Week 2 of teaching completed and I am feeling more inspired to become the best teacher I can be.I have been researching methods for teaching ELL and creating a toolbox for myself that I will be able to use back in the US as well. I am also bound and determined to incorporate more modern ways of learning other than worksheet after worksheet. I will figure out a way to get it all done...or I at least I hope so! I should also mention the Latin American holiday of dia del nino (day of the child). It's a rather interesting holiday in that the children get loaded up on sugar (I am talking 2 cakes, 7 pinatas, 3 liters of coke, 5 bags of chips, and unlimited supply of candy). Mind you this activity took place in the middle of the day and the students were to resume normal classes in the afternoon. It was one of those experiences in life where you simply throw up your hands in defeat of the madness and decide if you can't beat them, join them, of course you know I joined them. Luckily enough for me I didn't actually have to teach their afternoon classes because they are taught in Spanish and I was able to crash off my own sugar high working on lesson plans in the breeze way. Thank goodness this day only happens once a year.
Saturday was by far one of the best days in Honduras yet. We joined an amazing missionary family in their efforts to provide food to the less fortunate children of the Lempira area, one of the poorest in Honduras. This family sold their belongings and packed up the rest to move to Gracias to change the lives of poor and neglected children here. Their story is absolutely remarkable seeing as they have 4 children, the youngest just turned 1 and the eldest is a 1st grader. Their courage and willingness to change lives is truly inspirational and I hope that I will still be around to see their dreams of a children's center for neglected or abused children come true. While helping, some of us were in the kitchen helping prepare the meal while they rest of us (myself included) were playing games with the children. Let me tell you duck, duck, goose is much more difficult to explain in Spanish! I don't know who loved our interactions more, us or the children. We had a great time trying to teach them English and you could tell on their faces that they were equally, if not more happy than we were. It was a truly moving experience and I cannot wait to go back and help again. Words cannot express how inspiring Betty, the lady in charge of all the cooking which took place at her house, and the Goodwin Family are.
After a day of helping needy children we came home and found that our helping skills were still needed by our roommate Colleen, who had been sick for days and found out she has an infection, which of course needs to be treated with antibiotics. Well, the only catch is here in Honduras they give antibiotics in shot form, so they literally sent her home with a pack of needles and medicine to inject. Brings a whole new definition to teamwork. We had nurse practitioner Sarah and Doctor Kate who prepared the shot, while I played the roll of nurse and had to hold a chunk of her butt to make the shot go easier. Kate was totally professional and I am even more thankful she is my friend, just in case the need ever arises. The rest of the evening was filled with laughs due to a froggy friend living in our bathroom which caused a tinkle accident by one of the roommates. There was also the soup brownies which happens when you try to "bake" brownies in a microwave that doesn't actually work all that well. In such a tranquil town there is rarely a dull moment at the casa amarilla, I guess that's what happens you put 8 gringas in one house.
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