Transitions

This week was my first week without a job. I got booted out. Well not really of course, but I was really just beginning to really get into the swing of teaching kinder. I quite love it surprisingly and its strange now that its no longer my classroom. But of course that means that there is good news and that we found a new teacher! He is now teaching 5th and 6th grade and the kids seem to really like him. Bien chistoso. Maestra Kenia went to first and second grade, and the teacher for that level moved down to Kinder. So therefore, I am no longer maestra Kyla. Just volunteer haha. But it's better that way. Since I'm leaving and all. Although, in some way moving out of a teaching position really hit it home for me that I am indeed leaving in a little over a month. My heart kind of aches every time I think about it. So I prefer not to, though it's never far from my mind. I feel like I'm on the countdown now. I had hoped for a little while to extend my stay until May, but it doesn't seem like thats going to be possible.

Anyways, I've been helping the new teacher, Marie, get used to the classroom routine. She is very young, 18 like me, and inexperienced, and to be honest the first three days I was quite annoyed with her. Almost angry. Sometimes she lacks the strength to run a classroom, she is soft spoken and doesn't have that great of control. She would prepare during class and she didn't have a great grasp on when the kids were bored. After working pretty hard at ordering the class, getting kids to listen etc, I didn't want all my work undone. So, for better or for worse, I wrote a note on Wednesday telling her that she needed to be a bit more prepared and a few other things. It wasn't mean but it was pretty direct and I debated whether or not to give it to her, and once I did I regretted it but I figured it was too late to dwell on it after that. Thursday morning came and I was quite nervous that she would be mad at me, but thankfully she took it in the best way possible. She admitted that there were things she needed to work on and she took some of my advice really well. She had a lesson planned out, took control of the class pretty well, looked over both parts of the class, led the line etc. etc. I was really impressed and relieved. No one likes to be criticized, especially by someone that is the same age as you. I also was nervous because looking back it really wasn't my place to say those things. I think once in awhile I have a problem with doing things, or wanting to do things, that are the responsibility of others. I mean it in the best possible way, but I have realized that I do like to be in control of certain things. I'm working on knowing the difference of when help is wanted, and when I'm infringing. Someone needs to give me a job haha. I've taken a backseat in the classroom though.

A new nurse came and he and Kim are working on doing head checks for all the kids at the jungle school and treating the worst cases of lice. We desperately need more lice shampoo. Some of the kids are simply covered. Well not just the kids. You can add me into the mix. Awesome, though I've mostly got control of it I believe. There is also a scalp infection thats going around that makes the kids loose their hair and I reallllly don't want to get it. I should be fine. Lots of hand sanitizer. I feel like I've learned a lot more about abuse lately, different cases of it. There has to be a point where I stop thinking about it, because otherwise I would never rest. These kids who are typically so full of smiles come every day and you fall in love with them and they go through so much. I just hope each and every one will turn out to live a happier life. Today I went with Maestra Kenia to visit a family who isn't sending their kids to school any more, though they did last year. For those of you who remember my complaining about Kevin from kinder the year before, he didn't return to school this year and it made me worried. So we went up their and Kenia talked with the parents. I think they may come Monday, though their seemed to be problems because they had no birth certificates or something of the sort. On our way down we met up with a few of the volunteers who had gone swimming with the kids. While swimming, Samir from my kinder class had fell and gashed his eyebrow, and Deanna, his older sister, was so so worried because she said that her mom was going to beat her for not watching him better. She asked us to stay and talk with her mom so of course we agreed, and so we just hung out for about 3 and a half hours waiting for her mom to get home. Kenia had left with Cristy, so it was three of us. I was worried for her, because I know how things work here, and she was definitely going to get a beating for something that wasn't her fault. It sucks so much and there is so little we can do. Hitting is so ingrained up in the area. The first response to anything is to grab a stick and wield it high until a kid listens. It's kids, animals, anything really. You get obedience through force. I extremely dislike it, even though I love the people. It's so hard to change.

So that is it. We have a full house of volunteers now. It's been fun. Somehow I seem to be spending less and less time with the kids, or it feels like it, but I'm trying to help where I'm needed. Soaking in everything still. Looking forward to certain people coming down :) Missing everyone a tad. I send my love!