And so it begins...

Hello!
This week has been a whirlwind-- of new faces, teaching lingo, bulletin boards, and staff development.  AKA- it's teacher training time.  It's so great to be experiencing the beginning of the school year, as so much happens at this time for schools.  As student teachers, we are welcomed and treated as if we were new teachers. 
I met my cooperating teachers:
Erin Hayes:  She will be my first cooperating teacher.  She is enthusiastic, always smiling, and everybody's friend, from teachers to parents to students to maintainence.  She has a big heart and I think I'm really going to like working with her.
Kristy Ngyuen: She teaches second grade.  She is a very graceful, soft-spoken, beautiful teacher.  Originally from Korea, she has lived in several places around the world and loves to travel.  She took me out to dinner on Sunday night and I got to know her a bit.  I think she has quite a different teaching style to Erin, so it will be good to get two different looks at ways to run a classroom.
I've been able to put my creativity to use this week by putting up bulletin boards.  I'm quite proud of the display on our front door.  It says "Soaring to new heights in first grade" and it has each child's name on a hot air balloon.  Cute.
Tomorrow, all the parents and students will come in the afternoon for an open house.  This is exciting, because I'm ready for the school year to start and I'm really excited to meet the students.  I'm also a bit nervous, because of all the parents (many of them are wealthy, influencial diplomats, or staff members of the school!) I'm sure it will be fine. 
My time here has been so rich with opportunities to grow personally.  There is so much new!  Every aspect of my life is so completely different than it was two weeks ago.  Right now, I'm still trying to find my balance (and not trip on the broken sidewalks on my way to school!)  It's good.  It's crazy.  It's exactly where I need to be right now.