1st week....done!

What a whirl-wind of a week! Monday started out by my door not working. We couldn't get into the classroom until an hour and a half into the school day. What a great start to my 1st day of teaching. The kids and I walked around the campus, I read them a couple of books , I learned their names and favorite colors. I was practicing the skill that every teacher must possess, improvising!! Oh and then I spilt coffee (cold) on one of my students!! Needless to say I was pretty discouraged about my 1st day, but then came Tuesday.

Tuesday, I was able introduce my policies and procedure and get to know my students a little more. I have 24 students, of course all English Language Learners. A sweet little girl, Elis, brought me a chocolate cake. Thinking I was the worst teacher on Monday, this little girl brings me a cake on Tuesday. I was so touched.

Wednesday, the students are beginning to feel comfortable with me and I am with them. I notice their personalities starting to emerge. The leaders, and follower are becoming clear. This is also the time when they are testing me. At IST we have a card flipping discipline system set in place where colored cards are flipped based upon behavior and participation. I have a boy named Kenneth (I call him Kenny G to the other teachers), smart kid but the most unmotivated kid I have ever worked with. As a class we were grading a math paper and he absolutely refused to do it. So I told him that he had the choice to grade the math paper along with the rest of the class or to flip a card. He said he would flip a card!!! Argh, this kid! I guess I need to find out what motivates him.

Thursday and Friday go well, I still have the glazed over, overwhelmed look on my face whenever I come out of a staff meeting or recall all the things I need to do but I'll survive and hopefully thrive at this whole teaching thing.

The one thing that remains the same (besides God) are the kids, kids are kids. Each day is new for them, yesterday is gone and today holds so many possibilities. Despite a few bumps in the road this week, teaching 3rd graders at IST is where I am supposed to be...I love it already!

Thanks for all the prayers this week, I really appreciate it :)

Oh and here are some pictures of my classroom!

Monsoon Time

So, around 1 pm it starts raining. By 1:15 I am moving things away from the windows because the hail, rain and severe winds are coming into my classroom!!! The Hondurans were telling me that this was the worst storm they have seen in years. My classroom flooded, but luckily no books were ruined...I wish I could say the same about my bulletin board :(

But besides the freak monsoon I have been super busy getting my classroom ready (pictures soon to come) for open house on Saturday and school starting on Monday....providing we can get the school up and running, due to the storm damage! I am exhausted and overwhelmed everynight after work....why didn't anyone tell me that teaching is hard work :) I love it! I can't wait to see my kids on Saturday!!

I'm still alive....

I made it safely to Honduras Thursday afternoon. My days have been filled with unpacking, meeting many new people, staff meetings and getting aclimated into a new culture.

We saw the school yesterday, and I love it!!! The views are amazing and I was surprised by how the school was so nice and well kept. I also met the principal in our staff meeting, and he assured us that he is there to support and encourage us. All of the administration were so thankful for our presence, which is an encouragement to know that we are wanted and treasured at school by the higher ups. This is a picture ouside the stairwell in the elementart building.....simply amazing!!!

Today we are going on a "tour" of the city in small groups. This is to teach us how to use the public transportation and then we'll meet up for a real Honduras meal downtown Teguc.

I am having a wonderful time and again thanks for all the support!!!

Jess

The start of my adventures....

Ok! So here it is, I have promised many that I would start a blog before I left for Honduras. I get on a plane this Thursday that will take me to Tegucigalpa (Tay-goo-see-gul-pa) (it took me a week to finally master the pronounciation of the city in which I will be living in for the next two years). Once we land I will have eight days to get my classroom set up, my lessons planned, meet and get to know the people I will be living and working with, make my apartment livable, and adjust to a new culture....no big deal!!! Well, atleast I'll fit right in with all the other blonde hair blue-eyed gals....O wait nevermind!

I really am excited to start this new part of my life and am open to any and all adventures that come my way. There will be more pictures to come once I am in Honduras but I'm posting a picture of the house I will be living in, "Casa Verde".

-Next post will be from Honduras :)