Day 2 Teaching

Today was a more intense day than yesterday, normal daily periods are an hour long but on a Wednesday we switch to 45 minute sessions. Making a day of fast paced work if you are to fit in everything planned.

The day started badly though - I picked up the school bus at 6.50 and should have been at the school before 7.30 unfortunatly the bus seemed to have a few problems finding the right roads and I didn't get in until 7.45 - 15 minutes after classes start, luckily I didnt have a class first period. Tomorrow morning I do have one so its fingers crossed todays difficulties are sorted out.

So I guess the over riding question is were the kids as good as yesterday? The answer is yes. Today I taught four 4th year classes (Grade 8 here) and I didnt have to raise my voice other than in fun and for effect but certainly not for discipline or behaviour.

Class sizes here do concern me my average class size is 22 but I have classes up to 28. Taking 28 pupils into a workshop area is not something I feel is acceptable and the only way it is accepted that it will happen is if the Technician is also in the workshop at all times we are teaching, so he can monitor and support pupils and teaching staff. However since we haven't got any materials wood, plastic etc yet its not an immediate issue.

After 2 days teaching I have seen 50% of my class commitment and by this time tomorrow 95%. The teaching is engaging and hopefully interesting for the pupils I know I am enjoying it - the freedom to teach instead of act as a policeman, probation officer or baby sitter is such a wonderful feeling.

Everything is not roses though... I have no computers yet but was promised 6. I have no desk area to take them either but its supposed to be built. We have only half the number of Drawing Boards we require, and no drawing tools. We have as yet no materials wood or plastic and are missing a large amount of the consumables, particularly masking tape. The work benches have not arrived yet, and the tables they provided to hold the Piller drill and Band saw are about 12 inches too tall making their use an unacceptable risk. And finally I have seating for 24 students but tomorrow I am due 2 classes of 28 and one of 26 as well as one of 24, so seating is going to be a huge issue.

Teaching the kids is a pleasure trying to get resources out of managment seems to be a treadmill of asking 5 different people for the items needed only to have it go in a big circle and for you to find yourself back at the beginning. My colleague Diana told me at the start of the year you need to ask for the same thing 3 times from different people till you find the one that can actually fulfill your request and she wasnt wrong.


So what new delicacies did I have to eat today ... Pizza and Chips !!! Yes the cafeteria had Pizza and Chips on the menu today and although the chips were very wimpy (Think Macdonalds style) it was such a delight to eat something I knew what it was and where it came from. I am not knocking colombian food by any means and want to go to one of the local very close restaurants to taste true colombian style cooking.

Final point.. I took my washing to the local Laundermat yesterday and picked it up today. I had taken it in a suitcase since thats all I had able to carry the amount I needed cleaning but on collection the lovely lady in the shop made it very clear that now everythign was pressed and ironed there was NO WAY I was to put anything back into the case. This was all done with hand signals and a variety of face pulling since she didnt speak english and my spanish is enough to say Good Day even though I constantly get it wrong and say Day when it should be afternoon, and afternoon when it should be evening. Oh well at least i have got a handle on Manyana.