The Energizer

Living in the part of the world that I live in I am made to understand just how dire the world engergy crisis is. The prices of oil and gas and consequently transportation have risen to double the costs they were when I arrived. Ukraine was "weaned" off subsidized Russian oil over the course of only a few months but I have the solution. Yes thats right. Yesterday I taught for the first time in a month and the only time I will teach this month. I am now in Kyiv for three days of routine medical tests. And next week I have a Ukrainian Language Refresher.
And through this numbing parade of paper work and peeing in a cup I have so much energy becasue I am a teacher.
Yesterday was a great day of teaching. Nothing earth shattering occured. But my lessons were well prepared, the students were responsive and over all well behaved. I had a great discussion with my 11th grade about shaking up the traditional styles of teaching in our classroom like round table discussions and research projects. However, the discussions can't be round table becasue the desks are bolted to the ground in rows facing the teacher and the black board.
I hadn't seen most of them in weeks and when I walked into both my fifth and sixth grade classes all the kids stood up and cheered. It was so exciting. I alway thought I would like teaching older students better. And I do enjoy it because we get to discuss ideas. But the little kids, bouncing off the walls, so excited to see me, so excited to participate in the lesson was one of those unexpected and unccontable rewards of Peace Corps life. Now I am enjoying my time with friends in the capital, but I am also looking forward to going back home and seeing my students. It is the best of all worlds.