I can't believe I just finished my first week of school, my first week of "my grown-up job", and my first week of this great adventure. It feels like just yesterday that my parents were dropping me off at Liberty at Dorm 33. Thankfully, this new experience, as opposed to my first week of college has been much more enjoyable, although the change of culture and location is much more drastic than going from Surry to Lynchburg. It's so cool to see how the Lord has grown me in so many ways since then, and how prayer from others and trust in His Power makes such a difference. I am not one who likes change (just ask my mom and dad), I even cried for the first few weeks when I changed high-schools. It's amazing that the Lord can take someone like me, a mama's girl, homebody and use me all the way in Honduras.
I always used to say that I couldn't wait to be a teacher because it was so much easier than being a student. FALSE! I am here to tell you today that I could not have been more wrong. I thought,"You don't have to do homework and take tests and deal with the peer pressure of friends, teaching must be so easy." Now that I am "all grown up" I realize that even though I might not have to take the tests, I do have to make them, grade them and make sure that my students take them successfully. However, even though I may have been wrong in my thinking, I still really do love teaching. As I stand up in front of a class of high-school students, I love the feeling that I am actually transforming the way that they think and am taking part in molding each one into who he or she will become one day. I have already begun to love most (I don't want to say "all" yet) of my students, and they (for the most part) are eager to learn. Teaching math is FUN!
While teaching is fun, planning and grading and preparing for everyday is not the best. I actually have been really overwhelmed with this part of the job (which is about 80%). It has been a challenge to work under a Department Head who only speaks Spanish. As you may or may not know, teacher meetings seem to always go way longer than is necessary. Just imagine a teacher meeting where everything has to be translated (poorly) and we talk about the same topic for about 20 minutes, instead of the 2 that it should take. The Lord is teaching me patience, hope I learn my lesson quickly!
So you may remember when I told you all about Chepe, the aerobics dance class that I went to. Well I went again, but this time the story gets exciting after we left the class. The place where we go to have the class is about a 20 minute walk, mostly downhill. Which makes the walk back about 20 minutes, mostly uphill. So here is what happened: Thursday was a really long day at school, and we have to stay a little bit later because we have principal meetings after the students all leave. So a few of the other teachers (Josie, Laura B. and Jen V.) and I decided that Chepe would be the perfect release after a long day of teaching. We headed down after school together and had a great time dancing our stress away. Once we got done, we were all exhausted and ready to be back home so we left immediately. It wasn't one minute after we walked out of the building that the sky let loose! At first we were all screaming and trying to cover our heads as we briskly walked (uphill don't forget). However, after seconds of getting drenched we quickly realized that trying to stay dry was completely pointless! So we decided to embrace our God-given shower and enjoy cooling off after being in that hot room with 20 other sweaty ladies :-/ But because we have such a steep hill to climb, and the rain was so hard the whole walk back was like wading through a rushing stream. The water was a couple inches deep on either side of the street (which is where we had to walk so we wouldn't get hit by the crazy Honduran drivers). Everything was soaked once I got home. But that is beginning to become a pretty common thing to me now. I pretty much know now that whenever I am out, there's about a 100% chance that it just rained, is raining, or soon will start to rain!
Today we went to a park up in the mountain that looks over the city called Picacho. We road a couple of rapiditos to get there (which took a while because traffic here can get pretty bad). Once we arrived, though, it was definitely worth it because the view was beautiful. You could see the entire city, the futbol stadium, the airport, and every colorful house and building for miles and miles. The main thing that the park is famous for is a huge statue of Jesus that you can see from practically anywhere in the city. We got some good pics at the statue (it was way bigger than I thought)! Then we walked around for a while and enjoyed the swings and playing on the monkey bars. The only hang-up we had was when myself and the two other Jen's all decided we needed to go to the bathroom. Fortunately there was one in the park. Unfortunately, you had to pay to use it. Fortunately it was only 2 lempira. Unfortunately after we paid, the lady told us there was no toilet paper. We decided we should have just found a tree and saved our 2 lempira. Other than that, successful day it was a great day at the park. As busy as the city gets, it was so nice to escape from the hustle and bustle and enjoy nature a bit.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
First Day of School
Although I am very excited to share about my first day of teaching, I must begin this blog by going back to yesterday and telling about my experience at church.
