Training is over, let the teaching begin!

So Friday marked that last day of our training period. It was an intense month, but I definitely learned a bunch, made some friends, and now I'm so excited to start teaching this upcoming week. Also on Friday I got my teaching schedule and found out that I'm teaching a variety of ages and skill levels: including some adults, some 14 year olds, some 11 year olds, and 2 classes of 6 year olds! Although I know some of these classes will be tough, especially some of the lower level ones (like the 6 year olds who have never taken English classes before) I'm super excited to get started, get to know these people, and really be an actual teacher!

Although it's been a bit chilly here, (in the 40s F most days but one day below freezing and I saw some flurries of snow) and sometimes mostly overcast, the sun came out the other night and was really great!

This weekend, I spent the night in Moscow playing bananagrams with some new friends, and then today (Sunday) we went to the Starlight Diner, Moscow's oldest American-themed restaurant.

 

We traveled through this beautiful metro station: 

 

On each of the ceiling panels, there were really cool Soviet mosiacs, like this one:

 

After the Diner, we passed by this beautiful hotel:

And then went to a park that is featured in the book The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. I've never read it, but it takes place in Moscow and is supposed to be fantastic.

The Pond in the park, complete with its own swans.

These statues were in the park: depictions of different fairy tales.

Sign: Do not talk to strangers.

Sad whale graffiti.

Really cool graffiti.

Fish and crab awning.

So the first day that I'm officially teaching is Tuesday though I have to do a substitute lesson on Monday evening. Until then, I'll probably mostly just lesson plan, maybe explore a bit, and relax. Looks to be a great week!