Gifts

Today was full of wonderful surprises. Linda and Marvin packed up Linda's tutoring materials a month ago and shipped them off to Libertad. Patty and I were in heaven as we unpacked the box today. It has been fun to choose and design my own curriculum after being forced to use totally inappropriate curriculum at Mission last year. However it is stressful and a lot of work to create it all yourself. The Internet is full of good material for second language learners but having these materials we can use now at our fingertips is going to make all the difference. Patty having two jobs and no experience finding and using curriculum from the Internet was delighted with all these wonderful materials.

I am really loving my job. The kids are well mannered and so smart!! I find teaching the older students at my age is a lot easier. I have adjusted to the bleak school environment, which was hard after Mission, the most beautiful of schools. I am enjoying myself so much that I forget how stark the surroundings are. For the first time in my life I am living more in the moment and am unexpectedly surprised at work on a daily basis. Today I did a lesson with one of my classes around a short story with the theme of death. I had the students write a journal page on their experience with and thoughts about death. Well, this is Mexico where it is normally to express your feelings openly without fear. As students read their papers aloud many of them were in tears telling about siblings, cousins, parents and grandparents who had died. Pretty soon most of us were crying. Then in the next class the theme of the O Henry short story was gifts and love. I had students write about the best present they had ever received. Several of the students wrote that the best gift they have ever been given was the gift of their families. One boy wrote that he knows that someday in his life he will be given a wonderful gift.

Well I am off for pizza and a brew at the Baja Brewery with friends. Thanks so much Linda and Marv!