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!