They MIGHT Actually be Learning!

Last week was a great one at school.  I felt like the class hit some milestones and were actually absorbing things.  Maybe there is hope?!

One of my big goals with them is to teach them how to work independently.  I'm despirately needing that quiet time so I can meet with individual students or small groups for reading.  Last week I had them work on writing during this time and they loooved writing and drawing about princesses, mario, monsters, butterflies, etc...  When I had them share their writing with a partner, they were pumped!  

Even my student who rarely does her work, wrote during this time.  She's lacking some motivational skills, but we're working on it.  I was so excited to see her working hard on writing.  And what teacher can be mad when this was the product?:

Other updates - In this world which is so different than back home, daily thrills are a far cry from what I'm used to.  In Saturday's case, getting my laundry cleaned and dried at the lavandaria was most exciting.    Why, you ask?  Because when I wash my clothes by hand, they really only feel about 75% clean.  And when I try to dry them on the line, it usually rains.  Drying clothes inside takes at least 2 days and then they smell.  OH, the things I will NOT complain about when I'm back in the states!  Anyway, the clothes are not only washed and dried, but are folded and smell great!  Then they are sealed up in a plastic bag and ready the same day.  Magical:

We also got our lawn (weeds) mowed this weekend.  By mowed, that means two young boys with machetes came over and choppped it by hand.  What tough work!

Oh, and we also have two more members of la casa verde; two chickens.  It's much more cost effective than buying eggs all the time.  I wasn't opposed, so long as I didn't have to do the work!  My roommate jokes about us being off the grid pretty soon.  Knowing her, it may actually happen! 

I will have many more pictures in future posts now, thanks to my parents sending me another camera!  They are the best!  And many thanks to all my friends and family that have already sent me goodies and things for my classroom.  I am forever indebted (and also super lucky)!