First Day a Success!

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Well, I survived my first day at school! Actually, I am feeling great. It's like night and day between the school in Comayagua and this one.

We started the day with a LONG introduction of ALL the staff at the school. There are FAR too many names for me to remember (especially because we call all teachers by their last names in front of the students but first names informally)! We had to introduce ourselves and then tell something fun. I mentioned how I would be directing the musical, and already I've had about 4 other teachers approach and offer to help. We're thinking of making it for all 3 schools now - elementary, middle, and secondary! I'm pumped.

Today we also had literacy trainers from the U.S. come to do training with the elementary school. They will actually be with us for the next couple days. They are fantastic. The awesome part was that nothing they taught today was new to me. We talked about the writing cycle as well as reading strategies. It was review of things we had covered in Teacher's College. I was SO excited that FINALLY I will be putting my education to good use! The way they teach their classes at this school is perfect training for what I will one day do in my classroom in Canada, because it's an extension of what I learned in teacher's college!

I met Gisela and Rebeca: the teachers with whom I will be teaching. They are fabulous too. I am not worried at all about how things will work out for the 3 of us.

After a long day of training, Kallie and I went over to our apartments to officially sign our contracts and check on the status of the place. We still can't get in until Wednesday, but we're looking forward to it.

Tonight the literacy coaches treated a bunch of the teachers to happy hour at the hotel (where Kallie and I still are anyways!) and that was great too. I got to talk quite a bit to Gisela and Rebeca and I am so happy about working with them.

I think it's going to be a fantastic school year!

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