Day 2- School!

Thank you to all of you who read my first blog of my 7 day challenge!  I had some questions about how to comment on the page.  I believe you have to have an account (just a gmail account) and click that you want to follow the blog on the side of the page.  You can also enter your email address and I have been informed that you will get an email with the blog right in it every time I post a new blog- but really mom... you should come visit my page every once in a while :)


Alright, topic of the day SCHOOL.  The main reason why I came here to Santa Cruz is to teach at SCCLC (Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center).  I am teaching Kindergarten in the morning and 12th grade computers in the afternoon.  It is quite the spread.  I am co-teaching with a Bolivian, Martha Garcia, in the kindergarten classroom.  She is a really sweet lady.  We sometimes struggle to agree on how we should run the classroom, but we have started to work together quite well.  She will completely take over the classroom if/when I leave in the end of December.  I am modeling to her a more "American" teaching style, which is what the school wants from her and also working on some translation issues (like when she says who hasn't passed,  instead of had a turn).  We only have the kids from 8am-12pm everyday.  I struggle a lot with how much I want to teach them in SO LITTLE TIME in the day.  We are really only teaching them for 3 of those for hours because they have a half hour specialist class and 1/2 hour snack/recess.  


FYI - I would encourage you to go back a few blogs to see the names and pictures of my little kinders so that you can put a face with the names I talk about.

I teach mostly the phonics/language aspect and science.  During the language time Martha Thomas the ESL teacher (English as a Second Language) comes in to sit alongside the kids and work with them on their English learning.  The curriculum I have does not account for the fact that when I teach kids how to read/spell a word, they might not know that that thing even is- for example using a nut as in a nut and bolt for the word that represents the letter N.  Needless to say it is a real blessing to the kids and me to have her in the classroom during that time!


I have been SOOOO impressed with my kids in the past few days with how much they are just catching onto and using it.  I have parents saying to me "My child is trying to read everything".  There are a few kids that I am still very concerned about, Obed, Dana, and Julian are all really struggling with their language acquisition.  They are all very intelligent, but don't always have the language skills to show it.


Behavior has been a very interesting aspect of the classroom.  I have to deal with things in the classroom that I would not have to deal with so heavily in a stateside classroom.  Here lying is socially acceptable and especially placing blame on others.  Whenever I say something like, I hear too much talking, without a doubt I get a chiming in from little voices saying "me no" (we are working on the grammar on that one).  We have had many conversations about how lying is not ok and it is not what Jesus would do.  It is amazing to see how much effect conversations like that have on the children.  

With only 4 girls in the class, they can go from best friends to enemies very easily.  That happened last Friday with a marker war in library class :(  I was praying the whole way back to the classroom trying to figure out exactly how we would handle it.  Thankfully God gave me the right words to say to these girls, they understood that what they did was wrong and they hugged and apologized.  In the end the girls who has had the most discipline problems, Andrea, came up and hugged and kissed me on the cheek (culturally acceptable)  I was so touched that she obviously saw the love in my discipline.  I think I finally got through to here at that moment and she has had very good behavior in class since then!

I absolutely love all of my students, but if I had to choose an absolute favorite in the class, it would have to be Ryan.  He is just a cutie, he is still 4 years old and I think is very sheltered.  He played soccer for the first time the other day and loves just playing around with the "bigger kids" in the class (Sebastian is more than a year older than him).  He is new to the school and at first I was worried about him fitting in, but evidently his personality is contagious and he seems to almost be the most popular boy in the class- this week at least :)


 One other thing that makes discipline SO HARD, is that I know some of these kids have such little love at home, whether they are abused or just left home with a nanny, it doesn't surprise me that these kids are still learning how to act appropriately with other kids and with us teachers.  Kids here hit, push, and say some awful things to each other.  It is a daily struggle, but I know that God is softening their hearts to be better people.


These kids are Bolivia's future and I feel so honored to be teaching them.  I hope that I have even a little influence on their life!


Alright I feel that I have blogged too much already, I will have to talk about computer class later.


Here is how you can be praying for me:
Praise: God has been providing for me emotionally here helping me rely on him for my support knowing that there is a reason why I am here without Kelly.


Prayer request: I know I said this yesterday, but I actually stayed home today (by the insistence of my principals and director) and am probably going to tomorrow because I am just not feeling good.  I have lots of symptoms of the flu, but fortunately have been able to keep everything down so far.  Please pray that God will heal me and I can get back to my work here ASAP.


Here is a quote from the devotion book I read from today.  "Enjoy the warmth of MY presence shining upon you.  Feel your face tingle as you bask in My Love-Light.  I delight in you more than you can imagine."  I found such comfort in those words today!  It was a wonderful to hear especially since I didn't actually get out and see the sun today!




PS... I am listening to an online christian radio and I heard an AMAZING song from my past that I know some of you will appreciate.... Breakfast by Newsboys.... Wow and all of the sudden Gone by Switchfoot came on.... bringing back teenage memories :)