The weeks are flying by me! I can’t believe that I have already been here for three weeks! I m already halfway through my time here! School is going wonderfully!
Because today is Thanksgiving, the students in fourth class baked me “American chocolate chip cookies” and made me a card, which I thought was really wonderful and sweet of them to do! My host family had a special dinner in honor of Thanksgiving and we all went around the table and told what we were thankful for, as this is a tradition at my house on Thanksgiving. I have continued to learn so much and am so glad that I decided to do this!
In school, I spend most of my time helping students individually or in small groups, something that the teachers here can’t really do as they don’t have teaching assistants to do it. I am trying to learn a bit of Irish as I go along, but it is much harder than I thought it would be. Nothing is said the way it is spelled. There is a lot of controversy as to whether the language should be taught in the schools. Many believe that it is a dead language and that students and teachers are wasting their time by learning and teaching it. Many others, however, believe that it is essential to holding onto Irish culture. I personally think it is wonderful that they are honoring their traditions and ancestors by learning to speak it.
I have noticed that teacher’s here are not as strict about students’ behavior in the classroom. The students here are not required to sit in their seats silently all day as they are at home. Students are not required to ask to get up and go to the bathroom or reprimanded for moving around their table. I think that this has really opened my eyes to why students from other countries in our classrooms at home may find it acceptable to speak without raising their hand or to get up in class.
I have included a picture of my school on "green day" and a picture of myself at the Cliffs of Moher.
