It's Been a While

Well, I was determined to not be one of those bloggers who never updates their blog, but alas I fear I have become one.

Part of the reason for this is probably because living in Honduras hasn't been much of a novelty lately and while I know my every day is probably pretty different from your hum drum lives (kidding!), it's just become life and I've sort of settled into it.

Settled in, but perhaps not with total happiness or confidence; another reason that I probably haven't written in a while. I've been going through a bit of a "I miss home a lot" phase and a "not feeling like myself" period, with a "I suck at Spanish" attitude. Fortunately for you, I won't talk about that much because today is a good day and I'm feeling good about being here in the big H. Just know, that as cool as this experience has been, it hasn't been all peachy. Then again, what is?

Here's a general recap of what I've been doing:

teaching
teaching
sleeping
eating
teaching
teaching
teaching
teaching
sleeping
eating
teaching

Yet another reason why I haven't written...not too interesting. Though, I know I have some funny tales from teacherdom, so I'll try and wrestle up a few.

First of all, a few weeks ago, I gave all my students a "teacher evaluation" so I could kind of see how I was doing, get some good suggestions, understand what I could do better. This was totally foreign to them and they said no teacher had ever done this. Their evaluations were so sweet and it was such a good pick me up. Cause, guess what? I'm a good teacher! They all said such nice things and really made me confident that I was actually doing an okay job. The administration hardly gives us any feedback at all and I am a person who needs positive reinforcement, I have discovered. So, I decided to put it into my own hands. Woohoo!

I still love 10th grade so much. They are just wonderful and make me smile every day. We just finished reading the book, Night, in literature class. They loved it! I mean, it's so sad, but I was so glad to see them all reading and really enjoying a book. Incidentally, there was a presentation about the Holocaust today in town put on by some Jehova Witnesses. We all met for lunch and then went to the presentation. It was so cool to see these kids completely take what they have read and learned and see it reinforced in this museum like setting. Not to mention that this was happening at the same time we were reading the book. Perfect!

11th grade has become my new least favorite class. I am so close to the point of giving up with them. I'm not going to, but they really make my job difficult and I don't know what I can do. I try so hard to do interesting activities and make class varied but they are just so over everything. They only do stuff because they know they have a grade at the end of the quarter. Everything is like pulling teeth. I let them have it a few days ago and really gave them a good ol fashioned teacher lecture. Their respect level is minimal and everytime I go into that class I know its going to be a battle between their laziness and constant side conversations. Last week, they even made me cry. I was just so frustrated with them and I was trying to teach and at one point I looked out at the class and they were all involved in their own little conversations and I was just like "You guys. This is impossible! I don't know what I'm supposed to do or how I can teach you. Well, whatever, you guys can just figure out the rest on your own." I just walked over to my desk, sat down, and started reading my book. Of course AFTER that they were all like "be quiet be quiet!" and trying to be all respectful and I said "It's not going to do you any good now, just talk all you want, go ahead," in a very snotty yet hurt tone. As I pretended to be really interested in my book for the remaining 15 mintues of class I tried my hardest not to cry. Tears were creeping up but I pushed them back. Finally the bell rang and I booked it out of there. I walked into my wonderful 10th grade classroom and told the kids to listen up for a second. Then I started a "thank you for being respectful, sweet, and it's a joy to teach you" speech. I probably uttered 5 words when the tears started coming. I tried not to cry but I told them what had happened and naturally, because they are wonderful, were so comforting. I suppose I'm officially a teacher now that I have cried. I know I can't take it too personally, I just wish they'd understand that this is not an easy job and treat me with a little bit more respect. Right now we're reading Catcher in the Rye, a book that I know they'd love if they just put a little bit of effort into it. But seeing as it took about 2 weeks for everyone to buy the book (and some still don't even have it) su esfuerzo no existe. Voy a seguir probando pero no será fácil.

Noveno grado es un nuevo favorito de mio. Lately, they have just been so funny. I honestly laugh constantly in that class. Their new thing is to tease me about dating Chris, the former HEM school teacher from England who is MY FRIEND and my friend only. However, they are convinced, or at least like to pretend they are convinced that I like him. It's one of those things that makes no sense and I have no idea where they got the idea from, but every time they mention it I can't help but laugh, smile, and turn red. I swear nothing is going on, but I know I look guilty as hell. They are a funny bunch...just goofy. They used to be one of my least favorites but I don't know, something changed and now we are having a lot of fun together. Marvin and Carlitos are the pair that just crack me up every class. Imagine just the most dangerous of duos as far as distracting their teacher from actually teaching. Carlitos just has a quick-witted, yet stupid sense of humor that makes you laugh and roll your eyes at the same time. Marvin is just always making odd noises in the back of the classroom...don't ask. They could go on vaudeville those two. Last Thursday, Carlitos was telling me his plight of all his school projects and papers he has to accomplish by the next day. He was giving me all his pros and cons and telling me that it was basically impossible for him to get it all done. "I think I'm...I might say a bad word here, sorry if I do, but I'm... screwed!! I'm just screwed! ...sorry was that a bad word, Miss? Yes?" Me: "Well, sort of but, I think it is what you are, a very appropriate usage. You are screwed Carlitos!" "I know! I'm Screwed!! What would you do, Miss, what would you do??" Hehe, it was funny. The girls in that class are just really sweet and super gigglely about anything. Can get a little over the top, but most of the time, I just laugh along.

The 5th graders are growing up I'm afraid. They are getting a little more interested in the opposite sex than they are of spelling words. They've definitely been acting out a little bit and been a little harder to control. However, they still have their good and sweet moments. Melo, one of my favorites keeps translating these Spanish jokes into English for me and it's so funny because first he'll ask me a couple of key words and then tell me the joke.

Melo : "Miss, what do you call a child with no parents?"
Me: "an orphan?"
Melo : "yeah, yeah and what do you call a person that eats humans?"
Me: "umm...like a canibal?"
Melo : "yeah yeah. okay...so Pepito is learning about canibals in class and his teacher asks him Pepito, what is a canibal? And Pepito says, "I don't know." and then the teacher says, "Well, what would you be if you ate your parents?" and Pepito says, "An orphan."

And then he just smiles at me with his adorable smile and his eyes that cross sometimes (hehe) like, "get it?!" haha. Too adorable.

All in all, school is definitely the high light of my days. As much work as it can be, it inevitably always puts a smile on my face. So, I got that goin for me...which is nice. ;)