April Update Central America Caribbean » Honduras » Comayagua » The Compound » [url='/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Comayagua/The-Compound/Gringo-Ghetto-House--2/' class='ahead']Gringo Ghetto House 2 By s [View Full Entry]

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Here´s the update: Cesar has decided to take an extended weekend without any of us knowing. There are rumours that his mother is very sick. I had my class write ¨What I have learned in Grade 3 so far¨ and got some interesting responses. New approach to class (taken from Meg who took it from Donray). Every class is worth 8 marks for participation. Every student starts with 8 points. If they do not have the homework finished from the day before they lose 2 points. If they are not prepared with the proper materials for class they lose 2 points. [View Full Entry]

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Yesterday was a shitty day. The computer teacher asked me to "cover" his class since he needed to go to Tegus for something, which meant yet another period with my class. I was so pissed off, so tired, and on the verge of screaming that I just sat in my desk marking. The kids kept asking me what books they needed. I told them whatever they wanted. Two free periods. 80 minutes of nothing. What kind of teacher does that? Since when have I given up and not cared? Most of the kids knew I was angry and didn't want to [View Full Entry]

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Today I am at my witt's end. So frustrated for so many reasons. Giving easy tests that are copied straight from the textbook and is stuff you've been working on for weeks, DOES NOT mean that students will pass. In fact, 50% of them will fail. This is normal. The principal of the school should change his name to "Waldo". He can never be found when needed, although we are expected to tell him where we are at all times, even if we leave to run to the store during our planning time. The principal of the school will make promises [View Full Entry]

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I got back to Comayagua late Wednesday night. Thursday I did laundry, did some marking and then head out to Pizza Hut with Donray, Alisa, and Jill. Pizza Hut just opened in town. Let me tell ya, this place is Niiiiiiiice! Way better than the pizza hut I worked at. It was so big, had a HUGE play area, and just really new looking... go figure. They had a nice salad bar too so Jill ordered it and then we all shared the salads. Cheating the system... we're bad, we know. We also got a pan pizza to split and [View Full Entry]

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Well, I was supposed to be going to Guatemala for Semana Santa with Jill, Alisa, and Meg. Semana Santa is the week leading up to Easter. We were given this time off school. Almost the whole city stops for at least 4 days. Every seemed closed. Anyways, plans changed. Alisa decided to stay in Comayagua and spend time with Donray, and Meg decided to go up to La Ceiba to spend time with her boyfriend Mac (who is teaching at a school near La Ceiba). I felt horrible for Jill but because I would have the opportunity to still see [View Full Entry]

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All the other random stuff that happened in March: Alisa's Friend Michelle Visits Alisa had a friend visit from the States. Her name is Michelle. She was a blast to have around for the week. We showed her how things are done here in Comayagua. She came to volunteer at the school with us too. She seemed to have a pretty good time as well. Nice girl. Kari's Birthday Kari turned the big 3-0 here in Honduras so we all went out for Mexican. It was the first time in a long while that the WHOLE compound went out together. [View Full Entry]

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Things have been good at the centre where we volunteer. We haven't quite been getting the 90 students that signed up for the classes in the beginning, but the kids that have been coming, seem to be enjoying it. These kids are really lovable. Each week we rotate the groups between the 3 of us teachers. This way we all get to teach every group. The kids just love us. They are always running up to us for hugs, and constantly want to hold our hands or sit in our laps. They love the attention they get from us. Recently [View Full Entry]

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Been taking me FOREVER to update everything. Things have been busy. Here is an update of March in terms of teaching my grade 3s at the school... So upon my return to school after a visit with my parents, I decided that I would show up early that morning to mark the HUGE stack that would be on my desk. Small problem... there was no huge pile. There was nothing. I was so angry. The students arrived and I told them I didn't want ANY excuses and I didn't want to hear ANY talking. They would sit in their desks [View Full Entry]

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Sunday, March 4, 2007 We woke up, dressed, walked to my house and got all of our stuff together. I had to make a few phone calls but I finally found someone to drive us to Tegus. Cesar from La Paz picked us up in his truck. Mom and Dad sat with him in the Cab of the truck, while Cesar's friend Rocky, Ginny, and I sat in the back of the pick-up truck. Mom was nervous about this, however this is a pretty standard mode of transportation for Hondurans. The ride was about an hour and a half. Cesar [View Full Entry]

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