Hey all!
So week two (my official first week teaching!) has come and gone. :( But it was really fun! :D I suppose I'll start at the beginning...
On Monday, Bonnie and I got sent with a huge group of high school students to a chinchilla reserve. It was, by Chilean standards*, a fairly decent trip. We got a lot of sun time in, ate some decent food, got gawked at, walked around a little, and got some cute pictures of chinchillas in. :) The only bad thing was that I didn't get a chance to go and see the one class that I haven't seen yet (Chuchini). Apparently they actually wore their uniforms correctly and were extremely disappointed that I wasn't there. Super :*(.
Tuesday was a little better as I actually got in front of a classroom for the first time. The kids in Tahuinco crack me up simply because they're super duper touchy. They don't give me an opportunity to say no as they're always holding my hands, playing with my hair, and/or escorting me around the tiny school. The three classes that I worked with (7th, 8th, and 6th graders) all seemed to have a decent time. The exception was, of course, the kid in 8th grade whose phone I took away. He was still pretty grumpy with me on Wednesday but he'll either get over it or he won't. Oh! And the 6th grade girls have requested that I sing them an American song...? They want something from High School Musical or the Jonas Brothers but I'm pretty sure I'm going to sing them Thrice or Queen. I'm not sure which one, but it'll be one of them. :)
My Tuesday at Cumbres rocked! The 5th graders there are angels and, despite the fact that some of them were on losing teams, they all seemed to have fun and learn. :) I'm going to try some games that require a little more speaking interaction on their behalves, but everything seems like it'll work well there. :)
Wednesday was...interesting. I had 7th and 8th graders again in Tahuinco and everything went how it was supposed to. :) Fifth grade was where it got ugly. It's not that the kids are bad--it's not that at all! They've never had any sort of structure before and they're a rowdy bunch. All of them want to talk all at the same time which means that getting answers is both too easy and extremely difficult. Once I laid down some rules, they seemed to work pretty well, especially since I introduced cool stickers. I don't understand what it is about stickers and kids but I've found that I don't care. If it works, I'm a happy fat kid. :)
Thursday and Friday were, by far, my favorite days of the week. I taught 5th-8th grades in Chalinga, which rocked. :) The kids here were SUPER willing to take part in everything, including my stupid name tags (because I have ten distinct classes, I need some way to tell them all apart!). After having taught all of them once, I have a very good idea about what I need to be doing to make sure that a) everyone participates and b) everyone participates in English. The only major problem I had was with the 7th graders. In both of my sections, I ended sending one person into the hall. As I explained to them after class, if they want to have fun and be a part of class, then they have to act like a student, not a hooligan. Aside from those hiccups, everything went really well. :)
The fact that the whole teaching thing is going well makes me extremely relieved. I was never sure that I'd be able to teach but to see that I'm doing it on a little kid level is something else entirely. :) One happy fat kid. :D
In the early afternoon on Saturday (because that's honestly the only time anyone does anything around here), we all went to my Grandma and Grandpa's house for lunch (i.e. food coma). I took quite a few pictures and had some funny discussions about my "weird" views on love. Super lolz. :)
After lunch, Bonnie and I had our (what I'm sure will become a tradition) weekly vent/walk around session. We've both decided that it's impossible to get lost in Salamanca; this is something that freaks Bonnie out as it's never happened to her before. She's from Chicago, so the size of Salamanca (and corresponding lack of things to do) is proving to be difficult for her. I told her that she'll get used to it but neither of us really thinks that she will.
Today was my birthday and it was one of the best I've had in awhile. I woke up pretty early and worked on my lesson plans for awhile. Apparently, the fencebell rang but, since I had my IPod in, I didn't hear it. Around 8, Maite, my sister, woke up and decided that I should be up too. I helped her find the music that we had put on her phone and she was off. :) At about 11 or so, the rest of my family got up and brought me my birthday present: my very first grown-up, girly purse! I'm in love! I squealed and gave everyone hugs and was so happy I could hardly stand it. I took pictures of it and then started to transfer everything (all, like, five objects). :D After that, my family started in with the food--which included a trip to the only Chinese place in town, a huge amount of ice cream, and a ton of sweets. Finally, I talked to my family (Mom, Jay, and Daddy) through Skype--MUCH cheaper than with my cell!
