Comfortable!!

I just had an awesome morning!! Oh man! I can only praise God for this! Wow!!

This morning I went to Colegio Claretiano. The teacher that I usually observe wanted me to be able to see how someone else teaches, so he brought me to another teacher's classroom. However, this teacher had to go speak with someone, so I went to the library for a short time. He was going to come to get me when he was finished with his meeting. While I was in the library, the director of the school walked by and saw me. He made some motions from the doorway of the library and mouthed some words to me. I thought he was saying that he wanted to talk to me, and that I should wait and he would be right back. He headed off, and then the teacher that I was supposed to observe showed up and took me to his classroom.

He gave me a chair to sit in near the door and introduced me to his class of seventh graders. While he was talking, one of the janitors of the school came to the door and motioned to me to come. She told me that the director was ready to talk to me in his office. At that exact moment (really, all this was happening at once), the teacher announced that I was going to tell the class a little bit about myself. AH!! But the director guy wants to talk to me! He's waiting for me! I have to go! But I'm a visitor in this classroom and this teacher has graciously welcomed me! I can't tell him that I have to go now! Those thoughts ran through my head as I introduced myself to the students, and I quickly decided to stay. I'm not sure if that was the best decision, but it would be easier to explain to the director what happened than to explain to the teacher and students that I needed to leave.

I'm very glad that I stayed! The teacher explained a lot to me about the students and about his classroom. I got to see some fun teaching strategies that I would love to use sometime in the (near!) future. I left his classroom after math, and stopped at the secretary as I headed out. I asked her if I could make an appointment with the director for Thursday when I come back. When I met with him the first day, he told me that he wanted us to give a presentation at their institute day that is coming up next week, and I wanted to talk to him about that. The secretary told me that I could speak with the director right now! So, I headed to his office.

He welcomed me in and I appologized for not going to his office earlier, and he was very understanding and forgiving. He wanted to talk to me and hear about how my experience has been. In a few weeks, I am going to begin to teach some classes, and he wanted to give me some advice (which was wonderful and greatly helpful!). He also talked to me about the presentation that he would like me to give. This is a bit intimidating, but mainly really exciting! We talked for almost half an hour about my experiences in Arequipa and about teaching in the States. About halfway through, I realized that I was understanding everything that he was saying, and I was feeling like I was expressing myself well!! The people at Colegio Claretiano have been so welcoming and kind to me! Thank You, God, for this school! I pray that You would bless the students and faculty and staff. Thank You for putting me here with them! As I begin teaching in a few weeks and speak at their institute day next week, please give me words. I pray that I can be a blessing to this school, as it has been to me.

I finished talking to the director, and he gave me my official Colegio Claretiano white board markers and eraser! Oh man! And by then, it was 9:43. I had to get to the university by 10 because I had a quiz in Algebra, and students are not allowed to be late. I ran a short ways, and then jumped in a taxi that took me to the university. I arrived in my classroom at 9:56. Perfect!

And the quiz? The quiz went great! It took about an hour and a half, and I got to do math the whole time! There aren't many better ways to spend an hour and a half than doing math!! After the quiz, I spent some time talking to Professor Zandstra. Now that we've been in Arequipa about 6 weeks, she wanted to meet with each of us individually to hear how things are going. And I realized as I was speaking with her that words were coming very easily - almost without thinking!

A lot of things happened today that haven't happened to me in the States. Being at Colegio Claretiano and speaking with the director and taking the taxi to class with four minutes to spare and taking a math quiz in Spanish and feeling good about my speaking and understanding... and through it all, I felt comfortable! I've been getting used to feeling uncomfortable, and it sort of took me by surprise that I was feeling so... at home with all of these things that are so new to me within the last few weeks and months!

When I got home, I went with Tita to the supermarket. I really like spending time with her!! I like talking with her and learning from her and getting to know her more! She has been such a blessing to me!!