Paper Mache FSU

In addition to teaching English in the school, I work with two extra-curricular groups: la casa esperanza (House of Hope) and la clase de manualidades (crafts class).

The House of Hope program targets students who are likely to be forced to drop out of school later on in order to help provide income for their family. This program reaches out to these students at a young age to keep them motivated to stay in school, and at a minimum ensure that they have basic mathematical skills and an ability to read. The House of Hope meets every Tuesday and Thursday after school, and lasts for about two hours. Additionally, before starting, the students receive a meal provided by the school. Since the kids have already been in classes for several hours by the time they get to the House of Hope, the goal is to engage them in fun activities which enable them to learn at the same time in a more relaxed and less formal environment. I help run this program along with another teacher and the principal, and it has been a lot of fun.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school I attend a craft class. This is a great opportunity because it is open to the entire community, allowing me time to meet with new people and get a broader perspective of life here in Calobre. Furthermore, the activities and projects we work on are quite enjoyable, giving me something fun to do after school. This past Friday we tearing up newspapers for a project. As I was cutting up one page, the FSU logo caught my eye. As I ready further, I realized that I was in the process of chopping up an ad for an English program put on by the FSU campus in Panama city. The last place I expected to encounter anything FSU was in rural Calobre during a craft class, but there it is. Sadly the mangled ad now takes the form of a paper mache pear, situated next to other assorted faux fruits on a platter at the school. At least it looks pretty.

Other notes: Last night I discovered a scorpion in my room while sorting through my bags. A stark reminder that ”I’m not in Kansas anymore,” as the saying goes. After thoroughly searching the room several times for more killers on the loose, I finally felt safe. I also though it necessary though to block the space between the room’s door and the floor with my books so nothing else could get in. Special thanks go to Plato, Descartes, John Kennedy Toole, and the authors of ”Advanced Spanish Grammar.”