All in all, it was a very good week, if slightly uneventful. :)
Loves to you all! :)
Cb.
P.S. If you haven't been to my Facebook page and checked out my awesome pictures, let me know. Or just stop being lazy and get on it. ;)
*Chilean standards include: not having enough vehicles which means absurd amounts of standing around either a)wondering how in the world this government functions or b) complaining about how much standing around is actually going on.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
First Week Done? Check!
Hey all!
So my first week here in Salamanca is officially over! :( It was a whirlwind (this is, honestly, the first time that I've truly sat down since arriving on Monday), but I've loved it. :D I suppose I should start at the beginning, especially for those of you who don't/can't read the Spanish blog (carainternacional.blogspot.com [shameless self plug!]).
A little bit of background on what I'll be doing here/where here is:
I'm in Salamanca, Chile. It's a town of about 25K people but it feels no bigger than Guernsey, which is probably because there are absolutely no buildings that have more than two floors. Super odd. Anyway - I'll be teaching 10 different classes of students during the four months that I'm here. The 10 classes are made up of students from the 5th-8th grades (5-8 in two schools, 5/6 in one, and 5 in the other). Finally, I have a family with a mom (Maria Jose), dad (Carlos) and little sister (Maite) along with three dogs (Bruno, Perla, and Upa) and a woman who helps around the house (Carolina, who is a riot). :) Still with me? Good. Let's start:
Bonnie and I arrived on Monday around lunch time (1:PM). We thought we were going to be together but we both got whisked off by our respective families/teachers. I got taken to lunch at what I found out is a restaurant/hotel owned by my family. (Later, I came to find out that my parents [and, in some cases, parts of their families] own nearly everything in/around Salamanca. Seriously.) After a hugely filling lunch, I was off to one of the four schools (yes, that's right, four) that I'll be teaching at. I got to meet all of the teachers, students, and staff (WAY TOO MANY NAMES) and helped Yocelyn with the 5th graders. :D After school got done, I sat through a teacher's meeting at this school, which was hilarious to say the least. Unlike in the US, the agenda means nothing. Sure, the conversation occasionally strayed to what was written on the board, but most of the time, it was just teachers/admin, exchanging stories about EVERYTHING. Literally everything. Massive lolz. :) Anyway, after school got let out, Maria Jose brought me home to drop my bag off and then we were off to the super (grocery store). She told me over and over how relieved she was that I spoke Spanish (she knows "hello" "how are you?" "yes/no" and "thank you") and continued to talk to me about everything and everyone. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they know EVERYONE in Salamanca. This meant that our shopping trip was actually a "let's have everyone meet Cara" trip. So much hugging and so many kisses! After our adventure at the store we got home just in time to have dinner (roughly 7:PM). Maria Jose, Carlos, and I sat at the table talking until around 11. Then, I finally got to unpack (and may I say, not living out of a suitcase rocks SHIT) and then hit the hay. And that was just Day One, folks.
