(L to R - Lasa, Visal, Naro) 3 of my sweet, silly students during break

september 11

I’ve been informed: that Liz and I are the first SM’s (student missionary volunteers) to have ever taught (or attempted) elementary school or been homeroom teachers (teach all the subjects to one grade). Most volunteers in the past have taught only Middle or High School English, maybe Math (and it does make a tremendous difference, the amount of English the student knows/understands/speaks already). And I’m finding clarity, on why I feel like the staff here have no answers to many of my desperate questions. The lower grades have never been taught by all English speakers, and the teachers from the previous year, have left to study English (so I’m thinking that probably all the subjects were not taught in English like they are now). I wish at times (most times, maybe all. ha), that this was not the case, and that I was not the guinea pig for such a task. Just wish I had some outside ideas (from previous experimentation), on how to be as productive as possible, or at least make it by.

Today, a student in the back of the classroom starts to vomit a horrendous amount on the top of his desk. His eyes fill with tears and he just sits there and continues to throw up, the pile of vomit accumulating to a giant heap that starts to drip off the sides of the desk. The kids around jump up, plug or fan their nose, imitate the gagging sounds, or start laughing. The student finally finishes (or so it seems), goes upstairs to wash up in the bathroom, as I bring the desk outside of the room. He returns and sits in his single chair, only to throw up again about 10 minutes later, all over the floor. Needless to say, it was not my favorite moment of the day.

I also, was telling a friend, before I left, that it was going to be nice to have a year without any relationship issues or even prospects. Not that I have any, but I want to talk to you Jess (yes you, de oro). I got issues. Ha. Please don’t read much into this statement. Though it is probably what you think. Ha.