Today is what you might call the first “real” day of classes. The schedule was created and we had all five of our classes back to back, starting at 7:30 and ending at 11:25. 6th period is our “free” period and since there is no one here to prepare the teachers’ lunches at present it is left up to the teachers. So, our free hour is spent helping prepare the lunch and drinks for the teachers and collecting our thoughts.
I felt like today was pretty good generally speaking, but I am having a little trouble keeping up with the different sections and classes. Everything happens so fast that there isn’t much time to organize my thoughts and handouts in between classes. And if for some reason I wasn’t able to cover certain material during one class, it’s hard to make note of it in between classes. But, I think this will come more with time. It’s really nice to be team teaching with Tom, though, because we are able to help each other when we need to make copies, get glue, or any other errand.
I am afraid that the first class (beginning at 7:30) is going to get the low-end of the deal. Maybe it’s always like this for first classes, but we seriously had less than 30 minutes for class once orientation was over. All the teachers ride to school on the same bus as the students, and as soon as we get here (at 7:15) we go straight to the library for daily prayer, devotions, singing, and announcements, then proceed to the comedor for the students’ morning ceremony.
The morning ceremony is an important part of beginning the day here at Instituto El Rey. When there are no sound systems or speakers connected in the classrooms, it’s important to have all the students gather together in the morning for announcements, prayer, and whatever else Esther has to say. That way everyone begins the morning on the same page: first the teachers, and then the teachers and students together.
At times I feel like I’m a camp counselor who teaches 5 classes on the side. There are constantly things to help out with and be aware of, and helping students to learn and study is definitely a full-time activity. The difference between students in the 7th grade and students in the 10th grade is amazing. The seventh graders both look and act worlds younger, hardly know anything about studying or taking tests, and need to be reminded about everything several times.
In the rural areas of Honduras, it is recommended that you attend school through the 6th grade, but many parents say that their children aren’t good at learning and decide to take them out before. Out of the ones who graduate from 6th grade (which is like our high school graduation), about half or so will decide to go on to the colegio.
We decided to start out reading through the book of Ephesians with all our classes. We’ll have a different student read close to six verses everyday (we figure many of them have not read the Bible themselves before) and then pray together. Today Tom and I prayed in English for the students, for ourselves, and for the entire year. May our prayers be answered. So now for the afternoon we prepare for tomorrow, and it’s on to the 2:30 bus with the students again.
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