The Joys of Teaching in a Third World Country

The past week at school proved to be interesting.  We knew from the beginning that with SAG practice we would be battling the students to keep up with their studies, homework and to attend class.  It was a challenge indeed.  The students were constantly tired and fighting us to have free days, and not to have homework or quizzes.  I just kept telling myself that they better do well at SAG because all of this could not have been for nothing. 

Late on Tuesday morning we were granted with a great reprieve, well in some ways.  The water at the school was not working so they were going to have to send students home because toilets were not working and there was nowhere to wash hands or anything.  It was so nice to have a break.  Kara, Lenny and I enjoyed our lunch of cheeseburgers (finally) up on the roof terrace where it was breezy and then I retreated to my bed for a nice nap.  Brooke and I then had practice with the girls but it was so nice to not have to run from school to get there.  Of course the nap backfired as it made sleeping that night difficult but it was worth it. 

When we got to school on Wednesday we found out there was still no water but that school was still going to happen.  They brought in huge barrels of water (dirty) so that hands could still be washed and you could use a bucket to flush the toilet.  It was a new experience for me, and I can’t say I would enjoy repeating it anytime in the near future.  The water was supposed to be fixed for Friday but in true Honduran style we were still flushing with buckets.  And for those of you that don’t know you can get a big bucket of water and if you pour it into the toilet with enough force it will flush on its own, no handle necessary. 

This week I also found out that I will have the opportunity to travel with students to SAG.  I am excited to see what all the training has been for and to see the students in a competition setting, as many of ours are quite fiesty.  It will be interesting though because the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th grade will still have normal classes but will be only reviewing so I have to plan lessons for this week for them.  The 10^th and 11^th grade will have such few students that they are going to use them to help in the younger grades as teacher aides.  The girls have already told me to get lots of sleep this weekend because I won’t be sleeping much and I laughed and then gave them the that ain’t going to happen look.  From the schedule it appears that they will be very busy during the day so hopefully they are exhausted at night.  We leave Tuesday morning at 4 am for Tegucigalpa where we will spend the afternoon in competition and then travel to the camp in the evening.  Then, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are spent at the camp competing in all sorts of events.  Saturday afternoon we head back to Tegucigalpa where we have some freetime (I’m hoping we go to the mall) and then have a big banquet dinner at night.  Sunday is spent traveling back to La Union and classes resume like normal on Monday.  Jake tried to get us Monday and Tuesday off but it didn’t work so I will be one tired and unprepared teacher when it comes around.  I am sure I will have a great blogpost for you though when I get back!

Brooke's Birthday Weekend

Balloon Jumping Races

April 19, 2013

Some very energetic 3rd graders

Last weekend was a big one simply because it was Brooke’s 23^rd birthday and because of this we took the opportunity to celebrate multiple times.  On Friday at school Kara and I planned a party for her with her students in the afternoon.  We made cookies and the students made cards in the penmanship class with Beth.  The students had a blast and enjoyed the fun and games…it was a bit wild at times.  Friday night we spent the evening watching the final episode of Dowton Abbey.  We are so disappointed its over but excited to see what comes next season because the ending was so emotional. 

Saturday morning we had parent-teacher conferences for the 3^rd and final time (finally!).  Kara and I took on the 9^th and 10^th grades together and had a pretty normal morning.  We spent most of the time discussing with the 9^th grade parents their lack of motivation and desire to do well in school.  There is something weird about that class but they are not very enjoyable to teach because they are so moody, don’t take school seriously and even when you plan something fun they don’t participate.  I’m quite sure that many of them got a tongue lashing from their parents because they were a bit surprised that their child would act in such ways.  We actually had a discussion today about the behavior of students and came to the conclusion that there is some sort of disconnect between the school and parents when it comes to such things because the parents are surprised to hear of the behavior but the student never changes it later.  Saturday afternoon was spent the typical way after conferences, on Brooke’s couch.  Her and I took naps and watched some movies while enjoying popcorn and some chocolate because sometimes it is the little things in life.  Then on Saturday night the students had organized a fundraiser to earn money for SAG so we attended this.  Brooke and I had to coach the girls because part of it was a mini-exhibition game.  The event was called a cultural night but was meant to show the community some of the talents and competitions that will appear at SAG.  It was good night and we topped it off with a great homemade chocolate vegan cake by Heather to celebrate Brooke’s birthday. 

