Running the School

---

Yesterday and today were teacher training days for the rural indigenous schools. So, we had the whole school (and the kids of course) to ourselves. 38 were there yesterday, 35 today. Because we had so many over such a large age range we did art projects. Yesterday we read ¨Where the Wild Things Are¨with the little ones and then made masks and the older ones made necklaces and bracelets with tiny beads. Today we switched. We also did some PE. We were going to do some other activities, math races, etc but they all seemed to be having a good time doing what they were doing so we just went with it. We finished after lunch (around 11:30) and then cleaned up and got home early. I was actually surprised by how well it went.
I might have been wrong; working with the kids at the school might have a positive impact on my spanish. We don't have to use a huge amount of vocabulary, but we have to think quickly. We don't have time to stop and plan out what we're going to say because often it's dealing with a problem or telling the kids what to do so they don't run off and get into fights. Obviously lessons we can plan in advance and look up vocab, but otherwise we have to just talk. Which is what learning a language is all about. It's sometimes hard when they ask us questions though because we never know if it's just a spanish word that we don't know or if it's kichwa.

In indigenous areas, everyone greets everyone. So when we walk to and from school we greet everyone we pass (buenos días/buenas tardes). And when I say they greet everyone I mean everyone. If we pass a group of 8 people, we have to say it 8 times, one for each person. If it's that big of a group we usually just say it continuosly until we're past them and then stop, even if we haven't said it enough times. It's a nice custom to greet everyone, but I think once for a group would be enough!

After school today I planned for next week, Monday to Wednesday, more shapes, sizes, colors, up/down/right/left, numbers... Now spanish class and then tonight we're going out, I'm not really sure what the plan is, and then tomorrow morning we leave for Mindo, a secondary cloud-forest area, for the weekend. Then back on Sunday evening and back to teaching on Monday.

And since I probably won't write more until after Sunday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DELANA! 16!!! Yay!!! Wish I could be there!

---