...I Went Back To School

School started up again last Thursday.  Now is a pretty important time for us, as we are  now finding out what our working life is going to be like for the rest of our time in Chile.  The summer holidays are over and it's time to knuckle down!

Having said that, I think I'm doing less draining work now than we were before.  But this is Chile, and nothing is really in full swing until a couple of weeks after it has started.  I think I've still to find out exactly what I'll be doing in the school on a day-to-day basis.

The plan was always for Anna and Mhairi to work with me and Katie in the home until school started, at which point they were going to move to another project, teaching English in a mainstream school.  But of course things are never that simple!  So at the moment they are working a few mornings a week at a school 30 mins cycle from our house as English teaching assistants and they are spending the other days with me and Katie in the special school and home here.  I doubt that this will be the long term arrangement, but we don't want to lose them!

In the school we have each been assigned a class.  I'm with the babies ^.^  My class range in age from 9 months to 4 years old.  The school has about 200 pupils, half coming from the home, and half from outside.  It is set up so that each class has 6-10 pupils to one teacher and at least one teaching assistant.

My class has two teaching assistants, a teacher and me.  So on quiet days the adults outnumber the kids!  Also, because school has only just started and some of my class are so young, their Mums stay with them.  So I find that sometimes I don't have much to do, but I think this will change as more kids start coming regularly and their Mums stop accompanying them.

Only one of my class is from the home- the little 2 year old that I met on our first day there.  She is most definitely going through the terrible twos, but I don't think it will be possible for her not to become one of my favourites :)

So we work in the school from about 9 until 1:30.  We then go up to the home for lunch and stay there working with the adults until 4 or 5pm.  Our activities with the adults have been disrupted a bit by the start of school, as some of them work there during the day.  But as our routine becomes more established and we get more organised, I'm hoping that we can add to our list of activities and get a proper schedule going.

Unfortunately, Gastroenteritis is doing the rounds at the home at the moment (we´re all fine so far) and the gym has been taken over to hold the overspill from the infirmary.  So half our niños are ill and the other half have nowhere to do activities.  Really hoping that this situation doesn´t last long, it´s horrible!

I probably sound really negative about the school, but I don't mean to.  I am really happy there and am finding it really interesting, I'm just waiting for the staff there to realise that they can trust me with tasks and the kids!  Special needs teaching is still on my very long list of possible careers, so working in the school is definitely a very valuable experience.

As for life outside work, we are getting out and about more and feel like we are finally settling into our community a little bit.  I'm not naive enough to think that we'll ever be anything more than the 4 English girls that work in the home to most people, but it is nice when a familiar face stops in the market to say hello and ask how we're getting on.  Makes us feel at home :)

My Spanish has been pushed to it's limits working in the school, which is a good thing!  I've learnt more Chileno in the past few days than I would have in 2 weeks previously.  Ya po!

I'm afraid that you will be deprived of photos until I can get a new card reader, as mine decided to break.  Sorry!

Lots of Love from Chile!

Elz xx