3rd Grade
I have finally started to get into the full swing of things with my teaching. Last week I was helping and observing the art teacher and two English teachers with their lessons. This week has been very different because I have been teaching all by myself. The art teacher has been sick so it's been just me and all the ticos.
I have quite the array of things going on at San Ambrosio Catholic School. Because I am specifically certified in art education, kindergarten through 12th grade, I teach 1st grade through 10th grade art classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I only get 1 day a week with each grade for one period; the periods here are 80 minutes long! On Mondays and Fridays I help two different teachers instruct their English classes. Moving from class to class each period with all my art supplies has been quite the arduous task. I am finding that being a C-ART (cart) teacher is really hard because you don’t have your own room with all your stuff. Then, throw in the language barrier and it makes it a whole new ball game. There are very few students, young and old, that understand English very well at San Ambrosio.
This has been both good and bad for me and my teaching. I pretty much go the whole day instructing in Spanish. I start off explaining lessons, giving instructions and ideas in English but it seems to be quite futile. Not long after class begins I end up talking in only Spanish for the rest of the period. My Spanish is certainly getting better but it is very frustrating. I want to be able to teach and express myself to my maximum potential but this is very hard for me to do so in only Spanish.
Even though it is hard to explain everything in Spanish I think my students understand what I am trying to explain to them, for the most part. This morning, in my first grade class, students were making their own personalized cities out of construction paper. I had a little girl in tears because she did not understand me when I told the class they we would finish next week. She was balling because she thought she only had today to work on her city and she wanted to finish before class was over. Trying to explain in Spanish to a hysterically crying first grader that she could finish next week was very difficult but amusing at the same time.
They have given me my own room to do a paper mache project in and to store all of my students' art work but the room has nothing in it. Every time I want to use the room for projects I have to transport 2 large tables and 4 large benches from the cafeteria to the room and then back before lunch time, ha. Overall I cannot complain, this is a great experience for me that I certainly will never forget it.
2nd Grade
As for everything outside of school, all is well. I have got it figured that by the time I leave Costa Rica I will have eaten more beans and rice than all the beans and rice I have ever had before. Apparently the mom of the family that I am living with is a professional caterer. Like I said before, I just cannot do anything wrong in the room and board department. Two nights ago she fixed cow stomach with beans and rice. I was not a fan, the inside of the stomach wall is very spongy, chewy, and furry like, not a good texture. Apparently this is a very famous Costa Rican dish that all ticos love, yet another reason why I am a gringo.
The lunch ladies at San Ambrosio treat me right as well. I have attached a picture of a typical lunch; this is definitely something we Americans can learn about--healthier, better, and fresher food for our youth, not to mention every other person as well.
I went to Ostional last weekend again. It was great to be in the water with my Costa Rican friends and be surfing. Once again the surf was not that great but still really fun. This time I took a 2 hour bus to Nosara and then my friend Ludi picked me up on his dirt bike and drove me the rest of the way to Ostional. There is not a bus that goes to Ostional from the south because there is a huge river during the rainy season that runs through the main road. They have bridges for bicycles and dirtbikes but not cars.
On our way there, Ludi's boss tried to pass through the river in a car and ended up 50 yards down the river. When we arrived, there was a tractor half way covered in water trying to pull him out. I wish I could have gotten a picture, but, "Oh, well." First thing I thought of was Jarvis at Cape Point Exxon. I am not going to go to Ostional this weekend because there is a huge festival this Saturday in Nicoya. Pica de lana I think is what it is called, bull riders, music, authentic foods, and one huge party, should be a good time.
Typical Lunch at San Ambrosio