Adios Enero. Hola Febrero.

Sorry I haven't written in a few weeks, here is a lay down of what's been happening in my life:

WEEK 2:
I’m very happy again with this week of English classes. Monday was MLK Jr day and we started class with a reflection of what dreams are and why we should have them. Every day at the beginning of class I write a quote up on the board and we analyze it. This is usually one of my favorite parts. Finding the quotes and talking about them. It’s always interesting how I anticipate the students to respond and how different their answers can be. The Latin culture is so incredible. So many genuine good, loving people. We talked about what a good leader is (relating it to a good hero from the last week) and ended by doing a listening activity (kind of like Bradley’s class, fill in the ____ of the song) with “Dream Big” by Ryan Shupe (one of my favorite ‘feel-better’ songs). Tuesday we watched a video from TED about “How Great Leaders Inspire” and talked about different leaders over time (MLK Jr, MonSenor Romero, etc) as well as how they were able to actually make a difference. We reviewed the conditional tense with the prompt “If you were President of El Salvador, what kind of leader would you be like?” They finished for homework. Thursday, we began by reviewing what they had written and I gave them their next project which we are going to be doing all next week. We are incorporating all that we have learned so far by holding an election. Each one of them is a contender for the presidency in El Salvador. They have to make a propaganda poster to put up in the school (in the halls or conference room) and then second, they must write a two minute speech which they will perform to the Advanced level next Thursday (at which time we will have the Advanced class vote for who will be President). I’m really excited to see what the week will bring. Mostly we talked about what a good speech consists of and what they feel most strongly about in regards to change in El Salvador.

After class, we went out and got pupusas (the local dish, rice or corn tortillas wrapped around either frijoles, frijol con queso, chicharon, queso, etc.) They’re so good. I tried spinach and bean (frijol y espinaca) tonight at the Vegetarian pupuseria. I thought it would be gross, but so good. So good. I’m about to watch a movie and then go to bed. Good week.

--January 21, 2011


WEEK 3:
This week turned out to be just as fun as the last. It was very relaxed in my English class in relation to the first two weeks of pumping it out. We began Monday with a review of the week's plans talking about Election. We decided for Thursday and then spent the first hour talking about what a good speech contains, and the structure of a simple speech (Intro, body, conclusion, call to action, etc) and then I gave them the rest of the class to work on it, and ask me questions. We actually ended up getting into a really intense debate about different issues that they all feel strongly about. We talked about differences in capitalism and socialism, especially with regards to basic need services such as running, purified water, electricity, and sewage. Everyone seemed to be focusing on improving the water situation in their pledge to be president. Tuesday, we spent the first half writing our speeches, again, more class time. After the break, we turned to campaign posters and each one of them fashioned a poster that represented their beliefs using the propaganda techniques we studied in week one. I told them they all better be prepared for Thursday and if they didn't write a speech, I would make them stand in front of everyone for two whole minutes of good old fashioned stare-fun. (Not sure if this motivated them, or pissed them off!) We decided that we'd all bring food and drinks for the second half of class and skip break. So after I had set up with some balloons, ribbon, and cheesy election-band-orchestra music, we kicked off the election with the advanced class in the audience, to take notes and ask questions at the end. Almost all of my students had prepared amazing speeches and I was really proud and impressed with the way (almost) all of them presented them. The advanced class responded with great questions and the conversation was forced to think on the spot and answer them. It was altogether a great lesson. The last half hour we broke open the pupusas, tamales, and jugos and invited the rest of the classes into the room. Saria is leaving for Canada this monday so we surprised her with a cake (it also happened to be her birthday) at the party and I know that made her day.

Next week though, I have planned grammar, grammar, and more grammar!




I can tell already that this entry is getting a bit lengthy, but following up on school, my online classes aren't exactly what I expected, but I find myself really enjoying them. Although I dropped my English class and went to just 13 credits instead of 19, but still "full time" status. My Spanish class is very easy and a part from busy work assignments and facile tests, I have to log on once a week from home for a "conversation" practice (as if I don't get enough of this, right?) so all the students log on and we have microphones and headphones to hear each other, as well as book work to do together. My sociology class is really interesting, and I have been doing a lot of reading for that, and there is at least one discussion topic, homework assignment, and quiz every week. My politics class is a slow moving class, and we have already done anything yet, which is good cause my book still hasn't arrived yet. My extreme weather class is good, lots of reading, but really spread out due dates and easy quizes.


Today we went to the beach for Saria, and everyone was making fun of me because I was studying my sociology notes. But surrounded by mariachi bands, margaritas, palm trees, and the ocean, I couldn't think of a better place to study. My experience this time around feels a lot different from last time, because I think I consider this more of "living" than "traveling" like last time. I have obligations and responsibilities and feel at home more so. My host family is great, we celebrated Joshua's birthday last Tuesday, and Thursday was host mum's birthday (except the kids were sick so it wasn't as fun as Joshua's). I am looking forward to some rest tomorrow, and then another full week.

--January 29, 2011

one week in.

Well, it’s already been a week. What felt like an eternity the first time I was here, has gone by in the blink of an eye. I have adjusted so well that I forget I was home…and yet I was. Being home for break was crazy, I barely had a moment to breathe, stressed by culture shock and people to see. I loved being in Flagstaff, the snow, the pines, the friends and family, but it made me realize that I made a good decision this year. I’m so excited to go to NAU (in person) next year but I’m not in any rush just yet to return home. I’ve grown and changed a lot and it was so weird to be thrust back into a place where it felt time had stood still, and for a few weeks, I too, felt reverted back to the past. I imagine this is how everyone feels after being away and coming home after a long while, but it seemed to me, seems to me, that so much has happened for me, I just forget that it’s because it’s so new, not that it’s soo different.

This week, I resumed my teaching. I have the conversational level. I’m really trying to keep things intense and we hit the ground running. The first day we discussed Capital Punishment, we read an article from the NY times, and watched the news on the Tucson Tragedy coverage. We argued who deserves death and who awards it. The following day, we learned different types of propaganda and after so, made posters, one group in favor of Death Penalty and the other against. We shared posters before playing Taboo. (they hate this game by the way). Finally, we talked about heroism on Thursday, tying in more of the news from Arizona, heroic acts outlined in Obama’s speech at the University of Arizona (part of which we watched and analyzed), as well as what it means to be a hero. We took surveys the first day and one of my students is studying to be a chef. He wants more cooking vocabulary. So we made Hero Recipes. We listed ingredients of a hero and then wrote down directions. Again, dividing into two groups and making big posters to be presented to the class. It was a really good week, but I have nothing to do in the mornings now that I’m not doing Spanish school. That’ll all change when I start my online NAU classes this week however. I’m really looking forward to them. I’m taking Intro to Politics, Intro to Sociology, Extreme Weather, English (freshman course I think), and Spanish 202. It’s a lot of online I suppose but it’ll give me something to do. Tomorrow we’re getting internet at the house, although I’ve found this wireless source in my room from one of the neighbors. But sometimes it’s there and other times not. Hmmm. That’s all the news I have as of now.

Glad to be back in the 90 degree weather, snow is only so nice for so long. I also skyped my family tonight via my brother’s ipod touch. Technology is crazy.