For the last month or so, we've both been teaching English in a number of schools in Xela. I've spent most of my time at Colegio Monteverde, a school for Guatemalan children aged 3-18. Its given me the chance to teach a wide range of classes and it's been a real experience!
Here are my lovely third graders (they're all about 8), who I take for grammar and, wierdly, science in English! They're a really bright bunch, though, and seem to have a developed a pretty good understanding of nutrition, food groups etc. However, they did find it hard to grasp the idea that you don't HAVE to include meat or fish in your diet!
One of the nice things about the school is that the classes are tiny; average size is about 6 children. The fourth grade class has 18 children and all the teachers think it's huge! It gives you a good opportunity to get to know the kids and I'm sure they've learned much faster. Take note British government!
This group are excellent English speakers and are 16 to 18 years old. They're good fun and have made me realise that teenagers can actually be really nice! Sometimes it's hard to get them going at 7am but it's one of my favourite classes to teach. As you can see, the school is high up in the hills on the edge of Xela so the playground has a fantastic view across the city.
So we now have just two more days of teaching left and it will be hard to leave, but I can't wait to get back on the road to see more of Guatemala!
Rachel x
1 comment:
We were impressed with the pleasure you take in teaching 16 to 18 year olds because it can be really tough. However, Pom says that, if you show that you like them, they and are reluctant to lose your respect through bad behaviour. It's also lovely to see those smiling faces!
Lots of love
Diane and Pom
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