We were able to raise enough money for several used computers to be installed at the school in my community. Woohoo. So there´s one little project under my belt. Our belts. Thank you especially to all who donated from the states. Parents of students also contributed a great deal of time to our effort. Of course, it´s not as simple as just buying the computers, now we have to build a room for them...round 2.
Most of the time I´ve spent working here so far has been in the school. Between teaching 6th grade english classes, doing a little composting project for a future school garden, and organizing the computer thing, I seem to be bouncing back and forth between my house and the Centro Escolar preparing meeting topics or carrying shovel It´s strange though, how the personal and the professional tend to meld in this setting. There is no timesheet or other means of evaluating until the end of the month when I type up what´s going on and send to my boss for review. Much of my "work" right now is simply getting to know my neighbors and remembering their names (it´s harder than you might think). The typical two-year volunteer timeline consists of a good portion of your first several months in-site doing house visits, attending community meetings, playing soccer, etc., anything that helps you to formulate a diagnostic of what your particular communtiy wants and needs and trying to fill in the gaps where you have the capacity and interest. And even more importanly, it´s a time to get ourself feeling comportable in your new home, with the new language. Hanging with people is an important part of ditching the isolation.
Well, I´m getting there I think. I enjoy hanging with the kids at the school, many of which seem genuinely interested in some of the little projects I´ve proposed. We had a good turn out of student volunteers to help me construct the compost, which was great. These kids know where to find everything we needed, whereas I´m at a loss most of the time. For example I gave a couple of them a big grain sack and asked them to go find some cow poop and dry leaves. They were back in ten minutes, sack filled to the brim with the good fresh stuff. In fact, like many grade schoolers, a bunch of the kids who were so quick to help me and interested in actually learning about what an organic compost was are the same kids that loath the classroom, slouching, waiting for the precious ring of the recess bell every couple of hours.
English is tough. Sixth graders are tough. So some how it´s my job to make learning another language "cool", which is especially hard during the final period of on Friday, but we´re coming along alright. We were learning words for american money the other day. I was holding up coins for the class and the students are shouting "Neekool! Dwerm!(dime)", until we finally came to the hundred dollar bill (which was drawn on the board), and i say "Que es este?"
"Hundy!" says the little poindexter in the front row. "Benjamin!" says another with the serious look of a teacher´s pet. OK, but for the most part i really do take the class seriously. :)
