School started on a Friday and that was officially week 1, so as of now I have completed two weeks of school here. This past full week is a blur. Hours of planning and prepping flew by and now I have a chance for a deep breath. The school itself has a lot of potential. There is ambition to make the learning environment productive, fun and successful. So far, however, it's like teaching an old dog new tricks. The students have become accustomed to being, I don't know, lazy (I hate that word). It's actually not 100% their fault. Apparently for the last few years there wasn't much emphasis on how to be a student. Kids get to middle school and teachers start shoving content down their throat and by high school they've forgotten about teamwork and collaboration that they learned in elementary school. My high schoolers are bitter about school. Of course not all of them, but I have a bunch that look at me like I'm crazy when I say, open your book to page 16. Blank stares. Um, do you need help, I ask? Oh, no, I can do it. Great, let's see that page 16. Yahoo, great job with the page turning. And, well, you know me... just being serious all the time, no sarcasm. Nope.
There is a lot to tell you, but my motivation to blog is very low right now. The plan today is to get out and do some exploring and take some pictures. Last night our high school principal hosted a Festival of Carne and basically we passed around various animal parts (heart, udder, intestine, etc...) and drank the local brew, Pacena. I didn't have my camera, but my roommates did, so I'm sure pics will be posted on facebook soon.
We'll talk soon...
No comments:
Post a Comment