Panama Update #72
October 23, 2008
I have been at this part-time job in the school here for about a month now and the more I am there the more I like it. The schedule is flexible and fits what I was looking for and so far they seem glad to have my help. I am getting to know the students and teachers a bit better also. I mostly have been helping in the 5th and 7th grades classes, tutoring in the classroom or pulling out small groups of students. Today I attended my first staff meeting after school. The principal wanted me to present an idea I had about organizing a cross-grade tutoring program where the older students go into the younger classes and assist the teachers. The meeting went a long time and reminded me of the things I don't miss about working in schools. What I mean by that is all the time it takes to come to decisions in schools that have shared decision making model like they have there. By the time the meeting finished, I had to catch a ride with someone quickly to get back to give the Yoga class. The principal assigned the school secretary (who is also her daughter) to drive me back to town. Otherwise I have been catching a taxi out to school and then taking the school bus home with the students since it is hard to find a taxi in that area.
Nikki found out today that her poster presentation on the Panama project was accepted today for the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in San Francisco. She was pretty happy about that and prefers to give a poster than a talk for this particular topic and conference.
