“Good morning! What is your name? My name is Teresa. How are you? I am fine thank you. And you?”

[This post is from last week Nov. 4-10...I meant to post it Monday but my internet at work wasn't cooperating...so here it is now! I'll try to write another for this week soon and hopefully it will get up in a more timely manner :) ]

This week was the beginning of a particularly busy time at work.  We began Pre-Básico classes which I’ve been mentioning in earlier posts…classes begin at 7:30am and go until 12:30pm.  There are six 40 minute sections with a 20 minute “recess” in the middle.  I am the English teacher and have a wonderful student teacher with me named, Angela.  All of us are paired up with student teachers who are in their 2^nd year of diversificado (our junior year equivalent) but the big difference is in diversificado you are on a career track.  Therefore, when these students graduate from high school they will be licensed to teach primary school (elementary school).  Angela and I work very well together which is just wonderful.  I laughed on the inside the first day when we were going to start classes and we were talking about how we were going to split up the day (taking turns teaching, etc.) and Angela said to me “Is it alright if you go first so I can see how you do it and everything?”  Of course I agreed, but on the inside I was thinking: “See how I do it?!  I am no expert in teaching – haha! Of the two of us, you are the only one taking classes for this career.”  But of course I do have some skills and knowledge that I was able to put to use in this position.  I especially reflected on my summer camp counselor position and my teaching assistant positions at St. Kate’s.  I was actually surprised at how easily I fell into the role and how comfortable I feel.  I’m sure it helps that the topic is very familiar. :)  Even though I’m still pretty sure teaching is not my calling, it has been fun teaching the classes.  It’s funny to reflect back to when I first found out that I would be doing this, back in September.  I was still very new in the office, unfamiliar with exactly how everything worked, and definitely not as confident in my abilities to run programs and activities in Spanish…I can literary jump back in time and be sitting at the table during the meeting when I heard we were giving these classes and I was told I would be teaching the English classes – my mind was thinking “What?! Can I do this?! This is going to be kind of scary…” And now I can’t imagine why I was nervous…I am very comfortable doing this with no nerves at all.  It’s amazing how much I have grown into my position in just a few months.

My students have learned basic conversation skills and also how to say what things they like or don’t like to do in their free time.  Now we are starting in on pronouns, direct and indirect object pronouns, and eventually the basics of the verb “to be”.  It’s fun to see and hear them get excited about different phrases they have learned.  Every day at the beginning of class when they walk in, we say “Good morning” instead of the typical greeting “Buenos días” in Spanish.  I have name cards that we hand out every day and they need to answer the question “What is your name?” with “My name is ___.”  There are other little things we do throughout the class to use English and it always puts a smile on my face when one of the students initiates the English such as saying “Thank you” instead of “Gracias” when I hand them something.  I have to say that it is a little confusing for my brain to keep switching back or forth.  Sometimes I have to catch myself and make myself use English for particular phrases because I am so use to using Spanish with the kids and other Guatemalans.

One quick funny-ish story.  On Wednesday of this week, two new guys came to class in one of the sections who turned out to be the two “trouble-makers”.  They are a little older (they didn’t pass their grade last year) and very confident in themselves.  Well, I didn’t know about them beforehand and had asked Angela to start the class without me while I helped another student teacher with something.  When I got to the room about 10 minutes into class, the students were copying down something from the board and Angela came over to me and said to me, “I think I’m going to need you to help with these two new guys that came.  They are talking all the time and giving me trouble.”  I promptly agreed and went over to check on how they were doing (as one was already talking to the other when they were suppose to be copying down notes from the whiteboard).  Now, I don’t know if I walked in with a strong presence or what, but they really fell into shape when I was around.  I’m not sure how to explain it, but I could tell that they respected/were slightly intimated by me and my presence.  Who knew that I could be the intimidating teacher?! Haha!  I was never rude or angry with them.  I just told them what needed to be done and they did it.  I tried to emphasize to Angela during another break when they were copying info down in their notebooks that it’s important that we don’t change our attitude when teaching (to appear more angry or anything) for a couple reason: 1. It gives them the power because they can see that they have affected us  2. We have other students in the class that do not deserve an angry teacher  3. It’s no fun for us to be upset either.  The rest of the class went well, and sadly they have not been back since.  It’s such a loss for them.

As I said in the first sentence, it has been VERY busy at work.  I am at the site by 7ish every morning (an hour earlier than the normal work day), classes are all morning and then it is lunch time.  After lunch I have always had plans for all the things I need to get done (many involving my new programs and prepping for the upcoming classes) and most afternoons I have literary gotten NONE of it done!  We have had many youth in the office in the afternoons needing help on homework (recuperation work so they can still pass their grade) or those who are on a schedule to come for tutoring to go over math or reading as they need extra support in this area.  We are also down two staff members in our office because one is working in another part of the foundation this month for the afternoon and the other injured himself during a soccer game a couple weeks ago and can’t come back to work until the end of the month.  Therefore, a lot of the tutoring has fallen onto my shoulders…which I don’t mind in the sense that I like working with the kids – but I haven’t had time to get any of my own work done!  It’s very odd to be so busy and working so hard that you don’t get any work done.  Haha! I mean, I am getting work done..just not my specific items.  Between classes, tutoring kids, and translating (as we had a lot of different visitors this week)…I have come home pretty tired all week.  At least it’s good work!

