100th Post

I just noticed I am making my 100th post and thought it was worth mentioning.

Well, well, here I am again, trying to get back on my blogging kick, however time doesn't always allow. Here is Chile, and I am sure we could say the same for all of South America, you work to survive, not to live. I didn't realize what this statement meant until just recently. I was talking with a friend of mine and saying, wow, I feel like I am working all the time. She says, welcome to Chile Jami, here we work to survive, not to live, like you are accustomed too. It was at that moment that I realized where my frustrations have been. I am a gringa living in a traditional, underdeveloped world.

The last few weeks, month or so, I have been struggling with work. I was getting up early to make last minute plans, making classes 8-5:30, coming home, grading, planning...all I could think was, "wow! I don't even have kids!"...how do people do this? I have 11 different classes in a week. Some classes I see once a week, others twice a week, and others three times a week. In all situations, I find myself wondering...what the hell are these kids learning? They are completely lazy. They don't listen. And, they are full of excuses. Seriously, I can go to a class excited and ready to go, because I think I have finally planned the winning ticket! Then, in a matter of moments, I am crushed by lack of interest, disrespect, and insubordination. I can hardly believe it some days. I have tried lesson after lesson, approach after approach, and I still I struggle to know what it is these students bite on. It kills me some days. Luckily, though, I have a a few classes that just bring sunshine to my day and that keeps me going.

So, I feel as though I have had an up and down ride lately. I win somedays and I hit rock bottom other days. Luckily, the woman I work with has been a HUGE help in keeping me sane...ha ha. But, she continually reassures me that it isn't just me and that other teachers have the same problem. Then, she assures me that I will make it. I know she is right, but I still have to kick and scream a little bit because it is my job and I want to do it well and I want to see the progress in my assessments. I want to see the instant satisfaction. But, as it goes, sometimes the satisfaction of being a teacher really isn't seen until years have passed. BUT, then again, in between classes when students (my basico students), like today, are asking me for a bear hug, I have to say it is worth the pain and struggles.

I have one class that is my sunshine almost always when I have them. They are my 4th basico class, 4th graders. They are so eager to learn and full of a manageable level o f energy. Normally, we start our day singing the Beatles: hello good bye. You may know the song..you say goodbye and I say hello. Then, one day I taught them the ever-so-wedding-famous chicken dance one day, which they completely demand at the beginning of every class now, along with the Hokey Pokey. I LOVE them! I love their level of curiosity. I love that they all ask me in a matter of minutes if they can go to the bathroom in English just because they think if they can say it in English I will let them all go. I love that they will come and tell me this big long story in spanish and I have no idea what they said, ok...maybe I understand a few words, but, I have no idea. I think they forget I Spanish isn't my first language. ha ha..which reminds me...

I asked the students to organize their things one day and they all started laughing, then they corrected me to say, tia, ordenar our cosas. (to organize our things). I said, ya, that is what I said. They say...no, you said..(and honestly I don't remember how I say what I normally say but what is buckles down to is that I am asking them to pee on their things.). So, now, they love to ask me if I want them to pee on their things. I like to tell them, I don't think that is a good idea, but maybe it would be better to organize their things. ha ha..I love them!

I started a baseball unit with one class, 6th grade, with the expectation that we would play baseball at the end of the unit. I wasn't sure where I was going to buy a bat, or how I was going to make one, but before I had to worry about it, one student tells me, Miss, I am going to make us a baseball bat. I say, really? He says, yes, my Dad is going to help me. what does the bat need to look like? I draw him a picture and he nods...two weeks later, Monday this week, he brings in a baseball bat.

We went over the general rules and headed down to the gymnasium area, which I never knew existed, but shortly later learned, it was the patio area. I assigned on student to make a baseball out of newspapers and scotch tape, something that is very common for students to do except only they are usually making a soccer ball. We had extra paper for the bases. I had to laugh because first one student walks by and picks up the newspaper base and starts reading it as he is walking away, until students yelled at him to say it was second base! Then, a janitor came by and started trying to pick up our bases. ha ha. Finally, after some quick instructions in Spanish accompanied by alot of body movements (right when I think I am doing well in Spanish, I find a hole I cannot communicate yet)...we started our first game of baseball. It was a bit unorganized, but it went well.

