Back to my roots!
Today was planned as a morning of painting activities, so I went to school by taxi with my two bags of materials. I thought I had plenty for 5 days of painting with 10 children. But that's just me and my sense of organisation and control. By the end of the morning a total of 25 children had arrived between 8.30 and 10.30. So my careful lesson plan went a bit awry! However all were accommodated.
I arrived to find one of the children cleaning the classroom, it was her turn. Then I and the head teacher and children assembled various tables to enable the children to paint and draw and access the materials. They were quite a varied group but all were keen. We had one or two 'lost in translation 'moments but generally all went well.
Although with the increased group size I am afraid of running out of materials, in particular there will not be enough postcards to give out any more and I can do nothing about that. But the pulperia had a quantity of pencils, serviettes to dry brushes and plastic cups for water pots for a total of around 6$.
We started with learning a few English names for the colours and the equipment we were using. This was followed by some colour mixing, then painting a picture. There were lots of volcanoes, Ometepe being an island consisting of two volcanoes. There were some interesting pictures, most children just needing some help with techniques of how to use their paintbrush and apply the paint. I did lots of individual intervention to praise, demonstrate and support. Some children needed more help, others were self critical, the usual array of personalities were there. When offering ideas, I talked about what I could paint, showing some pictures of things important to me. One little girl painted my house in a landscape with the volcanoes!
At the end of the morning, they helped to tidy up and off they went! As José said, it was a good job we hadn't offered biscuits or tomorrow there would have been twice as many turn up!
José brought in lunch; he kindly agreed to provide through Dreamland Tours and I am just paying for the fish or chicken he has to buy. It was a great lunch and it's a good way of dealing with the food whilst I am teaching. Amada brought fruit and coconut water. I am being well looked after.
After lunch we visited the Institute of Urbaite and met Jeferlin, whom I recognised immediately from her pictures on Facebook. We chatted together and arranged for me to teach three classes of painting in the afternoons of my last week when schools are in session. More materials may be needed. Then we were invited to a welcome event on 29th, so the timetable is quickly filling up. I think I have time off this weekend which will be welcome, although Jose and I plan to enjoy the island. And I have received an invite for Thursday afternoon and an invite to an 18th birthday party in Merida when I have my 'break' at the Omaja.
The afternoon finished with a visit to Jordy and his family where I received another warm welcome and coffee and was received by all the family, who joined the English lesson I gave Jordy. Back to Santa Domingo, the taxi driver also calls me prof now, and I visited the ATM, sat on the veranda and got up to date. I commented to José how much I prefer all this to being a visiting tourist, who flits across the surface and swears at the local animals for walking across the road.
I arrived to find one of the children cleaning the classroom, it was her turn. Then I and the head teacher and children assembled various tables to enable the children to paint and draw and access the materials. They were quite a varied group but all were keen. We had one or two 'lost in translation 'moments but generally all went well.
Although with the increased group size I am afraid of running out of materials, in particular there will not be enough postcards to give out any more and I can do nothing about that. But the pulperia had a quantity of pencils, serviettes to dry brushes and plastic cups for water pots for a total of around 6$.
We started with learning a few English names for the colours and the equipment we were using. This was followed by some colour mixing, then painting a picture. There were lots of volcanoes, Ometepe being an island consisting of two volcanoes. There were some interesting pictures, most children just needing some help with techniques of how to use their paintbrush and apply the paint. I did lots of individual intervention to praise, demonstrate and support. Some children needed more help, others were self critical, the usual array of personalities were there. When offering ideas, I talked about what I could paint, showing some pictures of things important to me. One little girl painted my house in a landscape with the volcanoes!
At the end of the morning, they helped to tidy up and off they went! As José said, it was a good job we hadn't offered biscuits or tomorrow there would have been twice as many turn up!
José brought in lunch; he kindly agreed to provide through Dreamland Tours and I am just paying for the fish or chicken he has to buy. It was a great lunch and it's a good way of dealing with the food whilst I am teaching. Amada brought fruit and coconut water. I am being well looked after.
After lunch we visited the Institute of Urbaite and met Jeferlin, whom I recognised immediately from her pictures on Facebook. We chatted together and arranged for me to teach three classes of painting in the afternoons of my last week when schools are in session. More materials may be needed. Then we were invited to a welcome event on 29th, so the timetable is quickly filling up. I think I have time off this weekend which will be welcome, although Jose and I plan to enjoy the island. And I have received an invite for Thursday afternoon and an invite to an 18th birthday party in Merida when I have my 'break' at the Omaja.
The afternoon finished with a visit to Jordy and his family where I received another warm welcome and coffee and was received by all the family, who joined the English lesson I gave Jordy. Back to Santa Domingo, the taxi driver also calls me prof now, and I visited the ATM, sat on the veranda and got up to date. I commented to José how much I prefer all this to being a visiting tourist, who flits across the surface and swears at the local animals for walking across the road.
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