, so that I can take a taxi to get there in a hurry in the mornings. Teachers are supposed to arrive at 7:45 but breakfast at the hotel isn't served until 7:30, which makes for a hurried morning for me. Fortunately, the cab ride only costs about 2 Leva ($1.50) and takes less than 5 minutes. Anyways, back to the holiday - this took place downtown in the central theater. It was a lot like our school's revue - essentially a talent show. What impressed me was how much these students love American hiphop! There were at least 3 hip hop/breakdancing acts. There was also a girl who sang 2 french songs, and another group that did a fantastic choreographed song and dance version of the Pointer Sisters, "I'm so Excited!". There were also several skits, generally involving boys dressed up as old babas (grandmas), making fun of the generation gap that plays a huge role in today's Bulgarian culture (more on that later.)
After the show, all the teachers met in a fun underground Bulgaria bar/restaurant for lunch, drinks, and cigarettes. The amount of smoking here is a bit insane - they love their cigarettes, and it's everywhere. Can't get the smell of my clothes, and I feel like I've inhaled a pack or 2 of secondary smoke already! This picture above is on the following day, Wednesday, my first real day at school. This day was meant to be mostly about observing teaching, but several teachers wanted me to dive right in and teach, so I was off and running! Here above is me and the 2 Vessis - both amazing English teachers, and really incredible people. It's has been such a treat to get to work with and talk to such interesting people, and they have been very kind and generous hosts.
This is the landmark that helps me find my way home from school in the afternoons. "Turn right at the Roman Tomb", they tell you casually. This building was built to house some ancient tomb ruins. We will need official permission to go, so it may or may not happen this time.
No day is complete without returning to the city center. Full of wide plazas and avenues, and lots of people strolling (though as you can see above, not if it's cold or wet out!) the center really gives a great feel to this town. In the background of this photo is the art museum. I hope to find time to visit!
Here's a close-up on the front entrance to the school. From what I've heard from teachers at this school, as well as several from other schools (and the two local peace corps volunteers,) this is an usual school with excellent teachers and very successful students. Almost everyone passes and goes on to University, and they really specialize in teaching English, as well as French, German, Russian, and Spanish. Fortunately, I've already had a chance to talk with several teachers (2 lunches, and a dinner with from 6- 18 teachers, and lots of time walking around town with several of them.) Two themes have come up frequently as the biggest challenges/problems from the teacher's point of view. There is apparently a nation wide crises of motivation - apathetic students who seem unmotivated and uninterested in learning. Perhaps I am overstating what I heard, but I am struck by how often this comes up. The other topic is poor teacher pay - they make something like $250-300 per month - this is incredibly low! As I do the math, it doesn't seem like this would even be enough to pay for the cigarettes some of the teachers I've met seem to smoke in a month! Apparently, almost everyone has second and third jobs outside of school just to make ends meet. And the teachers seem overwhelmingly to be female. In the English department, there is just one man - Valentine, out of 7-8 teachers. Every time I'm in the faculty lounge, there are 15-20 people, and if Valentine or the PE teacher isn't there, I'm the only male in the room. Several colleagues assure me that there are more male teachers, but they are outside smoking.
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