Full

On this day in Rey Curre, I have writer's block, and I'm on my third round of trying to write a blog entry. So, I decided that I would let this be stream of conscious and let the reader follow along with me as I reflect on the last couple of weeks. It's so hard to put into words the number of things that I have been feeling and thinking. As many of you know, I have always thought of teaching as a roller coaster. Some days, I am up and thinking that I am a great teacher. Other days, I am down and thinking that I probably shouldn't step into another classroom again. It's silly and extreme to think such negative things. What good does it do me? For one, if my thoughts are focused on putting myself down, then I'm much less likely to be able to think on my feet and do a great job of teaching. Several thoughts have really helped me to improve my teaching lately. 1. This whole thing is about learning. So, plan, be prepared, plan assessments ahead of time and teach accordingly, but when all else fails, just try to help them speak the language. 2. I CAN think on my feet and adapt activities to the situation. Therefore, I need to spend more time researching new activities to be fresh on my mind and less time staring at a blank template, trying to write lesson plans. [Note: Not that I won't lesson plan, but just that the time spending researching new ideas must always be proportionately greater.] 3. Have fun! (Because if I'm not having fun, then chances are no one is having fun.)

I'm really excited about an upcoming project. The sixth graders and I are going to travel to a nearby town next Friday and teach an English class to a small school of 10 students that doesn't have the advantage of having an English teacher. It's neat how it all came about. I had been thinking about doing such a thing because it's a great opportunity for the students to make a difference in their home place. And, they say that the best way to learn is to teach others. It's like killing two birds with one stone. Anyway, about two weeks ago, there was a conference at the elementary school in Curre, and the director of a school nearby approached me about offering English classes to her students. Badabing! I took down her number and gained approval from the director, and the rest is history. Let's see how this goes. Maybe we can do this once a unit.

Every day is so full here. It starts early. Breakfast, morning exercises, reflection, and off to school. Three 80-minute classes followed by preparation time. Then, I run back to the house to change, drink a cup of coffee, and head off to plaza to play soccer, or to de-stress as I like to call it. Inevitably, I end up chatting with some of the high school students, shooting the breeze or talking about what they want to learn in the next English class. (Numbers have been scarce lately, so I'm trying to talk it up the best that I can.) Afterward, I amble slowly back up the hill, admiring the sun setting behind the hills. If I'm lucky, I run into some friends and chat a bit, trying to improve on my accent and fluidity. Then, my stomach draws me to the kitchen where I help Freddy with dinner. Some days, the house is brimming with people: two or more of Freddy's six children and their spouses and children, a visiting relative from Boruca (the neighboring Indigenous reservation), or one of Freddy's many friends in and around Curre. Other days, it's just Freddy and I sharing a relaxed dinner together. It's a nice mix, and I really like it here. Finally, sitting on the front porch, I bring the night to an end checking my email, chatting with family on Skype, or playing my guitar under the stars.

Don't get me wrong, not every day is this predictable. After all, you never know when the lights are going to go out and you have to eat dinner by the light of a flashlight. Or, you may catch the gripe (the common cold), and you have to spend the afternoon curled up on the hammock. Or, you may have an English lesson one evening and a dance lesson the next with your intercambio partners. Sometimes one of my good friends and fellow volunteers, Rachel, and I laugh at how often we heard it said that we would have tons of free time here. If anything, I have thought more often about how quickly this year is going to go by. There's so much left to do, and we're already three months down! Whew! :) So, how would I describe my experience here so far in one word? Full. Full of teaching, soccer, relationships, waterfalls, rivers, sunsets, smiles, hugs, kisses, rice, beans, Spanish, English, reading, learning, dreaming, remembering, hoping, feeling, praying, searching, reflecting, laughing, asking, answering, and believing.

As always dear reader, thanks for listening!