Why are you yelling? just another way I'm a still a bit culturally aloof

This morning, I attended the usual Friday breakfast with the whole Teach For Armenia team. As the twenty-something of us piled around the conference room table, we ogled the chocolatey croissants, coffee cake, fruit, and pot of steamy coffee. I will start eating healthy at lunch. I will. I will. I will. Each week, the team who brings breakfast also identifies a topic for conversation. Today, we discussed the ideal candidate for the programme since Recruitment, Selection and Matriculation hosted and are in the midst of recruitment season.
In Armenia, and throughout the Caucasus region I'm told, it is customary for conversations and debates to quickly become shouting matches. As one of the few Americans in the room at this morning's breakfast, I noticed how comparably comfortable most everyone else in the room was with the conversation as, from my perspective, it escalated into an argument. It wasn't an argument though. My colleagues were debating about a new requirement of our fellows. They are passionate and entirely dedicated to positive outcomes for the students we serve. They simply show this by sharing their perspective at a higher volume.
The energy of the discourse here is incredibly inspiring, but to be frank, I was mightily overwhelmed in the moment. Every so often, I insert myself to summarise the shouting and invite a quieter colleague to share. It isn't clear if this is helpful, distracting, or just a mouse squeak between lion roars.

A Tuesday post from Tumo

Teach For Armenia's office is in the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies. The center is home to several organisations that align to their core work of giving "teens the tools necessary to succeed in the modern digital world." I'm writing today's entry from our office here!
Today, Anush (HR Director) facilitated an exciting conversation about employee and manager competencies with the TFA Senior Leadership Team. The outcomes were really interesting. We found a lot of alignment around expectations for employees, but there is still work to do to unify the direction for management competencies. I learned some great tactics for steering a brainstorming conversation towards a bit of consensus. It isn't part of my core work here, but I'll be supporting Anush as she lays out the performance management strategy including our competency framework. The opportunity for professional development is incredible! Of course, a lot of my core work will need to closely align to that future state she's designing too.

Slow Saturday

Right now, I am laying on Narek's couch in cosy tights and a Hogwarts jumper. At this exact moment, I'm writing here but otherwise, I've been browsing Instagram and reading for book club (super behind - sorry y'all). Occasionally, Narek's housekeeper Karina calls me over to the kitchen for a quick demonstration about the next step in her chicken soup recipe. She explains it in Armenian and slowly walks through what needs doing. I'll share the recipe if I figure it out!

Karina is also bopping around, dusting and organising. She will be here all day on Saturday and comes again on Wednesdays while Narek and I are at work to make another meal and bop around some more I imagine. She is lovely.

Later today, I'll go on a walking tour of Yerevan. It is only 5k, but will take three hours so I imagine it will be more talking than walking. Besides some cooking instruction here and there and the tour, it is a much-needed slow Saturday for me here in Yerevan.

All my love,
Jess

Soup in progress - I wish I could share the smell with you!! Mmm

Three years at Teach First!

It is my Teach First birthday! The past three years have been pivotal for me professionally. I can't believe I only started as a Human Resources and Governance, Legal, & Compliance Coordinator in 2015! From early days of working out what's office culture versus what's British culture to my current work abroad, I'm finally feeling that I'm in the midst of an actual career. Is this what growing up is? Being in the midst of something that always felt far, far away? Maybe. I like this midst feeling.
I've also gotta call out how it wasn't until I joined Teach First that London felt like home. My family in London is made up of so many beautiful humans I met at work or through someone at work. Sometimes Kevin and I joke that it is even a bit annoying that we have more than one country of pals we'll always want to visit and cheer on for their major events. (Kidding, of course.)

Anyways, here are heaps of pictures of lots (but not all) of those amazing peoples. ❤

First night off

Wow. What an incredibly busy couple days - both at and outside work. I'm loving it, but am still a bit jet-lagged. I hope some extra sleep tonight will set me up for a less yawn-riddled day tomorrow! Outside work, I've had dinner and drinks with colleagues, walked around with Narek, and ran errands to get myself set-up. Everyone is really welcoming and Yerevan is lovely. I already want to come back in the spring or autumn! Tonight though, I've been laying in bed looking at flights for Kevin's visit and our weekend meet-up (location TBD). The low-key evening was much needed.

The days have been busy with initial planning, setting up my objectives, and moving swiftly on some key pieces of work! Today I also had a (very brief) briefing session with Lou from Teach First. I am going to be on the externship panel for our internal Careers Week in February. It will be neat to share a little about my experience while I'm in Armenia on the actual externship. Also, I've never been on a panel before! How fun!

Below are my objectives:

1. Configure, test, and launch an HR Information System
2. Design and document processes from recruitment/selection through probation
3. Create a foundational policy library (produce and support colleagues to produce prioritised policies); also, design procedure for policy upkeep
4. Design onboarding experience for new starters and their managers including tools, templates, and documentation
5. Engage in the Teach For Armenia mission through school visits, meaningful discussions about the context in Armenia, and collaborative learning sessions about all sorts (from performance evaluation to co-teaching models to governance structures)

The mission:

Our mission is to catalyze a nationwide movement of impact-driven leaders expanding educational opportunity to all children in Armenia.

Մեր առաքելությունն է նվիրյալ առաջնորդների համազգային շարժման խթանումը՝ հանուն Հայաստանի բոլոր երեխաների կրթական հնարավորությունների ընդլայնման:

Good night, Mom and Kevin. :)

Entrance to the office

Sucuk

Quick post from the Teach For Armenia office so I remember to tell y'all about this stellar sweet my colleague Menua shared with me called sucuk - look at the bottom of the Wikipedia article for the candy version of sujuk (a type of sausage... makes sense because the candy is sausage-shaped). I loved having a bit of sucuk after my lunch with Grigori and Manuk in the downstairs cafeteria, which I'm assured I'll grow tired of after awhile! OK - back to work! :)

First day of work (at my externship)

Today was a long first day! We worked from 9:00-19:00 and we accomplished heaps. I spent a lot of time setting myself up, meeting colleagues, and mapping out some quick wins. If I'm honest, it was absolutely exhausting but I'll attribute a bit of that to the jet lag. Speaking of which, I need to sleep so will keep this entry short.

Two lessons learned today:

1. Some things that take ages in London can be done in less than a day here (your first day, even) - today I worked on something I've been doing since summertime at Teach First and I will likely be finished by close-of-play tomorrow
2. Start-up culture feels dramatically different (obvious when I type it out) - in some ways, I feel like the start-up vibe is even more of a culture-shock than being in West Asia

Tonight, my colleague Kristyn took me to Araks Restaurant which was delicious. We shared Toshka which Kristyn aptly described as a cheeseburger quesadilla; I had Shish Tawook as a main which was a flavourful seasoned chicken with fries and garlic aioli. Check out that Toshka link to the Syrian foodie blog - you'll be drooling on your keyboard!

Later, Narek and I went exploring to do some errands and I took some photos along the way!

An alley near the grocery store

Also in that alley near the grocery store

Republic Square (only part of it!)

Northern Avenue holiday lights still up

Hovhannes Tumanyan in front of Yerevan Opera Theatre