Since it was only the second Sunday that we have been in Tegus and most of us new teachers don’t know our way around Rio Grande (our neighborhood) yet, not to mention how to find a church, the school decided it would be a good idea to shuttle anyone who wanted to go to Iglesias Impacto. Of course, from now on we will have to figure out a way to get there (taxi or bus) which is still pretty intimidating. Anyways, I enjoyed the service a lot. The cool thing about Impacto is that they do everything in Spanish, but they offer headphones to anyone who would like to hear the translation in English. It’s much better than stopping after every sentence and waiting for someone to translate. However, I did not have a set of headphones yesterday. I just listened in Spanish, which turned out to be okay since I read the passage that the pastor was preaching from and then could kind of pick up his main points from the Powerpoint Presentation that he had. (I think I’ll use the headphones next week though) The church itself, the way the service was run and the type of songs that they sang reminded of Bacon’s Castle. I definitely think that I am going to start going there regularly because, besides being in Spanish, I felt like I was at home sitting on the 4th row on the left with my parents behind the Lanes and in front of the Loves The only difference was that after church there was a guy selling ice cream as we walked out the door (which I would highly recommend to BCBC)!
Now, I am not sure I can describe how thankful I am to everyone back home who has been diligently praying for me. There is no way that a teacher’s first day should have gone as smoothly as mine did, not to mention that once I got to school all of my nerves were gone. God is so good and everything went really well. I am hoping, however, that I didn’t smile too much and be too friendly (according to Miss Janet, that is a monumental mistake). I tend to not be able to be very strict but I did try to make my students understand that I’m not going play around and that my class is going to be a tough class! We’ll see if they are all as nice and respectful as they were on the first day, or if they start the scheming after I think I’ve already won the battle!
I was greatly encouraged after meeting all of my students today because I had be scared into thinking that they were going to be horrible. Even if they do turn out to be rowdy and talkative, I can already tell that they are mostly good kids who just want someone to care what they think and actually take an interest in each one of them. It’s amazing how quickly they opened up and just wanted to know everything about me and how long I would be staying at IST. I think they get nervous that every teacher is just going to up and leave them as soon as they teach for one year (which happens often at IST).
I can’t believe I just sat here and wrote this whole blog after my first day of school. I really should be looking over Diagnostic Tests and making lesson plans for the rest of the week. It’s amazing how much work a teacher does outside of school, and it’s just the first day!
Since it was only the second Sunday that we have been in Tegus and most of us new teachers don’t know our way around Rio Grande (our neighborhood) yet, not to mention how to find a church, the school decided it would be a good idea to shuttle anyone who wanted to go to Iglesias Impacto. Of course, from now on we will have to figure out a way to get there (taxi or bus) which is still pretty intimidating. Anyways, I enjoyed the service a lot. The cool thing about Impacto is that they do everything in Spanish, but they offer headphones to anyone who would like to hear the translation in English. It’s much better than stopping after every sentence and waiting for someone to translate. However, I did not have a set of headphones yesterday. I just listened in Spanish, which turned out to be okay since I read the passage that the pastor was preaching from and then could kind of pick up his main points from the Powerpoint Presentation that he had. (I think I’ll use the headphones next week though) The church itself, the way the service was run and the type of songs that they sang reminded of Bacon’s Castle. I definitely think that I am going to start going there regularly because, besides being in Spanish, I felt like I was at home sitting on the 4th row on the left with my parents behind the Lanes and in front of the Loves The only difference was that after church there was a guy selling ice cream as we walked out the door (which I would highly recommend to BCBC)!
Now, I am not sure I can describe how thankful I am to everyone back home who has been diligently praying for me. There is no way that a teacher’s first day should have gone as smoothly as mine did, not to mention that once I got to school all of my nerves were gone. God is so good and everything went really well. I am hoping, however, that I didn’t smile too much and be too friendly (according to Miss Janet, that is a monumental mistake). I tend to not be able to be very strict but I did try to make my students understand that I’m not going play around and that my class is going to be a tough class! We’ll see if they are all as nice and respectful as they were on the first day, or if they start the scheming after I think I’ve already won the battle!
I was greatly encouraged after meeting all of my students today because I had be scared into thinking that they were going to be horrible. Even if they do turn out to be rowdy and talkative, I can already tell that they are mostly good kids who just want someone to care what they think and actually take an interest in each one of them. It’s amazing how quickly they opened up and just wanted to know everything about me and how long I would be staying at IST. I think they get nervous that every teacher is just going to up and leave them as soon as they teach for one year (which happens often at IST).
I can’t believe I just sat here and wrote this whole blog after my first day of school. I really should be looking over Diagnostic Tests and making lesson plans for the rest of the week. It’s amazing how much work a teacher does outside of school, and it’s just the first day!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Rainy Days
Not a day has gone by since I arrived in Tegucigalpa that it has not rained at some point. Usually the dark clouds begin to roll in sometime in the afternoon and remain all night long. I was also expecting to be sweating up a storm and drinking water 24/7. I still drink lots of water, but it has actually been cooler here than it is at home. I would say that the average temperature has been in the low to mid 80’s and it’s typically not very sunny. Hopefully I brought enough warm clothes!
