Week One: The School

Dhahran High School

Salam Dudes

We just finished our first work week at Dhahran High School (www.dahs.org). Laura is developing an inclusion-based special ed program and I'm teaching 10th grade Honors Biology along with a couple of Microbiology and Anatomy elective courses. The school's campus is large and houses an elementary and middle school as well. Many of the district's offices are on-site too. There isn't a central building for each school but rather a number of smaller building clustered by school and then further into department.

This is the tree lined road that borders the campus.

The high school is moderately sized at around 500 students and about 100 cats. Its crazy-I left work late yesterday and walking to the bus stop I saw at least 15 feral cats-it was like the movie Birds, but with cats! CATS!

My elective courses have around 15 students and my Bio courses have no more than 20 students. Evidently, 20 students is a pretty big class by the standards here-which made me giggle (fact: 80 % of grown men giggle)-but I guess the kids are very engaged so they keep you hoppin. Laura's got five kids on her case load. She already seems to be getting along well with the counselors and administrators. Most people call me Mr. "Laura's Husband".

Before I forget, another couple started work with us this year. They spent the previous two years in China, but they have a house in Georgia. Their blog is: http://ericandjamiebrown.blogspot.com/ They are a lot more informative than I am, with better grammar, more videos and less Danny Tanner humor.

The coffee shop on campus

I can't give too much insight into Laura's situation, she seems to be implementing a lot of positive change.  She's got a sweet office, with wood paneling.  I stole her scanner today, I bet she won't notice it is gone until October.  Booya.

I'm very excited. The facilities, equipment and resources we have to work with are absurd. Our department has its own lab tech. Evidently she'll set up labs, pour plates and wash equipment. I have a brand new room, which was designed by the science teachers working in the department. Tons of technology-smart boards, projectors, document cameras etc. The other teachers in the department are really organized, driven and skilled. The physics teacher here actually lives 10 blocks from us in Minneapolis and student taught at Armstrong.

Laura's Building

Building H7 (My classroom)

School starts Saturday, and we've got classes for three weeks and then Ramadan is over and we have a week off for Eid, which is a big celebration when Ramadan is over.

The work so far has been stressful, but in a good way.  Expectations are very high, and the courses are rigorous, so we both have to step up our game.

Gotta go.  I'm going to go bag an extra feral cat for Jack.

Rob