So far I'm still just busy helping my teacher with different jobs and teaching a few activities and lessons here and there. I hope to start planning with her next week so that I can start to take over more of the lessons. Eventually I will take over both classes for about 2 weeks, but we are here for 2 and a half more months so I will have plenty of time to teach. For now I'm enjoying getting to know the routines, teachers, and students. The students are starting to warm up to me more and I think that will help for when I finally do teach them on more of a daily basis. They are feeling more comfortable talking to me in English and I know that will help too for when I'm teaching. I know that my teacher will still have to help with some things, mainly translating for those that still don't understand or speak very much English. It helps to use a lot of gestures and teach by doing an example or doing it with them on the board first.
So far I've noticed that it takes longest to write the name and the date on the top of the paper than actually doing the worksheet. I'm exaggerating a little bit with that statement, but this time observing is also giving me a good indication on how long it takes them to do things like that and it will help a lot with planning when I get there. Kindergarten and preschool is not something I'm really used to teaching, but they just don't always seem to have a sense for time or understand that when they finish they will get to have lunch or go outside and play. The attitude here is just so much different here. They are alright being late or not being on a super strict schedule, like we are. I think it just makes me realize how much we are dominated by time in everything we do. This is when we have lunch, this is when we do this activity, this is when we do this, etc. Here it's just so much more relaxed. I like it in some aspects, but I think time has just been drilled into my head so much that it's something hard to get used it. I think the structure helps the students too. They always know what to expect and always have a schedule, which helps them stay focused. I'm not bashing their culture attitude because I think we rely on it a little bit too much, it's just so interesting to see how different cultures do different things. However, I think I will be happy when I'm back (for many reasons) so that I can have that very rigid schedule I have to stick to. And it might be just the age of the students, I'm sure kindergarteners and preschoolers at home have the same sense of time or lack there of :)
On Thursday a boy in the K3 class had a birthday and his parents came in for lunch and brought the whole class 3 large pizzas from Costco, a pot of spaghetti, veggies, jello, cupcakes, a huge cake, and a lot of candy in gift bags. I couldn't believe how much there was! I know that a lot more ended up in the garbage than in their stomachs, but it was nice of the parents to throw their son a party in school. It took a long time for lunch that day and the students ate a lot of sugar! All day this boy had been telling people that it was his 6th birthday and when the mom came in with the cake with the number 5 on it, I didn't think too much of it. After we sang happy birthday a boy was yelling across the room to the birthday boy asking if it was his 5th or 6th birthday. The boy told him it was his 6th birthday and the mom looked at the cake and then covered her mouth like she had made a huge mistake! It was his 6th birthday and she had bought the wrong number. She seemed embarrassed, but I thought that it was quite funny and totally something that a stressed out mom trying to plan a party would do. That was just the funny story of the week and some of the things the kids say are just plain silly.
1. Our every day after school snack. Chips and salsa and guac will NEVER get old.
2. The amount of food that was brought in for a 6 year-old's birthday party at school
3. I was able to watch a little Lakeview girls basketball on The Cube all the way from Mexico! Miss working with those girls.
This week seemed to fly by and I've got mixed emotions about that because I'm sad because this place is so awesome, but at the same time I will be very excited to get home and be back with everyone I love! :) It's the weekend and it's started off with this very gloomy Saturday. It's supposed to rain around noon and then be pretty sunny. Britta and I might head down into town and go shopping and walk around the marina for a while if it's sunny. We will probably end up going to our favorite taco place that we found two years ago! We still can't believe that when Ana, the regular waitress that was there two years ago, came into work last weekend the first thing she said was, "You're back!" She has to see hundreds of people a day, but we must have made quite an impression two years ago! She helps us with our Spanish and we help her with her English! It's fun to have a regular place and we still get our regular orders!
Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so we might head to Pedregal Beach, which is still a public beach, but with a more private feel because there are not vendors or people walking around selling things. This is the beach on the Pacific side and the beach that we can see from our bedroom doors. Not a swimming beach because the currents are so strong. I think that I have gotten too used to falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves every night. I think I might struggle when I go back home to hear nothing but a couple cars on the street below.
1. View from my bedroom door
2. View from the pool. The sunsets will NEVER get old
3. Our usual spot we walk to and watch all the activity in the marina. First time at night and the picture does not do it any justice! So cool at night.
The boys (Tyler and Tony) have been fishing their little hearts out at home and have a tournament planned for almost every weekend from now until I get home it seems! I'm glad that they enjoy the cold weather so that they can fish. Today they are headed up to Lake of the Woods! And yesterday they caught their limit on Red lake. Good thing I got Tyler that chest freezer for Christmas! :)
These are from the last couple days of fishing. Not too bad!
I can't believe that after next week I will be in the single digits for weeks left here! Again, I'm happy, but sad. It has been a great experience and am forever grateful for everyone that made this possible!
No comments:
Post a Comment