Swimming spot

Darwin being a dare-devil

On Sunday, Brooke’s actual birthday, I got up early and went to the school to get things planned and ready for the week.  Then around noon Kara and I went grocery shopping to get things for dinner.  We then spent the afternoon with all the teachers and Brooke.  It has been so incredibly hot and dry here that we are constantly sweating and since there is no air conditioning anywhere we are often seeking some sort of refuge.  We decided it would be a good chance to find some water to swim and relax together.  We paid 2 students to take us to Las Playas, which isn’t really a beach but a place that a river runs through.  They took us to a secret spot where we had lunch and then were able to swim a bit.  The water was shallow but we enjoyed just sitting in it and exploring a bit.  I was expecting and looking forward to cold, refreshing water but since it hasn’t rained the water level was low and the water was very warm, just slightly cooler than bath water.  With a lot of stressful things going on at school with lack of communication and differing priorities it was a good chance to escape and regain oneself to prepare for another week.  We came back in the late afternoon, and Kara and I got quickly to work preparing Brooke’s birthday dinner.  On the menu…chicken k’bobs (shrimp for Brooke), mashed potatoes, homemade hummus, fruit salad and cake for dessert.  We enjoyed the dinner on the terrace and were enlightened with Brooke’s birthday wisdom (a tradition we have here) to always laugh.  In life there are so many things you cannot control, especially here that sometimes you just have to make light of things and crack a smile. 

It was another great weekend and with only a limited number left it is important to take advantage of them and to cherish the time spent with the unique family we have created here.  It seems as of recently though the weekends just aren’t long enough.  I am going back to school feeling less refreshed than I used to and always looking forward to Friday.  I know this is common for teachers but it is only increased with the mix of emotions I am feeling now.  I am so excited to get home to everyone I love and to share my travel adventures with people, but I am also looking forward to the week I will spend traveling with Brooke and her mom after school gets out.  We are going to Copan to see the ruins and then headed to Utila one of the other islands off the coast where they will scuba dive and I will get my scuba certification, something else to check off the bucket list.  I am also very burnt out from teaching and each day seems to be more difficult and carry more stress with it.  On top of it while looking forward to the end of teaching, I am already thinking about the things I will miss and more importantly all the people I have met who have made a lasting impression on me.  I am beginning to realize how difficult it will be to say goodbye when the time comes.  All I can do now though is enjoy the moment and keep thinking of the students I am here to serve. 

Semana Santa

April 7, 2013

West Bay Beach!  What we had to look forward to :)

 Here in Honduras, Easter is a big holiday.  It is so big that is has taken over the whole week and is titled, Semana Santa (Holy Week).  Because of this most places close down for the week and people have the whole week off.  It also coincides with spring break time in the states, but whatever you want to call it us teachers got the whole week off and we were ecstatic about it.

The pool and ocean at Infinity Bay

The family together :)

As usual the period leading up to break was a bit crazy and stressful.  The students and the teachers were all in need of some time off and it was evident in everyone’s behavior.  This was only accentuated only by the fact that shortly before break our copier was taken away to be serviced and our printer broke.  We were once again a school without the basic equipment.  I was making my worksheets and activities by hand and sending them to a store in town to be copied.  Luckily our printer returned to us in about a week and while I still had to send the copies out, I was in a much better situation then before.  Our copier has since arrived back (this past week) but we still have not been able to use it…I’m not sure why though.

