day in the life: 8-10

Being that I’ve been here just about a year (whoa) I figure I’ve finally got an idea of what a typical day is like here.

So first, my morning at school. I show up to school right around 8. My first class is Grade 5 Sped English. Ma’am Hazel starts the day with spelling. She does the spelling, mostly because, as an educator I’m not yet sure how I feel about spelling lists. I’m sure there is a way to do them right, and I’m sure that that way is not giving Grade 6 pupils bourgeois, cadaver, cachet, cachou, cabriolet, caddie, calaboose, callus, camaraderie, and canthus on a spelling list, even if English is their first language. But I’m in the Peace Corps and have to pick my battles, and this is not one of them. Besides, the kids really like spelling. They are perfectionists and super competitive, both of these things are easily fed with spelling lists. Then she will give a pronunciation drill that we all go over together. Usually I’m informed I’m pronouncing all the words wrong, or that I may be right but in the Philippines they say it differently. I wish I could think of a really good example. Then Ma’am will review a topic and introduce a new topic. Filipinos know grammar rules, and they know about crazy grammar things I never ever heard of. So I learn a lot at this point. Then I’ll get up and do three activities with them applying these grammar rules. I usually end up combining the three, which I figure is fine as long as I cover the goals. One activity that is teacher focused, one that is material focused, and one that is student/group focused. I love this. Every once in a while it is on the topic that I actually prepared, but usually I get thrown under the bus topic wise. I’m starting to be ok with this. Then after my turn Ma’am Hazel gets back up and gives the students a quiz and an assignment. This class is supposed to be 100 minutes. Which is a long time for one class. However, my class is not 100 minutes. In a very untypical Filipino fashion it is two solid hours!

I love when the recess bell rings and it is time to eat, because at this point I’m exhausted.

*Note: On Tuesdays the students have catechism class from 8-9.