From learning to teaching

I have made it through another week down here in South America, and like all the weeks before it there were individual aspects that made it unforgetable. Although the week seemed rather basic, going to school, taking my first test, starting to work on projects and the sort, the week had to conclude in the most hectic way possible. As part of our curriculum we are required to do ten hours of service in the community. To earn one extra credit to transfer back we can continue the program for an additional 20 hours. We all chose to continue and so for the next 10 weeks we will go to an elementary school to help teach english. We will also go to the salvation army to spend time with some elders who have been displaced from their homes. Today was our first trip to the school on our own without our professor. However, we soon learned that we were really on our own, because the english teacher at the school had called in sick as well. Very Interesting. That being said we were prepared with our lesson plan so we started the class as we planned. Within five minutes the we had lost the class. fighting with our own spanish was difficult enough and then we had to try to keep the kids from screaming and running around. I can now say that I have much more admiration for all of the third and fourth grade teachers out there. That is not an easy job. We finally made it through without losing anyone or having anyone kill each other so I would consider that a success. Fortunately for us the restaurant next to the school was having a burrito deal so we stopped for burritos (2 for 3 bucks) and celebrated the end of another school week in Chile. This time we were both students and teachers. All I can say is I hope the teacher shows up next week. Es muy entretenido cuando estamos jugando con los chicos pero es un poco mas dificil cuando tenemos que enseñar, que lastima.