The school whose name we don't know (Los Llanos)

This week has passed by so quickly! We spent much of the week in Spanish class as well as strategy meetings with the Team Missouri for our school visit. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we were able to spend some time in a school down the road from us. It is a very small school with only 94 students (I think). The 1st and 2nd graders we worked with had little to no exposure to English. We spent time walking around the school teaching them colors and emotions.  They were all so cute! While we were there we noticed that the small area they played in was littered with trash..We were given permission by the principal/teacher to clean up the area.  We went back to the school on Thursday but spent much of the time working with the students on Spanish Literacy. On Friday we were able to clean up the area; getting rid of old broken wood boards, broken furniture, paint, etc. We finished up right about the time the students broke for recess and morning snack. They were so excited that we had cleaned up the area and rearranged it so they could play.

As with everything here (and in education) we must learn to be flexible.  We had planned to be teaching most of the time we were there; that obviously did not happen.

Our Spanish classes continued this week. After a great first week, I was hoping the learning curve would continue. Sadly, it did not. My brain did not want to function this week at all and I had much trouble focusing and remembering the simplest things. It was a bit frustrating; even if we don't get "graded" on this class. I now have an idea of how ELL students struggle to learn sole in English; especially as their grades DO count. It must be dificult for them to not only have difficulty learning in English, but it is mentally draining.

Every day after our 4 hour class we are exhausted. I want to do nothing more that eat dinner and not do homework. I could not fathom dealing with that as well as the potential of having to care for younger siblings. We discussed the speed at which the schools/government  expect results and the testings that are used. My appreciation for ESL teachers has grown significantly.   Being a teacher is hard enough without the whole everything else they have to deal with.