just like the fonz...

September 29, 2011

I wanted to do this post at my one-year mark, but life at that time was a bit of a hot mess. My second thought was to wait until my mid-service training, but I still don’t know when that is and I want to talk about things while they are still fresh memories. I’m not sure the date when I will be coming home but sometime in the next week or so will pretty much be the exact middle of my service.

Coming up on the year mark I was worried that this post was going to be negative and all thumbs down. There is something none as the 12-month funk, and those of us in Leyte got it early. Life was frustrating and there was plenty of volunteer commiserate parties about everything: school, heat, counter parts, plumbing, and any number of things.

Luckily it was just a phase and we all came out of the funk about the same time. So here is the non-thumbs down version of how I think things have been at site the past six (plus) months at site.

My well-being is a thumbs up. All those things that drove me completely up the wall before are just funny parts of this life. This is what I’ve signed up for, and I’m for sure a better person for all of it.

Professionally speaking I’d give myself hesitant thumbs up. But I think the hesitation is good, it is so important to keep working to be better and allow for growth. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not so sure how needed I am, but in the place I am I’m doing all that I can. I’ve really started to gain control as a teacher and I myself am learning so much about the English language and coming up with millions of ideas for future classroom use, both good and bad. My library is coming together. I’m learning when are good times to meet with my committee and when are just really awful times to meet with them. I feel good, but still feel there is room for improvement.

Everything else is a thumbs up also. I really feel like the community, and not just the immediate community has embraced me around my house. I go running, and people are ok with that. I go to the market and people are respectful and practice English on me. I don’t feel like I need to flee to the mall all the time. Random people have invited me to random things. I really like it here.

I don’t feel like my life is a wash. Things are good. Happy Days! Aaaaaaaaa! (That was my Fonzie impression, picture me with my thumbs up, but no motorcycle that’d get me sent home)

evaluating the evaluation

September 14, 2011

Way back in mid-August we were suppose to have an evaluation. Of course it didn’t happen. Then last Wednesday we were supposed to have it. Of course that didn’t happen either. They moved it to Monday. Of course that didn’t happen. The new date was set for today. By this point I was pretty positive it wasn’t going to happen ever, so of course it did happen.

Each time we thought it was going to happen school for the day or so before was halted so that students could buff the floors and wash things and make sure the appearance of the school was tip top shape. In August it took a whole week, and after that it just kind of was maintained. In my opinion it never really looked all that bad anyways, but I am super grateful for janitors (and i'm not just saying that because I was one). So last week we cleaned on Monday afternoon, all day Tuesday, and then extreme hard-core cleaning on Friday. This week we cleaned all day Tuesday.

Well today the evaluator came and by now I’ve gotten pretty curious about what goes on during this evaluation. I still am. The guy came and then Ma’am took me to the canteen to sit while he did his evaluations. I know that he looked at all her records and made sure she had labels on everything so there is no doubt if the sink is sink. The students had to do some oral recitations and stuff.

We had a big fancy lunch because of the evaluation and now the rest of the day there are no classes.