Tuesday and Wednesday I was with a new teacher (Debora) in a new school (Tahuinco). It's a ten minute commute through a crazy beautiful part of this tiny valley. When we got there on Tuesday, I felt like a zoo animal; everyone stared. Then, after a few seconds, they all came up for hugs and kisses (the normal "hi how are ya" here) and then the questions started. "Who are you?" "What's your name?" "How do you say 'snow' in English?" Lord. But it was adorable and I loved it. Every. Freakin'. Second. :D At 8:AM, we started classes (7th graders). Next, I was supposed to watch an 8th grade class, but the principal decided that the kids needed to have a ping pong tournament instead. For the next hour or so, we all sat outside, drank tea, ate cookies, and watched kids play ping pong. :) Finally, I ended Tuesday with 6th graders, who were adorable and SO excited! Wednesday was pretty similar except that I was able to meet/watch the 8th graders (all six of them) and I ended the day with extremely hyper-active, noisy 5th graders. :)
Thursday and Friday I was back with Yocelyn in a new school (Chalinga). These kids are all so freakin' adorable it makes me sick. As soon as we walked in the door, they all wanted hugs and kisses and answers. Then, they took all of our stuff and carried it to the room, putting it all away at the front like pros. It was like having concierge service only creepier (the whole having people do stuff for me creeps me out. I guess I'm too independent or something...). Much like everywhere else, these kids were extremely excited (if a little nervous) to have me there. On Friday we had our English Network meeting (basically, an excuse for food and talking) where I got to see Bonnie. :) She was sick, but it was good to see her!! :D We're going to go walking around after I get lunch today (yay!!). :)
Anyway, I think that's about it. I've gotta go have empanadas now. :D
LOVES!!
Cb.
P.S. I promise I'll post pictures soon! If I don't, you can either beat me, or check them out on Facebook. Chao! :D
So my first week here in Salamanca is officially over! :( It was a whirlwind (this is, honestly, the first time that I've truly sat down since arriving on Monday), but I've loved it. :D I suppose I should start at the beginning, especially for those of you who don't/can't read the Spanish blog (carainternacional.blogspot.com [shameless self plug!]).
A little bit of background on what I'll be doing here/where here is:
I'm in Salamanca, Chile. It's a town of about 25K people but it feels no bigger than Guernsey, which is probably because there are absolutely no buildings that have more than two floors. Super odd. Anyway - I'll be teaching 10 different classes of students during the four months that I'm here. The 10 classes are made up of students from the 5th-8th grades (5-8 in two schools, 5/6 in one, and 5 in the other). Finally, I have a family with a mom (Maria Jose), dad (Carlos) and little sister (Maite) along with three dogs (Bruno, Perla, and Upa) and a woman who helps around the house (Carolina, who is a riot). :) Still with me? Good. Let's start:
Bonnie and I arrived on Monday around lunch time (1:PM). We thought we were going to be together but we both got whisked off by our respective families/teachers. I got taken to lunch at what I found out is a restaurant/hotel owned by my family. (Later, I came to find out that my parents [and, in some cases, parts of their families] own nearly everything in/around Salamanca. Seriously.) After a hugely filling lunch, I was off to one of the four schools (yes, that's right, four) that I'll be teaching at. I got to meet all of the teachers, students, and staff (WAY TOO MANY NAMES) and helped Yocelyn with the 5th graders. :D After school got done, I sat through a teacher's meeting at this school, which was hilarious to say the least. Unlike in the US, the agenda means nothing. Sure, the conversation occasionally strayed to what was written on the board, but most of the time, it was just teachers/admin, exchanging stories about EVERYTHING. Literally everything. Massive lolz. :) Anyway, after school got let out, Maria Jose brought me home to drop my bag off and then we were off to the super (grocery store). She told me over and over how relieved she was that I spoke Spanish (she knows "hello" "how are you?" "yes/no" and "thank you") and continued to talk to me about everything and everyone. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they know EVERYONE in Salamanca. This meant that our shopping trip was actually a "let's have everyone meet Cara" trip. So much hugging and so many kisses! After our adventure at the store we got home just in time to have dinner (roughly 7:PM). Maria Jose, Carlos, and I sat at the table talking until around 11. Then, I finally got to unpack (and may I say, not living out of a suitcase rocks SHIT) and then hit the hay. And that was just Day One, folks.
