Week 2

Its funny how in some ways time seems to fly by and in others it lasts forever.  Week two of school was a bit like that.  I've continued observing some classes, co-taught and taught a course and felt very overwhelmed at times.  I also had my first meeting with the elected group of representatives from the scholarship families.  I learned a lot from them that will help me with Monday's first general meeting with them but also felt a little deflated.  The basic jist of what they kept telling me was that since I'm a woman everyone will try and take advantage of me - I need to be mean.  I don't want to be mean.  I've continued following the policies and procedures put in place by the last administrator but for some reason everyone thinks I'm inventing my own feminine way of doing things that is not as good as the manly way it was done before.  There is also a food war going on at school between the glorieta "cafeteria" we have and a rival pulperia "store" that's selling our kids junk food.  Got to figure out a way to solve this as well.

In terms of the classes, they are great to observe.  I spent some time in our middle school classes and am impressed by their levels of English and the books that they are reading.  The first grade teacher was a bit under the weather this week so I was her voice for several classes - I'm learning a lot of kid songs.  The Honduran Civics teachers went home sick on Friday so I was her replacement for 1.5 hours yesterday afternoon.  That was fun since there wasn't much work for the students to do.

A highlight of the week was a trip to San Pedro Sula for some supply shopping.  We purchased a new lawn mower for the school as well as some new mattresses for our apartments.  All went well.  The school guard who helps a lot with the cutting of the grass was like a little kid on his birthday when he saw the new mower.  He often just sits and stares at it in his spare time and has spent several hours mowing already.

Tomorrow we have our first PTA like meeting - should be very beaurocratic and interesting.  Today is a down day finally and I think I'm going to SPS to a movie and to check out some air conditioning.  Next week we begin getting some time off for holidays. Friday, Sept 10th is the dia del nino (day of the kid).  It is a party with the families at school in the a.m. and we get out at noon (think I'm going back to Teguc for that weekend - also some band friends of our are playing in Teguc that weekend).  September 15th is Honduras' independence day.  September 17th is dia del maestro (day of the teacher); we're not sure if we get that day off or not yet :)

I think the hardest part of my job so far is hearing the families talk to me about their economic hardships.  One parent closed themself in my office yesterday for about a 1/2 an hour and talked about all the debts they have, how they may have to remove their daughter from school and how neither of the parents in the family are working right now.  I don't know what to do in these situtations.  The person gives so much to the school and works occasionally for the school but since the daughter goes to the school the person feels bad charging the school what they should for the work completed.  Since the daughter gets a scholarship this person wants to thank the school by helping out but in the end its compromising the livlihood of the family.  Heartwrenching.

Last night I went on my first home visit with another teacher.  We learned how to make flour tortillas (I know how to make the dough - we learned how to slap them out into cirlces with just our hands - no plates or rolling pins).  The food was great and the company very fun.  Its great to see the kids in their natural environments.

Everyone in the US enjoy your labor day weekend.  I'll celebrate that day in May with the rest of the world.  Until next time.