This week was particularly special as we celebrated graduation at Common Hope on Saturday.  Therefore we had about 40 sponsors visiting to see their sponsored children graduate.  On Friday when I translated visits, it was for sponsors who were visiting their new child they were going to begin sponsoring since their current child was going to graduate and thus end their sponsorship.  On Saturday, I was very involved in the graduation activities and had a blast!  First, we had a picnic lunch for the sponsors with their graduating student and family.  Therefore I was one of translators for this lunch.  I just love the variety of people and families I am able to meet and connect…it is truly amazing and special.  After the lunch, I was involved in the fun chaos of distributing caps and gowns for the graduates.  Common Hope rents (or has?) caps and gowns for the graduates to use for the celebration and then they turn them back in at the end of the day.  Well, it is quite a fun process handing them out.  Each person has a size for the gown and hat that was premeasured earlier, so the process consists of finding their name on a paper list, telling their two sizes (gown and then hat) and then getting the correct size gown on them along with the cap.  At one point I was handing out caps and the next part I was putting on medium size robes.  What fun and excitement throwing on graduation robes and smashing on those funky hats on their well gelled hair :) !!!  I do have to say, I had a bit of a cultural conflict at one moment.  It was definitely obvious that we were in a hurry to get all these robes and caps out in a timely manner so that they would be ready for the ceremony…yet, within the hurry there was also “laid-backness”.  There were moments where I wanted to hurry things up or make changes to make it more efficient; yet another part of me liked the friendly, relaxation amongst the rush.  For example, when the students were let in by twos, they would casually make their way to the table with the lists…a part of me was thinking “why don’t they move faster?”  There were two people with one list (2 lists would have made it faster) and even though they were often going quickly, sometimes people would come up and they would have side conversations (that meant no one was looking up names…which meant the flow stopped) or if they knew one of the students they would not hesitate to greet them, ask them how they were doing, and a few other things.  Again, cut all this and everything goes faster…BUT what do you lose?  Shouldn’t you take the time to properly greet someone you know?  Isn’t a little laughter and calmness amongst a rush good?  Yet, what if you are on a schedule, you have a huge line of students waiting, and even more people waiting in chairs for a ceremony to start?  It was just interesting to observe.

My duties did not end there.  Once everyone had their caps and gowns, I was one of the ushers showing the graduates where to sit when they walked into the ceremony.  Therefore, I was up in front indicating where row to enter and making sure they filled in every chair.  What fun!!  The decorations for this ceremony were just BEAUTIFUL (it looked like an outdoor wedding to me).  And then to see all the different students in caps and gowns…ahhhh just so cool!!  Now, this wasn’t just a ceremony for those graduating for high school.  We were also celebrating those who “graduated” from 6^th grade and 9^th grade in San Rafeal (one of our sites which is a very indigenous community and reaching these grades are great successes), 9^th grade in San Miguel Milpas Altas (our newest site), and university degrees.  Therefore there was a wide variety of ages which made it all the more fun.

After the ceremony, I was also in charge of organizing the different group photos (group photos of the students from our different sites) as two other people snapped the photos…basically it was a lot of: “2 lines please!!; move a little this way; look up; big smiles – bigger smiles!”

Last but not least were the clean-up items.  I have to say, I loved being so involved and a big reason I was so involved is because of the office I work in.  Great fun…just great fun.

Since we have Pre-básico classes going on, this means I am working Mondays along with my usual Tuesday-Saturday work…6 day weeks with extra long days since I start earlier.  As I said…good work, but very tiring.  Sunday very much is my Sabbath – my day of rest.  This Sunday I did as little as possible after Mass - only the minimum food shopping that I needed to do for the week.

I should probably quickly mention the earthquake.  Wednesday, there was an earthquake in Guatemala.  The center being Champerico, at 7.5 grados.  We did feel it though here in Antigua, but it was much less.  The funny story with this is I did not feel it right away.  I was walking around my classroom just starting to hand out the name cards when a different student teacher who happened to be in my classroom said, “Teresa, está templando.” (It’s trembling/shaking).  Though, what I heard him say is “Está temprano” (It’s early)…so I thought he was saying I was starting the class early.  Therefore I responded, “No, es la hora.” (No, it’s time).

“No, Teresa está templando.”

“No, es la hora.”

“Esta TEMPLANDO.” …and then I felt it.  OH!  But then what?  I’ve don’t know the drill for an earthquake…I know what to do if there is a fire or a tornado…but an earthquake?  Thankfully one of my colleagues who was right next door was already at my door telling the children we needed to walk downstairs (we are on the second level) and out into the open yard.  I now know that is the meeting point for our building.  It lasted maybe a minute or two and then it was done.  We were fine; Antigua was fine…but sadly this was/is not the case for those closer to the center.  There was about 52 deaths (the numbers I have seen in the news are not consistent) including a six-year old boy and a complete family of ten.  MANY houses were destroyed or are un-inhabitable and power outages.  Just on Sunday, there was another earthquake in the same area, this time of the size 6.5 along with an aftershock.  I don’t think there were any more casualties, but as you can imagine, the people of that area of very shaken up.  Apparently the last time Guatemala had a significant earthquake was about 36 years ago…and I overheard that they are suppose to have one about every 30 years…so here we are.  Please keep the Guatemalan people in your prayers.

Thank you lunch with the youth leaders!

Graduation at Common Hope

All dressed up for graduation!