1st grade et al

Today was another one of those average/amazing days.  It's hard to explain.  I was so tired this morning and realized I had set my alarm earlier for my earlier day, but for the time I was supposed to leave the house instead of the time I was supposed to wake up!  I did my rush to get ready and still arrived at school ten minutes early.  Some things will never change.

Today is my "long" day because I teach 5 groups (that's 4.5 hours, Lori) instead of 4.  It also means that I have to be ready for two different groups before recreo.  I know that seems easy, but it's tricky getting copies when they're not as accessible as one would hope.  Knowing that I only need copies for 1st grade until recreo when I can make more makes for a calmer morning.

I was teaching 1st grade (another average/boring lesson) and I was loving it.  They were listening.  They were responding (in English).  They were smiling.  I remembered some of their names.  I still have a few girls that run together.  I just kept thinking how happy I was to be here.  how fun it was to see these adorable faces in their sweet uniforms.  I really really enjoy first grade now.  One of my groups is still much harder than the other, but that is typical.  I went from there to second grade, which is a big group and energetic.  That can be good or bad depending on the day.  For the most part they're energetic because they like learning English.  Since they're a big group, I have to be louder.  I've gotten a bit sick.  Not sick sick, just sick.  I don't feel bad at all, but the change from hotter than fire outside to cold air conditioning inside is taking a toll.  I think the air conditioner in Mazatlán was a catalyst.  My throat has been dry since Sunday.  Today when I walked downstairs to talk to Mabel after being in my room a few hours without talking, I sounded really hoarse.  Anyway, I was pretty busy during recreo getting my copies.  Then I taught 3rd (who can be a nightmare) and 6th.  I just love 6th grade.  They did some work with a partner (which they are so not used to, so not all of them participate yet), and I circulated for most of the class.

Before I left Tennessee, Megan and I had discussed the option of a tour for fourth graders ending in Culiacán and working with my students.  That's now not going to work out.  But my mind went back to a presentation I saw in DC of a gal who had just returned from her year exchange in Sonoro, Mexico (the state between Arizona and me).  She took her high school students with her to Maine (where she's from) for Spring Break.  I have written a grant to get some webcams for Lockeland and Rafael Buelnas in hopes of some interview air time, but now my mind is racing to find funds to support a trip.  The high school students paid their own way, but I'm thinking most of the families here couldn't pay even the $1300 plane ticket to the States.  I'm brainstorming...  If you have any ideas at all about any of this, share them with me.  I'm not sure it's even possible.  But how amazing would that be?!