Done! (Basically)

Well, let's just say I'm feeling pretty good: today was my last day of teaching before Christmas, I just finished all my lesson plans and quizzes and tests for the two and a half weeks after we get back from Christmas (the remainder of the second marking period)...meaning I am bringing zero work home over Christmas..., I'm sitting outside in the sun trying to get a few last-minute rays (don't worry, I work all day and, let's be real, there's not a whole lot of sun to be had still at 4:30, so don't think I'm going to be real tan...), and, to top that all off, Marialouisa just brought me out a pineapple smoothie. Money.

So this will probably be my last post of 2011 since I come home in 3 days! Craziness. We have two and a half weeks off for break -- this Friday is our last day and then school starts up again Wednesday, January 4. So how is this my last day of teaching? Well the last 3 weeks we have been preparing for what is like the biggest deal of the entire school year -- the Christmas drama. So we've had one entire block off of classes (3 class periods) EVERY single day for the last 3 weeks to practice for this thingy (well, except for the days we didn't have electricity -- in which case we couldn't listen to the music for the dances so I had to improvise classes). It's been crazy, really. First of all, we have a different block off every day, and since the schedule is different every day, I've had to try to figure out what classes I'm still having--and somehow it worked out that I haven't had tenth grade language for the past 3 weeks. And other days they randomly decide they need to practice longer so everything gets all messed up. So originally I was like, "Score! This'll be great...they didn't put my in charge of a dance or anything (the girls in each grade do a different dance and the boys act) so I'll have a ton of time off!" Wrong. Since I wasn't really in charge of anything, they usually put me in charge of looking after (babysitting) the kids who weren't participating in the drama (a handful from each grade). So that was a mess and a half....the students are crazy when you give them things to do in class -- imagine when they have nothing to do! Anyway, one of the days a kid broke his clavicle, if that tells you anything...I just keep thinking how different this would be run if it were done in the states...

Anyway, to get to my point finally -- to how this was my last day of teaching -- tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday we have half days of school that are just practice rehearsals in the church. And the big performance is Friday night. I'm excited to see the whole thing...with how long we've been practicing I'm expecting it to be pretty good...they are talking about bringing real sheep on stage too...which would be quite interesting...
Either way, I'm excited to come home soon -- and currently taking down orders from things people want from the states -- oatmeal and hot chocolate (one of the teachers), chocolate and other candies (the students...one of them goes: "Yeah we have some of that stuff here but it just tastes better if it's from the states...I don't know why"), and a guitar for my host brother (yes, I am actually going to bring him back a electric guitar). We'll see what else I get roped into bringing back in the next couple of days...at this rate, my suitcase will be full of candy.

A few random stories

Well, first of all I’m super jel and angry at Justin for going on that sweet trip without me…(why didn’t I go?, you ask…well he took Friday off of school but in order for me to make it to Tegus and back I would have had to have taken off Thursday, Friday, and Monday…which probably would have been frowned upon—especially since Justin and I are trying to plan a trip in February which involves me asking for several days off…) Anyway, the most excitement I had last weekend was attempting to make cookies for my family, which was somewhat of a mess—I’m still trying to figure out how you could possibly mess up cookies from a bag (picked up the bag in Tegus over Thanksgiving)…but they were edible at least, and my family seemed to like them (my host brother Mario had like 6). I decided after Christmas I’m going to have to try to cook some more for them to redeem myself.

Also, I forgot to post about PT Conferences too—we had those a few weeks ago. I actually really enjoyed them too—I really only talked to six or seven parents, but it was fun. And it does make it a lot more fun doing them in Spanish. Most of the parents just nodded knowingly when I told them their kid runs around tipping over people’s desks and books, whips people with his gym towel, and does absolutely nothing (academically speaking) in my class. It was also a weird feeling to have the parents listen to me and treat me as an authority figure when they are like twice my age.

In other news, I’ve discovered I love teaching and hate classroom management. But let’s be real, I guess that’s probably standard. So I made like 6 or 7 of my seventh graders stay after school on Tuesday for a “reforzamiento” class (like an extra after school class) who had failed their last quiz because they were having a test on Wednesday. Keep in mind these are the worst kids in my class—the ones who run amok in the class and pay zero attention. Anyway, they stay after school, move their desks to the front, and then listen and take notes about what I’m saying and ask me questions about things they don’t understand. And I was like, “This is great,”’ and then I thought, “What the heck?! Why don’t you just do that in class, you crazies, and then you wouldn’t have to stay after school and my throat wouldn’t hurt after your class because I’m yelling at you so much?” I’ve never seen anything like it. The best part is they all passed their test the next day.

One thing that I have discovered with their class is how to get them to clean up the room when I have them last class (Thursdays and Fridays). It’s amazing. I just tell them that whoever has their desk in order with their books underneath it and is sitting quietly will be the first to leave. And they also figured out today that I let whoever is picking up random papers and helping other people with their stuff leave first. It’s hilarious—today they were tripping over each other trying to clean things up off the floor (and yelling, “Meees look!” as they held up papers in their hand that they were picking up off the floor). The funniest part is who really gives who gets to leave first? What’s the difference if I make you stay like 30 seconds later than everyone else? It’s not like I can make you stay any later than that because otherwise you (and I) would miss the bus. I just hope they don’t figure that out.

Ok, one more story. So the other day the pastor lost his pocketknife (he put it somewhere and when he returned it wasn’t there), so he was convinced one of the students stole it. So the principal and the pastor proceed to go from classroom to classroom, patting all the students down like in airport security and searching through their backpacks and purses. Now, students are not allowed to have any candy or cell phones at school (which, well, I didn’t realize that they weren’t even supposed to have cell phones at school—I see kids with them all the time). Anyway, I’m in 12^th grade while all this is going on, and the 12^th graders are whispering and being super secretive and looking out the doorway and then one of the girls reaches out the window and puts something on this little overhang outside right before the principal comes in. Then he pats everyone down, searches their packs, etc. (doesn’t find anything), and then him and the pastor leave and go around back (probably to look on the little overhang). Anyway, as soon as they leave, the students all race to the roof and grab their candy! It was absolutely hilarious. I was dying of laughter…and was like, “If this wasn’t so hilarious I would have to confiscate that.” So I feel like this is a textbook example of me trying to be my students’ friend instead of teacher by not turning them in, but it was absolutely hilarious and, well, to be completely honest, I could care less if my students have candy at school. (No one ever did find the knife.)

I found my cousin Kelly's Honduran twin...and other pictures

So I was looking at this picture I took and for some reason it really reminded me of my cousin Kelly...you would think I told them to pose. Turns out little girls are pretty much the same anywhere you go...

Here's the Thanksgiving mural I spent hours making one day after school...I figured I better take a pic since it's not going to last long -- Christmas decor is going up this week. On the leaves the students wrote down things they were thankful for...yep, real creative. (Also, they didn't have brown background paper at the store so I had to make do with black...can't have everything...)

Justin and I at the Thanksgiving dinner. 

Thanksgiving dinner again...notice the balcony...it was a niiiiice house.

Justin's school.

Justin's classroom. 

Shopping in Valle de Angeles -- Justin and his new Scottish friends. Haha. They are teachers at another  one of the schools. (Also, after hearing their accents, we decided our next trip is going to be to Scotland.)