ah, the teacher learns as much if not more than the students.

I had my first day of teaching at the school yesterday and it was so fun! Part of what I enjoy about it is that it requires you to be 100% present at all times. Maybe especially since teaching is new to me I never know how it´s going to go so I have to b willing and ready to abandon all plans in a moment´s notice and think of something new to do. It is so good for me to do this. Read the class and notic when something isn´t working before it gets too bad. One of my classes yesterday I finally sent out to run around the yard a few laps because they were so antsy and wouldn´t listen and I found myself starting to yell at them. As easy as it is to yell, it doesn´t go very far toward getting you what you want so I just sent them out to run. I wasn´t sure how that was going to go over with the director of the school who was also their teacher but when I asked him about it he said that they always fall apart at exactly that time and he thought that sending them out to run was a great idea and he would try it as well. whew!

I have also taken on a couple of hours three days a week at the community center with the kids there before my adult class. That is fun cause you never know who will be there and there are close to thirty kids at any time of all ages so I don´t even have to pretend to have some sort of plan about how to teach them over the long term, I just invent games and we play them and we don´t have to be building on yesterday´s lesson or anything like that. Just playing games and whatever they happen to pick up on the way is bonus. I do a lot of running around games with them but today I think we´re going to play animal bingo.

I am enjoying being busier in lots of ways. I have been neglecting going on as many walks as I´d like so I will have to figure out a way to put that back in my life.

So Sunday is my birthday and I am going to head to my favorite bar and have a meal and some drinks and hang out. They are going to have a party at the school on Tuesday for my birthday and a welcome to a new teacher so that should be fun. Usually at this time of year right around my birthday I start feeling really meloncholy and sad about stuff and frustrated with my life but it doesn´t seem to be showing up too much right now which is nice. There are still a few days to go but I am feeling optimistic about this year looking like it´s going to break that cycle.

I haven´t actually changed my plane ticket yet but it is looking like I will be in Portland close to the end of October and I find myself looking forward to it lots. Of course the people are the biggest reason, but there are so many small things that I hadn´t thought about like washers and dryers and chicken fried steak with gravy and coffee with cream and books on purpose.

Happy spring - coming into fall here but because the cold season is the dry season it isn´t too bad yet. I may be cold but at least it´s sunny and beautiful. Much easier than being cold in the rain. Although I think I´ve decided to leave here in time to spend a week on the beach in Ecuador before heading home to another winter in a row.

Love you all!
em