Teacher

I work over in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. My mailing address is P.O. Box 20303, and the postal code is 21455. Being a teacher here is quite an experience, and the days are usually long. It starts early in the morning before the sun gets too high and the heat becomes unbearable. The school environment is always a bit chaotic with students running around and teachers trying to keep things in order. My desk is usually a mess of red pens, notebooks, and half-eaten snacks. We don't have a lot of fancy equipment, so we make do with what we have. Sometimes the copier breaks down right when you need to print out an exam, and you just have to laugh about it. Jeddah is a big city, and the traffic can be a nightmare in the afternoons when everyone is leaving. I spend a lot of time preparing lessons and grading papers even after I get home. It isn't a glamorous life, but it is steady work. I’ve been doing this for a while now, and you get used to the routine of the bells and the classroom chatter. We don't talk much about goals or visions here, we just try to make sure the kids learn something before the day is over. It’s a simple life, focused on the books and the students who come through the door every day.