New Year, New Challenge
It's been some time since my last post; as usual, life's been busy. In November, I said goodbye to La Esperanza, and moved to Antigua, a city I've come to love with my frequent visits. I spent November relaxing in Antigua and traveling a bit around Guatemala, and then to New Orleans in the first week of December. The rest of December was spent with family at home for the Christmas season, and I was back in Guatemala by the second week of January.
The past four weeks flew by. I started a new job at a private bilingual school in a town next to Antigua. I had actually started working for a week in November, but there was still so much to do once I arrived. I spent the first week in meetings and workshops, and decorated my classroom in between. Then we had a meeting with the parents on Saturday, and bright and early on Monday morning, the kids arrived in school.
At this school, I'm teaching English to third grade which has two sections. Section A has 18 students, and is also my homeroom class, while section B has 20 students. I enjoy the age of my students this year; they're at an age where they're still sweet and playful, but at the same time can work independently academically. In the past month I've gotten to know their personalities, and I often mention how as a teacher you can identify certain personalities right away. The school year has only started, but they've already carved out a place in my heart.
The transition to working in this school has been quite demanding. It was tough having to learn most of the ropes in the one week before classes started, but I've since been taking it a little bit easier and am learning as I go. At this school we have a book and curriculum that we follow, but it's somewhat new, and I find it too difficult for the level of my kids, and it's been constant adjustment and tweaking of lesson plans. Along with that, there is a lot more documentation and stricter rules to adhere to than I'm used to.
But while all of that has brought about a new challenge, it's one that I'm grateful for. Like any experience, it's something I'm learning from, and have been each day. Furthermore, my colleagues have been very friendly, welcoming, and helpful, and the school has a wonderful unity spirit that is quite infecting. My students have been very sweet, and the usual lightbulb moments along with random hugs and cards continue to make me grateful for the wonderful and challenging profession that is teaching.
The past four weeks flew by. I started a new job at a private bilingual school in a town next to Antigua. I had actually started working for a week in November, but there was still so much to do once I arrived. I spent the first week in meetings and workshops, and decorated my classroom in between. Then we had a meeting with the parents on Saturday, and bright and early on Monday morning, the kids arrived in school.
At this school, I'm teaching English to third grade which has two sections. Section A has 18 students, and is also my homeroom class, while section B has 20 students. I enjoy the age of my students this year; they're at an age where they're still sweet and playful, but at the same time can work independently academically. In the past month I've gotten to know their personalities, and I often mention how as a teacher you can identify certain personalities right away. The school year has only started, but they've already carved out a place in my heart.
The transition to working in this school has been quite demanding. It was tough having to learn most of the ropes in the one week before classes started, but I've since been taking it a little bit easier and am learning as I go. At this school we have a book and curriculum that we follow, but it's somewhat new, and I find it too difficult for the level of my kids, and it's been constant adjustment and tweaking of lesson plans. Along with that, there is a lot more documentation and stricter rules to adhere to than I'm used to.
But while all of that has brought about a new challenge, it's one that I'm grateful for. Like any experience, it's something I'm learning from, and have been each day. Furthermore, my colleagues have been very friendly, welcoming, and helpful, and the school has a wonderful unity spirit that is quite infecting. My students have been very sweet, and the usual lightbulb moments along with random hugs and cards continue to make me grateful for the wonderful and challenging profession that is teaching.
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| School wide activity rally day |
It's a new year, a new city, a new challenge... and I'm ready for it!
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