Gym Class

Though I'm coming to the end of my trip, there are still more things to be done, and Sister Jean Gabriel asked me to help pilot a Gym Class program for the elementary school.  I don't have any experience as a gym teacher, but I went to gym class (sometimes not so willingly) all through school and I played sports after school from when I was in kindergarden until college.  I've also coached a basketball team and worked as an umpire for softball, so I figure I actually could be qualified, or at least more qualified than most of the woman who work in the school who have never played a sport and probably never had gym class in school.

Second graders in English class, but they are also in my Gym class.

There is still a stigma here against woman in sports, and in the two weeks I've been teaching gym class, I've seen it in many of the girls.  They don't want to run too much and they cry quickly when they get a scrape or bruise and they often step back and let the boys take control.  I don't think I was too different in gym, but I wasn't like that in sports at all.  I've decided to participate as much as I can with them so that they see me doing the sports and enjoying them.  I'm also going to very careful never to pin boys against girls or separate them out by gender.  They can all play and they can all succeed.

The boys and girls separate themselves in class.

Its hard for me to get boys and girls to hold hands during
some of the games we play

I have a new English class as well.  About a month ago, some kids started showing up the hour before my high school class, and little by little, I started to teach them more formally.  Word spread, and some other kids joined the class.  I now have 7 kids age 8-12 in my 3 o'clock class.  They are having fun and learning the basics.  We only have 2 months left (less because next week is vacation week for Holy Week and we don't have class) but they are going to get a good foundation for when they start having English class more regularly in their schools in the future.  My high school class is going well, though a few of the kids have "senior-itis" and would rather hangout and talk than actually study and learn anything, and my adult class is as enthusiastic as ever.  Many of the adults have come a long way and I am constantly impressed by their abilities to speak and get their points across after just a few months of lessons.

I am looking forward to Holy Week and Easter here.  I will go to MANY services in the next two weeks because I want to participate both with Centro Buen Pastor and with San Esteban.  I also hope to decorate easter eggs, possibly in my classes on Friday.  Its a fun time to be here and I'm excited to see how the traditions are the same and different.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Dios les bendiga,

Tina