Ironically enough, as I am sitting here in my classroom right now, I am not sure I have ever witnessed such a severe thunderstorm. As I was working at my desk, I watched out of my wall size windows (the view is amazing) the huge storm clouds begin to form and move in my direction. The sound of the thunder in the distance gradually became louder and louder and I could actually see the rain coming across the mountains like a swarm of bee’s enveloping the city. The crazy thing is that all day it has been sunny and warm, and in 10 minutes the hugest raindrops I’ve ever seen were pounding the school. Unfortunately, my room has not one but three leaks (and they just put a new drop ceiling in this summer)! Fortunately, all of the leaks are in areas that do not cause too much damage to my room besides making the floor all wet.
On a good note, I actually got to meet a few students today. Some of the senior girls were at school today helping out with the 6th grade orientation. Their names are Paula, Ana, Karime and Scarlet. (There was one more but I can’t remember her name) I will actually have Scarlet as a student in my Calculus class this year! I was encouraged and relieved to see that they were very sweet and friendly girls. Ever since I got the job at IST all I have heard about is how disrespectful and unruly the students are. However, I now know that the students here are just like students in the States. Of course there are going to be a few who will test my patience but overall they are good kids.
Feeling more prepared today, and getting excited about starting on Monday!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Chepe
5:30 came early this morning, but duty calls! I really don't mind getting up and beginning my day. It has been especially nice because everyday this week we begin with a time of worship and short devotional. I wish that we could begin every school day that way throughout the year because spending that time with others worshipping the Lord just takes the bad mood and groggy morning feelings right out of you!
I was able to get some preparation for my classes done today, but being a high school teacher and never having taught at IST or anywhere before I am still very unsure as to what exactly to prepare for. Both of my housemates have been busy cutting bubble bee's and coloring letters, elementary teachers of course. (So glad I changed from Elementary Education to High School. Thank you Katie and Whitney!) I have been able to do most things at school and not have too much to do at home so far. Hopefully I'll be adequately prepared for the first day!
One thing you probably know about me, I love to workout (a bit obsessively I'll admit). Usually, I opt for running. However, here in Tegucigalpa it is not always the wisest decision to slip on your sneakers and head out for a run whenever you want. Also, due to the lack of cell phones amongst all of the new teachers communication can be difficult, and finding a running buddy is just not that easy. But today I was introduced to a whole new world of exercise!
One more thing you should know about me, but may not....I can't dance! (I know my family/ roommates are laughing right now) I literally have no rhythm. Did that stop me from going to a Latin Aerobics Dance class (aka "Chepe")? Of course not! When a couple of my housemates asked me if I'd like to go with them, I thought a little about how embarrassed I would probably be but then remembered how much I love to work out so I opted to go! And what a great decision it was :-) The class was about a 20 minute walk away, and once we got there we danced for 2 hours. It was so much fun and we were all exhausted when we were done (not to mention the 20 minute uphill walk back home). Again, my dancing skills are lacking so I am sure it was quite entertaining for anyone walking by (and I think I saw the instructor laugh a little while we were dancing). Definitely going back!
One day closer to my first day of school! Please pray for my students!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Learning
After a full weekend of exploring and getting to know Honduras a little better I am feeling much more at home. There is so much still to learn and do, but I can't wait to try it all. Here are a few of the things that I learned this weekend:
1. Colectivos are taxis that go from one location to another. Very cheap and (as far as I know) reliable.
2. Hondurans follow no traffic laws. Get out of the way or get run over!
3. Speaking Spanish is hard.
4. Plantains are a great appetizer.
5. Queso will bubble and begin to smoke if you don't eat it all and leave it over burning coals.
6. Tae-bo is a good cardio workout.
7. Having pictures on the wall of family and friends is very comforting.
8. It rains EVERYDAY during rainy season here.
9. Whether or not we speak the same language, we can still worship together.
10. God is God of every nation and tongue.
11. Taxi drivers will try to take advantage of "gringos" when it is dark and raining outside (and you just want to get home).
12. I live in Rio Grande, but I don't know how to tell a taxi driver to get to my house.
13. My housemate, Jess, can do a great "Minnesota" accent.
14. Skype is AMAZING!
15. God is Good All the Time, and All the time God is Good!
16. It's cooler up on the mountain.
17. Lifelong friends are just around the corner.
Tomorrow begins a week of orientation and really getting to know the school. I can't wait to start preparing for my students and getting lessons ready! I'm pretty nervous about my first day of teaching but God is faithful and I know that He will use me (with all of my weaknesses and failures) to do whatever He wants me to do.
Learning to be moldable.
