Sorry I have been MIA for a little bit. I’ve been pleasantly
busy and trying to figure out my new life in El Capulin, but after reading my
last post, I realize how much I have to tell you!
It’s been about a month and a half in site and I am feeling
like I’m starting to get a handle on what life is going to be like for the next
two years; which is to say, I have no idea what every day is going to bring,
and I’m beginning to accept that.
Ever since fifth grade, I’ve loved schedules and plans and
organization. It all makes me feel grounded and in control of my life. And I do
have a schedule here in Costa Rica, which I am going to share with you. But if
that schedule ever goes as planned, I will be shocked.
Monday through Thursday I am working in the schools. I go to
La Escuela Laborotorio from 8:40 until 11:40, and to La Escuela El Capulin from
3:30 until 5:40. Now, I go to the schools with the intention of co-teaching seven
classes every day, four in the Lab and three in El Capulin. That would make
sense, right? I go to the school and I teach. However, in Costa Rica, and I think
especially in Guanacaste, the province I live in, classes are often interrupted
for assemblies or “Acto Civicos” where the entire school comes together for any
number for reasons. Last Monday classes were normal at El Capulin, but two
class periods were interrupted in the Lab for a vehicle safety acto civico.
Tuesday, all four class periods at the Lab were used for a speech competition
and El Capulin had a teachers’ meeting in the afternoon, so there were no
classes. Wednesday and Thursday, classes were normal at the Lab, but first
grade left early at El Capulin because… well… I’m not sure why.
So far, over the month and a half I have been here, I’ve
witnessed acto civicos covering healthy eating, peace, vehicle safety, student
government debate, elections, and transfer of powers ceremony (all separate
days), speech competition, art festival, science fair and more that I am
forgetting, I’m sure. Don’t get me wrong. These are all fabulous things to have
in school and to talk about, but why they have to be all school events, which
takes an absurd amount to time to organize these children, get them quiet and
do the actual event part, is beyond me.
And the fact that we don’t have classes is not just teachers
not showing up for school, which was a big problem I noticed when I was
volunteering in Ghana for a summer. This is institutional and something that I
am going to have to get used to.
Back to my schedule, I use the evenings and the weekends to
cross things off of my to-do list and to wander the community. I started a
community English class for adults that meets on Thursdays for a couple of
hours, and I’m thinking of other projects to do outside of the schools.
I don’t really feel lost anymore, which was the vibe I was
getting when I read my last post. I have things to do and places to go, even if
classes aren’t held. I am familiar and comfortable walking around the
neighborhood, and I am slowly but surely mastering navigation in Liberia.
I think people are starting to know who I am and kind of why
I am here, although there’s a lot of people that still probably think who is
this chick and when is she leaving. The students and I are working on our
relationship as well, and every week I think I’ve gained the trust of another
one. The English teachers that I work with are great, and while we aren’t really
planning lessons together, I think we work really well together in the
classroom and with time we can make a schedule for when we will plan (we’ll see
if that schedule ever holds firm). And the other teachers in the schools are
nice and I feel part of their community too.
I’ll try to post more regularly and keep you updated on how
many classes I actually teach.
I love and miss you all
Annie
