Every Day is Different

If there is one thing I can count on to be consistent here, it is that every day is completely different at school. There is such a lack of structure in the classroom that sometimes my class gets out at 10:30, sometimes 11:30, or like today, right after recess, 9:45. And there is no official end to the day, kids just slowly start leaving the classroom and that's how I know class is over. Today I had no idea why my classroom was empty so I found one of my kids on the playground and asked her where the class went and she told me they all went home. These are extremely short days, particularly for a community of students who really need the extra learning time.

Our organization is fortunate in that, as a result of outside donations, we have a supply of about 30 computers for the children. We work in four different schools and there are two ayudantes (local Nicaraguan students attending college that receive scholarship money in return for helping us) in which their sole job is to bring the computers to and from the four schools through out he week and conduct computer class for the students. The computers are very small and basic but effective. They include both math and reading/comprehension programs on them so this way the children can play games which incorporate the things they are learning in class. For example, with my first graders, one math game consists of a figure (such as a fish or tree) drawn out with points and each point is numbered 1-10. The kids have to click and drag to connect each point to the next, therefore drawing out the figure and correctly putting the numbers in the right order. In my opinion, this is a great break for both the teachers and the students from the type of learning they do the rest of the time. It is naturally much more interactive and allows the kids to try and rely more on themselves for their learning and progression in the games.

One problem here that never ceases to horrify me is the condition of the children's teeth. I mean these kids have barely even gotten in all of their baby teeth and I swear there is not one mouth in my classroom that doesn't have at least one black tooth. Their teeth are covered with plaque and decay. It makes me so sad and frustrated to know that these kids are beginning their lives with such awful mouth hygiene. Twice a week, mostly every week, our organization provides us with a special kind of mouthwash, fluoride based I'm assuming, for the children. We line them up outside the classroom and they have to swish it around for three minutes and then we count them down and they all spit it out at the same time. (Even this is not mandated so if the children refuse to partake in the mouth wash we cannot force them.) Our organization also provides the students with transportation to and from the dentist every so often for random cleanings (or tooth extractions).



We have a three day weekend this weekend so a couple of other volunteers and I are heading to La Isla de Ometepe! This is the place I've most wanted to travel to so I am super excited! Stay tuned!