This week is going to be exciting. I'm going to be teaching the 6th class, which I'm really looking forward to because they are basically middle school students - as opposed to the 4th and 5th class I've been working with. I really loved working with the younger grades. I've made some good friends with the students and their families and will be attending a hockey match on Wednesday to see all the boys play. The possibility of me staying in Ireland to babysit one of my fourth grade students has also been mentioned. This will probably not happen, but it's still fun to think about!
Over the weekend, I visited Kilmainham Gaol (the jail in Dublin) where many people were put to death over the years. The jail is full of history. During the tour, I was both disturbed and fascinated at the same time. My visit to the jail couldn't have happened at a better time because I will be teaching the 6th class about a book called, The Guns of Easter, by Gerard Whelan. This book is about The Easter Rising of 1916, and many of the Irish Republicans who were responsible for this event were hamged at this jail I visited.
On Friday of last week, Lindsay and I taught the 3rd and 4th class about cowboys. The Irish are fascinated with anything dealing with the Wild West and Native American history, so Lindsay showed them a powerpoint presentation of pictures her Dad took on his latest journey, on horeback, through the mountains of North Carolina and Virgina. The video was accompanied with country music, which the students really liked. They sat in awe and had many questions to ask afterwards.
Overall, things are fabulous here. I love Ireland.