Murphy paddleboarding

The craziness finally came to an end when Semana Santa arrived.  Friday night after school we spent time packing and had an amazing chicken alfredo dinner cooked by Kara in honor of Harriet’s birthday.  We left La Union at 3 am in the back of a truck.  It was a long and chilly drive but it was fun to drive through the mountains and just look up and see all the stars.  We arrived at the San Pedro Sula airport at about 6:30 am and checked in and grabbed some breakfast.  We took a small plane to the island of Roatan just off the coast of Honduras.  It was about a 45-minute flight.  When we arrived in Roatan my fellow teachers left for their hotels and I stayed.  I spent 2 hours anxiously awaiting the arrival of my mom, sister Kelly and best friend Murphy.  I hadn’t seen them since Christmas break and I was excited to spend vacation in the Caribbean with them.  All of our flights went well and we got transportation to our resort, Infinity Bay, in West Bay.  The hotel was beautiful.  It was located on the western tip of the island and had a reef just off the coast where we could snorkel.  There was a beautiful infinity pool and the rooms were nice although lacking a few things that were supposed to be in there.  I immediately put on bathing suit and headed for the pool and swim-up bar.  We were all swimming by 1pm.  We spent the afternoon by the pool and then Murphy and I walked along the beach where we saw a large iguana and ran into my fellow teacher Brooke.  Her and her family was headed out to do a little snorkeling so we went out with them.  It was beautiful and the ocean was warm and blue. 

Murphy and I zip lining together

Most of our days were spent by the pool and evenings were spent visiting the local restaurants and eating great food.  The weather was great, very hot although there were a few rainy afternoons.  Kelly, Murphy and I also took a trip out to look for whale sharks.  They are currently in their migration north for the summer and are easy to spot.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to see one but we did spend some time snorkeling and visiting the island of Utila.  Despite the disappointment we had a good time on the boat and checking out the reef by Utila.  The whole family also spent time shopping in West End.  Here there are a lot of local shops and restaurants with typical Honduran crafts and food.  We were all able to find some souvenirs and gifts and enjoyed seeing another part of the island.  Kelly, Murphy and I also took a trip out to a zip line and enjoyed a canopy tour.  The guides were great and showed us a great time.  There were even some awesome views of the island and we got to do a few tricks.  We went for a ride on a banana boat with some of the other teachers and spent some time on paddleboards in the water.  One of my favorite parts of the whole trip was just the food.  I was able to finally get some American food.  I enjoyed a great cheeseburger, ribs, shrimp (many times), and sushi.  Our favorite restaurant was called the Argentinean Grill.  We ate there twice and enjoyed every last bit of our food including desert. 

Water taxi ride back from West End

On the last day my family was there we rented a van and drove the length of the island (about 2 hours).  We stopped at shops along the way and got see a different part of the island.  West Bay and even West End are designed more for tourists and are a bit more upscale, but as we traveled the island we were able to see how the locals live and I was able to give them an idea of what mainland Honduras is really like.  It was a great way to spend the last day.  On Saturday I took them to the airport and had to say goodbye.  It was really hard to do this.  I am not sure why but I really wanted to get on the plane with them.  I think I am getting burnt out teaching and having to prepare at least 5 classes each day.  It is beginning to take its toll and I’m ready to spend more time with my loved ones.  I traveled to a different part of the island called French Harbour to a new hotel where I spent my last night.  It was raining like crazy and I was a little depressed so I spent the afternoon at the spa and got a nice massage.  When I came out it had stopped raining and was a bit cloudy but I decided I couldn’t let the pools go to waste.  I spent some time swimming and then watched basketball while I waited for Beth to arrive.  She stayed the last night with me and we enjoyed a great last meal at the pub where we could watch the NCAA tournament and hang out. 

The pool at the last hotel I stayed at.

On Sunday morning we met all the other teachers at the airport and began our journey back to La Union.  We had a smooth flight and trip back in the truck and arrived with plenty of time to make sure everything was ready for the next day back to school.  I had such a great vacation and was happy that my family and friend decided to make the trip.  It was a really good change of pace from the life here in La Union and I loved getting to share some stories and time with the people I love.  

The return back to La Union was bittersweet.  We got thrown right back into the craziness of school because 1 of our teachers was still with her family in Guatemala and another teacher didn’t make it back from Tegucigalpa in time because she got lost.  So it made for a long week with another teacher getting sick and many visitors coming.  We had a mission group from a church in Holland that was doing work with the MicroFinance group and another group from a charter school in Zeeland that is looking at doing an online pilot through our school.  This weekend we spent time relaxing and preparing for the week.  We also made a potpourri of food for dinner on Saturday in honor of Beth who did a lot of extra work this week while people were gone, sick or occupied with other things.  She was amazing and helped us out so much so we wanted to treat her to something nice.  It is encouraging to know that we only have 2 months of school left although I know I will miss the kids and the school the end of the school year is always an exciting time.