It seems like ages since I started my blog. That was more than a month ago. Ooops! That means it’s October already. Time flies and I feel like I’m always rushing to do things and catch up with every teacher in the school. I think I would have needed two additional months devoted to training before actually entering the class.

Those training days come to my mind as exciting days in which my head will not stop dreaming about the wonderful things I would be putting into practice with my students. The days we spent in Beaver Creek were the best of them all. I wish some Spanish leader in education matters could have been there, just sitting and experiencing how exciting it is to create such an atmosphere of commitment. In words of the Commissioner of Education here in Colorado, “What a big deal being a teacher here is!” The whole event was overwhelming. The focus was on motivating and engaging students with the aim of saving the achievement gap and I’m sure the audience of teachers sitting there are now hoping to do so in their classes. All the sessions I had the chance to go to were extremely helpful.

Still there are bits and pieces I need to get further training on. I miss some information about the content to be taught and on how the whole system works. Sometimes people take for granted you already know things and the truth is I have not a clue of what they are talking about. There are acronyms for instance which letters I have to guess what they stand for. I am getting used to those and to a thousand of other things that are new to me. That Lucy Calkins and her method on how to make students become writers is driving me crazy! That’s one of the many things I wish I had had the opportunity of browsing through before the beginning of the school year. It would have clarified a lot of what is being done in the class. The actual lay out of the class would have made sense to me from the very beginning. I do not want to sound like I am complaining, it is worth the effort, I am learning a lot! Besides, I get my mind into something because I am starting to feel homeskick!

Last Friday we celebrated Spirit Day in the school. Everybody had to dress up like a cowboy and scream as many yee haws as possible. I did my best to look as a real one, wore my jeans and what I thought looked like a western shirt, the only pair of boots I brought from Spain and a bandana. I really felt fit for the party, but I guess I should have needed an extra touch because the moment I stepped in someone asked if the Spanish girl had no western clothes for the day.

My expectations are now a little more down to earth, there is a complete new system ahead and I know I cannot master everything in just two months. However, I can feel my students growing with me and that makes the effort worthwhile.

Bee is still struggling for survival and will be doing so if that helps her and her students grow.

I will be putting up pictures of my class as soon as I take them, I never remember to bring my camera with me and the ones I've done with the computer are weird.