Sorry things have been busy.

Sorry it's been four days since my last post I'm trying to keep you guys informed of what's happening down here. I figured I made enough back to back postings during Independence Day. But don't worry I'm back and ready to go. Special note to MOM. Thanks for finally figuring out how to comment on my posts. Glad to see you've figured out how to open a Blog account. But I think you all would like to hear what I've been up to since I only had teach 3 days of school because of the holiday.

I was thinking I would get a chance to really recharge the batteries but it was work, work, work and and prep, prep, prep. I created a bunch of exams for the kids in the coming weeks. But when ever you create and exam for the week, that means you also have to correct an exam that week. But that is alright because we have to check were these kids are at. I have gotten frustrated in the last couple days because a select group of kids in each class don't seem to care to do their homework or don't want to come in for help when tutoring is openly announced and invited. It really drives me a little crazy to have to pull a kids teeth just to get him to speak English for 20 minutes or less. Or when they don't do their homework and you make them stay in for recess and they know the word "BYE" better then any else they can speak in English.

So that was the work, work, work, portion of my long week. The prep, prep, prep, part was finishing the schools construction project so we could move 2 of the 3 classes up into the new portion of the building. I will try to give you the quick history of this school so you understand why the kids need to move upstairs into the new rooms. Originally the building was 1 level and was used as a girls dormitory for nursing students at the hospital a half block away. It was then converted into a school but still had the remnants of a dormitory. The sleeping area was turned into class rooms so they still have bars on the windows, and only 1 electrical socket in the entire room. It's got 1 ceiling fan light combination and that is it. That description doesn't even explain the size. We pack about 20 to 23 kids in the classrooms with decks. Once the teachers very small work space is added and a dry eraser board is added the space to actually teach and move about the kids is very compact. But now grades 2 and 3 have moved upstairs poor 1st grade is still on ground level for most of the day.The class looks kinds like this (JOKING) I know this is long just keep reading you gonna make it. I'm sorry about the length. I will try to spread it out over more a longer period next time

Thursday was the big move. We anounced to the kids first thing that they would be moving in the middle of their first class. The excitement was brewing real thick. So after a homework check and quick lesson we release the first row of kids in our classroom. With all the excitement the built the kids all just picked up thier desks and walked up stairs. I was great to have a little space to interact with kids. I have finally met and interacted with the back row. In the rooms down stairs we had about 3 inches between each desk front to back. Side to side wasn't that much better we had about 10 inches. Now that we've move up stairs have have about 16 to 20 inches front to back and 18 to 22 inches side to side. The added bonus that no one really expect was that it's about 15 degrees cooler upstairs then down down. The rooms get a ton more air circulation and even the ceiling tile I put in over the last 35 days have really brought the temperature way down. I feel way better but I'm having trouble not laughing when I see kids coming to school in jacket in sweatshirt. The first part of the day is the best. It's about 75 to 80 degrees and they are all shivering. This is the first time I've actually be comfortable without AC since I've been here. It's great to be upstairs but it didn't come without a lot of work from the free labor(ME). That was the work, work, work, side of the coin.

I put in and finished the entire ceiling tile system on Monday. It took an extra half day because we had a hole in the roof and no one knew where. The rain was coming in and ruining tiles so I had to silicon a giant section of roof tiles because 2 giant mystery water spots. After the ceiling tile system was done it was time to finish the electrical. I am not the electrial expert at home and neither am I here, but I'm learning :) . I helped Andy wire plugs for the computer lab, 14 plugs and then wire light switches into the the class rooms halways. I'm also getting real good at running back and forth from the break. Once you've gotten a little tingle once you learn to turn of the breaker. I'm not expert but I'm learning.

Scott