Sal Se Puede

Today was the third day of school with students AND the first half day.  Every Wednesday is a half day with the afternoon devoted to staff development (and coincidentally time for SACS preparation....)  The morning flew by with every minute taken up with classes.  The kids were a bit better, not much, but a bit.  Because of their upbringing I believe that teaching them they are not in charge and cannot do as they please will be a difficult task.  

After the students left and I sat through an excruciatingly long meeting about God knows what and then it was almost time to go.  This afternoon it was like a saying here (and also what they a call a road leading into and out of the old city) "Sal Se Puede"  Get out if you can.  We were all on a mad dash to get out of school.  It's not felt like actual teaching yet because everything about my situation is so impermanent.  It makes me feel like a visitor.  I am enjoying the longer class time with the older kids BUT I am finding the long classes with kindergarten TOO much especially because I see them twice a week.  That is almost twice the attention span of a 5 year old and then add in the fact that most of them don't speak english well, if at all.  I am still completely fascinated by the many different nationalities represented in my classes.  In my fourth grade class alone I had 11 different countries represented.  It is amazing.

Sadly and much to my amazement, the board has asked me to remove my nose ring.  Even though there are four other teachers with them AND I had it when they hired me.  They say that mine is more noticeable because of my small nose and light skin.  I, however, had a meeting with them in which I have agreed to look for one without a stone and that is a bit smaller.  I told them that if, when they hired me, they had told me about this I may not have taken a job where I had to change something about myself. Hopefully, this solution will appease them.

At home: my roommates and I are getting along.  I am so glad Jodie, the girl from RI, is here.  She makes me feel a bit more at home.  We have hired a maid to come twice a week (never in my life have I had a maid) and I have LOVED coming home to a clean kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, clean clothes that are ironed and put away, and mopped floors.  It makes it more possible to relax.  I love it.  I love her.  I may ask her to run away with me.... ok maybe not, but you get the point.

Things are going fairly well here.  I am still adjusting to being here but I feel I will be ok.  I miss everyone at home and I miss familiarity but that's part of the reason I am here.  To make change easier for me.

So, for now, I am here to stay and to make it work.... but find me at 3:30 in the school parking lot and it's "Sal Se Puede".