una aventura

My school week in six words…Crazy kids, stern reprimands, improved behavior.

On Saturday we put all that behind us and took the oldest 2 classes to San Juan to see the recently-opened King Tut exhibit. The kids were excited, and they were very well behaved. They asked good questions and seemed to have a good time.

Judy and I had gone into the city early to visit San Cristobal Fort with her visiting family. It was interesting to learn about the history of the city and its importance to Spain. The views from the fort were spectacular, too!

Our perfect day trip ended rather eventfully. About 20 minutes into the ride home, as we headed toward the highway that leads to the school, traffic was being diverted. (We later found out that there had been a shooting at that spot). At the time, though, all we knew was that we had 2 choices: Sit in the traffic and hope that it begins moving, or have an adventure. We chose the latter!

We backtracked, took the first exit we came to and tried to use Garmin to get us home. Thanks to the adventurous spirits in my car (Judy, her son, his girlfriend, and me) and Jason’s superior navigating and Garmin-overriding skills, we drove over a mountain, looped around the rain forest, and managed to approach home from the opposite direction. Three hours—not the normal 45 minutes—later, we pulled into the school.

The day was just going too smoothly…I guess we should have expected some excitement!

estar cansado

Last week was the first full week of school that we’ve had in a while—and it very evident on Friday!

At our staff meeting on Thursday night, we were discussing the birthday party (for one of our volunteers) that we had planned for Friday at lunchtime.  I asked how long the party was going to be because I was planning on doing a lot of teaching that day—this statement was met with laughs and comments like “You gotta love first-year teachers!”  I just laughed and remained convinced that Friday would be just like any other productive day.

I received a reality check when my alarm went off at 5:45 on Friday morning.  Later, during the staff’s before-school prayer time, all of us were moving a little extra slowly.  My kids were dragging from the moment they arrived.  I’ll put it this way—I had planned on giving a vocabulary test, teaching reading, writing, art, science, math, Spanish and reading books aloud to the youngest kids (like we do every Friday).  What did we actually do?  We had a vocabulary test, a tiny bit of reading, a lot of laying on the floor or sitting at a desk with head down, many trips to the water cooler, a little math, a lot of coloring and decorating for the party, reading to the little kids, eating ice pops, and (thankfully because it was a fun microscope activity) some science. 

This experience is not going to stop me from planning a full schedule of work on Fridays, but it is going to remind me to be flexible!

I was thankful just to make it to 3:30, and I wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to muster up the energy to go kayaking later that day—but I did!  We went to the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo.  It was an amazing experience!  The water contains a special type of organism that lights up when the water is agitated.  So basically, you’re kayaking in glowing water!  The moon was a little too bright that night, so we didn’t get the full effect—but I’m sure I’ll be back there sometime soon.

photos

I brought my camera to school today.  Enjoy...

Here is the photo alphabet in the front of my classroom.  I hope to have my students make one using pictures taken around the school. 

After lunch, the kids made a human pyramid (sort of).  Betsy's class is reading a story that tells about animals piling on top of each other, so she wanted to take pictures for the kids to write their own version.

I think you probably guessed what happened next!

Kevin is helping Mizael with his work.  Don't you just love to see that sort of thing?

In science, we're learning about cells.  Here are my students making a model of a plant cell with jello and candy.

Here's a better view of their smiling faces.  From left to right is Edwin, Johanely, and Kevin.

 Obviously, we had to to try some.  How often do you get the chance to say, "Today I ate some cytoplasm"?

At the end of the day, we have bell practice.  Last spring, Johanely took over the role of director.

I hope you enjoyed the small peek into our day.  I'll try to be better about keeping my camera with me so I can share more photos!

momentos difíciles

One day during writing class this week, I asked my students to make a list of hard times they’ve had in their lives. As usual, I used that time to write as well.

The following is one of the hard times that made it on my list:

It’s not easy being a teacher of deaf children while simultaneously learning sign language.

This week, my frustrations with communication have come to the forefront. I have so many things I want to explain to my kids…so much I want to ask them…so many of their questions I want to answer—but so often, I can’t.

How many more times will I have to stop a conversation with my students to say, “Wait,” while I look up a sign on the slow computer or run to the teacher next door and ask her—and feel at that exact moment, that any momentum we had is lost? For how much longer will I stare at a student during a conversation and understand all the signs she is using, but have no idea what she is talking about? How many more times will my students decide it is not worth the effort to ask me a question or tell me about what is going on in their lives? How many more attempts will I make to explain something and be met with blank stares—at which point I am forced to respond by saying, “Never mind,” and lose yet another teachable moment?

And just as the tears of frustration are welling up in my eyes, I am reminded that God is in control, and He brought me here for a reason. Then I page through a pocket ASL dictionary and realize just how much I have learned in a month. A reassuring feeling comes over me, and I become more confident that one day I will be able to teach an entire class without giving or receiving a puzzled look.

I look at my students every day and thank God that He gave me such patient and helpful kids to help me through these frustrations.

Thank you everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers!

el huracán

Between a stomach bug and a wedding in California, I only saw my students twice last week. Hopefully sometime soon, we’ll fall into a familiar routine. Praise the Lord! While I was away I received the news that our newest student has accepted Christ! What amazing growth we’ve seen in his life in two short weeks.

As for the hurricane…it was a bit disappointing. There was a good amount of rain and wind, but I didn’t even have to close the shutters on my windows. The power was out for a while, so I got to use the candles that have just been taking up room in my cabinets. Perhaps this was good practice for the next hurricane!

So thanks to Earl, this will be another short week of school. We should resume tomorrow. I miss my kids—I haven’t seen them in a week!

nuevos comienzos

Week One in Review:

My surprise new student adds an interesting dynamic to my classroom.  This dynamic is a bit more of a challenge than I had previously anticipated.  What would life be without challenges, though, right?

I think my students learned a little this week, but our time was mostly spent getting to know one another.  Two of my students are excited to learn about God, math, writing, science, and Spanish.  The other one does not seem to be excited about much of anything right now…except maybe sleeping during class.  He puts on a nice “tough guy” façade, but I know there is a lot of potential underneath.  (Friday was his birthday, and I think I saw a smile when I brought out his cake after lunch!) 

I had a chance to interact with all the students in the school this week—during chapel time, recess, and my art classes.  My high schoolers also got to spend time with the little ones.  Probably my favorite moment this week was when my students read stories to the preschool/kindergarten class.  Suddenly…my teenage boys become grownups as they sat balancing squirming little boys on their laps.  I saw a hint of frustration in their eyes when the little ones were not paying attention—I hope they remember this feeling the next time they start to get restless in my class!

My students are wonderful to me as I struggle with my sign language.  I had an interpreter this week, but I tried not to rely on her every moment.  I am extremely thankful for her help, and I am encouraged by a few successful attempts I had at communicating with my students by myself.  I’ve definitely learned a lot these past few weeks…but I have a long way to go! 

Please pray as I keep learning ASL, and pray that I soon discover the best ways to motivate my students, especially the new one. 

Sorpresa

6 words for Monday:
First day...7:30am.  Surprise!  New student.

Aren't surprises fun?  I guess God knows that I can handle it.  He knows best, right?