...going with the flow

There are no substitute teachers here.  If someone is absent, other teachers make sure classes are covered. Right now I am proctoring an exam in the grade 12A classroom.  I'm not sure what the subject is--something that requires calculators, but I don't think it's math class.  The girls are the quietest I have ever seen them, and, since their test is written entirely in Arabic, they can't ask me for help.  As the girls finish they go to the back of the room and sit on the rug with their laptops to work on other assignments. (We were delighted to learn that the internet connection is strong in this room!)

I've mentioned before that the schedule can change on a moment's notice.  National Day is coming up, and there will be a school-wide celebration at a local community hall. I knew this, but what I didn't understand was just how much time would be devoted to practicing dances and presentations.  There is a lot of negotiating and switching of classes going on.  My stress level has risen a little--we just started on the big ECART project for this term, and need to have it finished by the end of next week.  Now I know, for next year, not to start on it so late. On paper, it looked like there was plenty of time to get everything completed.  Obviously, I'm still thinking with my Western brain.