When we finished, the students asked if we would play every Monday. I asked them when we would learn English if we were always play baseball. They didn't seem too worried, naturally. Later in the day, I saw the same class and they were dripping with sweat. They said...tia, tia, we just played some more baseball! Where? In what class? I asked...they say, in PE! Tio Pepe played with us! You guys are sure loving baseball! They say, yes, can we play again on Monday? ha ha...

Later, my 4th medio (aka 12th graders) asked if we were going to play baseball in their class too. They had been watching intensely earlier.

With a couple of my other classes, I broke out the radio to teach a line dance. Students watched in excitement and, as students usually are, they were very nervous about joining in and the level of participation was little. But, little by little they started warming up, however, in one class I had only one student willing to give it a go. I was walking to school the other day and a student comes up to me...tia, tia, can we dance again today? I said, dance? again? Only one of you danced while I was teaching you, why would we dance again? Well, tia, she says, because the person that was dancing with you taught me and now I am ready to dance in class. ....ahh...ha ha...

Students in Chile often call males, Tio, and Females, Tia. If you know spanish, you know tio is uncle and tia is aunt. Here though, to call someone who is clearly not your aunt or uncle, tia or tio, is a term of respect, something like Dear maybe. It is very common here instead of miss. It is wierd for me to use it somedays, but I am starting to get used to it. When I first came to Chile I thought...my god, these people are all related. But, it isn't the case. Thankfully because was starting to sound like a major case of incest.

Speaking of incest...we have a colony of cats at this house i live at. None of the cats live inside, thank God, because that would stink. Occassionally, one will sneak its way inside and we have to chase it out. And, sometimes the cat will get to stay inside for a little bit. However, after one decided to shit under my bed on top of a pile of student projects, I chase the cats outside right away. If it is shitting under my bed, it is pissing under my bed...the other day I had washed a sweater, so it was freshly cleaned, so I thought....I had it on and I thought..oh my what the hell is this smell. I am convinced it is cat urine.

Anyway, I came home and, this is the month of the cats, and sure enough, two cats were going at it outside my window in the little patio area of our house. I was telling Tania there would be come kittens on the way soon. She exclaims, no Jami, you need to break that up! I said, my goodness! i didn't know what to do! You are going to have more cats! That was when she taught me the word rape in spanish. While we were discussing this term during our dinner of chicken liver, we heard a terrible cat fight. Tania and her nephew, who was eating with us, say and that is a cat orgy gone bad. ha ha...I told them, my goodness, you Chilean people are tainting my innocent and pure ears
with these words you are teaching me, rape and orgy...what will my family say when I write home?? Then, I went on to tell Tania the chicken liver was fucking bueno! She replies, muchas fucking gracias. OOOOOOoooohhhh LOL!

Aye de mi! I need to get going. I came home thinking...I need to grade papers and prepare myself for tomorrow.........OR, write a blog! ha ha! Ah, I think I am better off going to bed right now and getting up early tomorrow. Tomorrow is Wednesday. Wednesdays are good days for me...more relaxing. I have two hours free in the morning, so I usually walk the street market that is going on every Wednesday. Lately, I have become addicted to earrings, so I usually buy myself a pair when I walk the market because they are a cheap reward and they are fun. I had one student comment on my earrings one day...tia, I like your earrings. thank you, I say, I bought them at the market. He gasped and said, tia, I sure hope you cleaned them good before you wore them. No, I didn't. Oh, tia, you better clean those, you are going to get an infection. I went home and cleaned all my earrings that day. I am good to go.

alright...buenas noches..que descanses....(good night..sleep/rest well..)...abrazo...(hugs)...

jami