Patience

9-30-07

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I'm excited. I'm proud of our school and of all the work that we've accomplished in the past two weeks. Still, I feel more unprepared for this first day of school than I have for any other first day. Everything seems backwards here and I've struggled to get into my usual planning rhythm. My students will have English textbooks, but no other books. To teach Math and Science, I will go by teacher manuals only. To teach Religion, I have a single copy of a Catholic CCD workbook. The act of printing something from my computer requires a half mile walk to the internet café and about 30 lempiras. Photocopying is an equally challenging task.

In the morning, I will ride the bus to school with my students and walk into the classroom at the same time that they do. In the afternoon, all teachers and students will board the same bus and leave the school together. Therefore, there is no time in the classroom without students to prepare the board or lesson materials. My time in the classroom has been limited, since a ride to the school requires a bus or a taxi or a lift in someone's truck. In the early hours, my roommates and I, dressed in matching uniforms, will lug all of our materials down the dirt street, past honking cars and roosters and pigs to sit at the corner and wait for the yellow Santa Clara bus. This is certainly not the teaching life to which I'm accustomed.

I've met several of my students and can see that they are enthusiastic fourth graders who know very little English. Still, I will begin teaching tomorrow, in the good old American way, speaking English, and hope that the magic happens. My-oh-my, Honduras is teaching me PATIENCE.