My Days at School

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It is easy to show all things bright and beautiful here in Chile. I am fortunate to travel every weekend almost and see all the awesome sights. But things are not all easy here. Things are not all beautiful either. I work in a very good public school, C.E.S.A., and work with some awesome people but the school system here is in need of serious change. I will start posting my regular days so that you can all see what I do. I walk to school every morning at 7:45. I would like to arrive earlier at school to prepare for my 8 am class but there is no one at school to unlock the classrooms before 7:55 so I arrive with everyone else. I pass pretty much the same dogs everyday. Some days more, some days less. These are not Santiago dogs. Many are not well and are malnurished which is very difficult for me to have to see everyday. I am hoping to find a way to help this problem and invite any suggestions you migh have. I have taken to giving the dogs names and I will try to take pictures of all of them.

My school is K- 4 medio (12th grade). It is a big school and I have to give kisses to at least three or four students before I can make it to the teachers lounge each day. The younger sudents call all the professors tia or tio (aunt or uncle) so I am Tia de Ingles. So cute! I have been teaching the older students slang everyday with their lesson so they enjoy yelling at me accross the courtyard "What's up, Miss Leigh Ann!!"

My first class is scheduled for 8 am - 9:30 am but it never starts before 8:20 at the earliest. From 9:30 - 9:50 there is a break in which all teachers eat and drink tea and the students run amuck around the school and eat candy and sweets. The second class is supposed to begin at 9:50 and go until 10:20 and my final class most days is 10:40 - 1pm with the same 20 minute break before. I do have a class Thursday after lunch but have yet to really teach anything as the band has been practicing during that time and so instead of trying to teach a foriegn language over the drums, we end up watching the band. Besides Thursday I am home for lunch by 1:30 each day.

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Photos

Alley by My House
The side door I leave by

Down the Hill
One wrong step and I'm riding down this thing on my butt! Notice the new sidewalk on the right. Fancy!

My School
:)

Smart Dogs
Coming to School Early

Toilet Paper?
Chile has this interesting habit of putting the toilet paper outside the stalls on the wall. It doesn't really matter at school though because we rarely have toilet paper.

Rock Through the Window
This is why most of my windows are missing

Veiw From My Classroom
That's the ocean

Teachers Room
Teachers do not have their own classrooms here so this is where they do planning, etc. It is in our contract that we be provided with a room for English, which is why I have my own.

Teachers Lounge
The other teachers and my principle, 3rd from left standing.

Some of my Basico Students
Basico= elementary

Snack Stand
Yes, the boys are wrestling. Probably from the sugar high after eating junk from the snack stand.

The Hill
In the morning it's not so bad but in the afternoon it takes real effort to get up sometimes.

Friend
This dogs always stands at the top of my street until I get close, than he runs into an alley. He is very scared of humans which makes me want to cry. I talk to him every day and hope he will realize we aren't all bad.

Comments

[Mary Church]

I love your post!
Leigh Ann! I am really enjoying your post. As you are teaching, I am learning too! Its amazing how different it is there than here. The doggies makes me sad too. Maybe you should feed them or give them water. Or maybe bring them to school with you! :) Do you talk to the owners of the dogs? Well, I hope it all works out. Thank you for your blogging, its great to see how you are doing. :)