Tuesday and Wednesday I was with a new teacher (Debora) in a new school (Tahuinco). It's a ten minute commute through a crazy beautiful part of this tiny valley. When we got there on Tuesday, I felt like a zoo animal; everyone stared. Then, after a few seconds, they all came up for hugs and kisses (the normal "hi how are ya" here) and then the questions started. "Who are you?" "What's your name?" "How do you say 'snow' in English?" Lord. But it was adorable and I loved it. Every. Freakin'. Second. :D At 8:AM, we started classes (7th graders). Next, I was supposed to watch an 8th grade class, but the principal decided that the kids needed to have a ping pong tournament instead. For the next hour or so, we all sat outside, drank tea, ate cookies, and watched kids play ping pong. :) Finally, I ended Tuesday with 6th graders, who were adorable and SO excited! Wednesday was pretty similar except that I was able to meet/watch the 8th graders (all six of them) and I ended the day with extremely hyper-active, noisy 5th graders. :)
Thursday and Friday I was back with Yocelyn in a new school (Chalinga). These kids are all so freakin' adorable it makes me sick. As soon as we walked in the door, they all wanted hugs and kisses and answers. Then, they took all of our stuff and carried it to the room, putting it all away at the front like pros. It was like having concierge service only creepier (the whole having people do stuff for me creeps me out. I guess I'm too independent or something...). Much like everywhere else, these kids were extremely excited (if a little nervous) to have me there. On Friday we had our English Network meeting (basically, an excuse for food and talking) where I got to see Bonnie. :) She was sick, but it was good to see her!! :D We're going to go walking around after I get lunch today (yay!!). :)
Anyway, I think that's about it. I've gotta go have empanadas now. :D
LOVES!!
Cb.
P.S. I promise I'll post pictures soon! If I don't, you can either beat me, or check them out on Facebook. Chao! :D
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Placements, nervousness, and actually growing up...
Hey all -
So it´s been a couple of rough days here. First off, we got our placements and found out that we´re, for the most part, going to be pretty separated. Bonnie and I are, thankfully, in the same town (Salamanca). It just happens to be about two hours away from everyone else. :( At least public transportation is good here! :) We also found out who we´re teaching (I have two grade schools that I´m bouncing between--unless they agree to switch Bonnie and I {who has high school, which she´s terrified of}) and a little information about our families. Apparently, I have a mom, a dad, and a sister named Maite. Other than that, we´re totally in the dark; this seems to be a common erm... status for those working with the Chilean government. It makes for a good joke, but living it isn´t all that fun.
I honestly can´t complain, though. I´ll get to be teaching in less than 10 days, which is exactly what I want to be doing. I´ll have my own classroom and I´ll be immersed in yet another Spanish-speaking culture. I´ll be constantly learning about myself, the folks around me, and the languages that I speak. :) Yes, it´ll be difficult and challenging and it´ll force me to do things that I wouldn´t normally do. BUT, I´ll change, become better and THAT´S exactly why I´m here. :)
Anyway, I wanted to fill everyone in just a little about what´s been going on. I´ll hopefully be able to post when we get to Salamanca and let you see how pretty (or Wyoming-like) it is. :)
LOVES!!!
Cb.
So it´s been a couple of rough days here. First off, we got our placements and found out that we´re, for the most part, going to be pretty separated. Bonnie and I are, thankfully, in the same town (Salamanca). It just happens to be about two hours away from everyone else. :( At least public transportation is good here! :) We also found out who we´re teaching (I have two grade schools that I´m bouncing between--unless they agree to switch Bonnie and I {who has high school, which she´s terrified of}) and a little information about our families. Apparently, I have a mom, a dad, and a sister named Maite. Other than that, we´re totally in the dark; this seems to be a common erm... status for those working with the Chilean government. It makes for a good joke, but living it isn´t all that fun.
I honestly can´t complain, though. I´ll get to be teaching in less than 10 days, which is exactly what I want to be doing. I´ll have my own classroom and I´ll be immersed in yet another Spanish-speaking culture. I´ll be constantly learning about myself, the folks around me, and the languages that I speak. :) Yes, it´ll be difficult and challenging and it´ll force me to do things that I wouldn´t normally do. BUT, I´ll change, become better and THAT´S exactly why I´m here. :)
Anyway, I wanted to fill everyone in just a little about what´s been going on. I´ll hopefully be able to post when we get to Salamanca and let you see how pretty (or Wyoming-like) it is. :)
LOVES!!!
Cb.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)