1. Colectivos are taxis that go from one location to another. Very cheap and (as far as I know) reliable.
2. Hondurans follow no traffic laws. Get out of the way or get run over!
3. Speaking Spanish is hard.
4. Plantains are a great appetizer.
5. Queso will bubble and begin to smoke if you don't eat it all and leave it over burning coals.
6. Tae-bo is a good cardio workout.
7. Having pictures on the wall of family and friends is very comforting.
8. It rains EVERYDAY during rainy season here.
9. Whether or not we speak the same language, we can still worship together.
10. God is God of every nation and tongue.
11. Taxi drivers will try to take advantage of "gringos" when it is dark and raining outside (and you just want to get home).
12. I live in Rio Grande, but I don't know how to tell a taxi driver to get to my house.
13. My housemate, Jess, can do a great "Minnesota" accent.
14. Skype is AMAZING!
15. God is Good All the Time, and All the time God is Good!
16. It's cooler up on the mountain.
17. Lifelong friends are just around the corner.
Tomorrow begins a week of orientation and really getting to know the school. I can't wait to start preparing for my students and getting lessons ready! I'm pretty nervous about my first day of teaching but God is faithful and I know that He will use me (with all of my weaknesses and failures) to do whatever He wants me to do.
Learning to be moldable.
Friday, August 13, 2010
It's All New
I made it safely into Tegucigalpa yesterday a little before noon. It was a great flight and I actually met up with 3 other teachers going to International School and we got to ride beside each other on the plane from Atlanta to Tegucigalpa. It made the flight enjoyable and calmed my nerves a bit to be able to get off the plane with people I felt comfortable with. Getting to our house took a little while because we had to get all of the new teachers (23) all loaded up into the bus and then unload everyone at their own houses. It was really cool getting to meet everyone since we are all in the same boat.
Our house is called "La Casa Verde" (The green house). All of the house are brightly colored so the easiest way to refer to each teacher's house is by the color. I live with 2 other new teachers, Jessica and Laura. We were in the middle of unpacking yesterday when we all went outside to get lunch (KFC) from one of the administrators at the school. The door shut behind us but luckily Laura had her key. However, we tried and tried but were unable to open our door so we just decided to eat our lunch outside and then took a walk to visit some of the other teachers down the street. Eventually we got back into our house (thanks to a veteran teacher who taught us how to open the door)!
I slept like a log last night and didn't even wake up once! I was exhausted and it felt great to just sleep for 8 hours. Also, having Ms. Bev's quilt to snuggle with made it much easier:-) I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed but the day was filled with meetings and getting to meet administrators and principals at IST. I was able to go into my classroom, see my schedule and become more familiar with what and where I will be teaching.
After we left school we went shopping to get all the things we couldn't bring from home: Small shelves, a fan, sheets, and some food. We went to a mall that had a store just like Wal-Mart. There were tons of American brands and it really didn't feel that different from being back home. However, it was a little confusing trying to speak to the Hondurans and pay with Lempira instead of dollars. Something I'll have to get used to.
It's been only a short time since I've been in Honduras, but I am already starting to feel overwhelmed being in such a different culture. Not being able to speak the language makes me feel pretty helpless but I'm sure time will heal that. Hopefully tomorrow we will get to do a little bit of exploring around the city because right now I feel completely lost everywhere I go!
Goodnight. See you soon.
Our house is called "La Casa Verde" (The green house). All of the house are brightly colored so the easiest way to refer to each teacher's house is by the color. I live with 2 other new teachers, Jessica and Laura. We were in the middle of unpacking yesterday when we all went outside to get lunch (KFC) from one of the administrators at the school. The door shut behind us but luckily Laura had her key. However, we tried and tried but were unable to open our door so we just decided to eat our lunch outside and then took a walk to visit some of the other teachers down the street. Eventually we got back into our house (thanks to a veteran teacher who taught us how to open the door)!
I slept like a log last night and didn't even wake up once! I was exhausted and it felt great to just sleep for 8 hours. Also, having Ms. Bev's quilt to snuggle with made it much easier:-) I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed but the day was filled with meetings and getting to meet administrators and principals at IST. I was able to go into my classroom, see my schedule and become more familiar with what and where I will be teaching.
After we left school we went shopping to get all the things we couldn't bring from home: Small shelves, a fan, sheets, and some food. We went to a mall that had a store just like Wal-Mart. There were tons of American brands and it really didn't feel that different from being back home. However, it was a little confusing trying to speak to the Hondurans and pay with Lempira instead of dollars. Something I'll have to get used to.
It's been only a short time since I've been in Honduras, but I am already starting to feel overwhelmed being in such a different culture. Not being able to speak the language makes me feel pretty helpless but I'm sure time will heal that. Hopefully tomorrow we will get to do a little bit of exploring around the city because right now I feel completely lost everywhere I go!
Goodnight. See you soon.
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