...now part of the mobile revolution...

OK, people, I now have a mobile (also known as "cell") phone! They're the best way that people communicate with each other here in Freetown (and incidentally, I just read an article about how cell phones and text messages are being used to keep elections in Africa above board, with less need for recounts and botched ballots...) If you go to this very helpful website: www.countrycallingcodes.com and submit the appropriate information, you may be able to reach me! My new number is: 033 854829. (I know what you're thinking, "Emily, don't put the number on your blog," but it's the easiest way. Also, if the crazies want to come and track me down here in Freetown - good luck to that! - I'll deal with it when it happens.) I believe that the time difference in Ontario is about 4 hours...but you can even get that info on the countrycallingcodes.com page! Nifty!

Today I'm at the school and working on getting my classroom in order. For those of you who I went to teacher's college with (0r who went to teacher's college at all) remember those machines that the elementary teachers got to use that cut out words, shapes and all sorts of fun stuff?? Yeah, well, I wish I had one of those! I'm cutting out letters and such freehand for my bulletin boards. One will say "Literature" and the other "Social Studies." It's-a-gonna-be-beautiful! So what am I teaching exactly? I have been told that I will be teaching grades 4-8 social studies (history, geography, world issues) and grades 6-8 Literature. Literature simply means reading and comprehension. There are other teachers and other classes for writing, spelling, and language arts. (What a relief!)

To make you other teachers back home jealous, I have 17 students. Total. Grades 4-8...let the good times roll...

"Teacher Days" officially begin next week (August 28th) and school opens on Sept. 4th. I'm thinking of opening with a unit on diversity...and then a unit on peace to coincide with the International Day of Peace on September 21st. (for more on that, go to www.peaceoneday.org) I'll let you know what happens!