New School Year

School has finally gotten started agin (although we are currently on a week-long holiday)! We've been in classes for 2 or 3 weeks now and I've already had several interesting experiences...

1. Our school is in the middle of a building frenzy. We currently have 3 buildings go up so the school is a buzz with pounding, yelling, trucks rolling through, cement mixing...it's a mess! Trying to keep the student's attenion is so hard! I have to constantly pull my eyes away from the construction going on too...very distracting. I took a few pictures the other day of the construction of our new two floor building. I love watching construction work here...notice the supports, lack of safety equipment, and style of tools...

2. My students are horrible about doing homework. It's usually not their fault, however, as they have responsiblites at home and a long commute to school. 2 hours of English a week is not really sufficient for them to learn...well....anything....so I'm trying to convince them that doing homework is good. So we started a little competition between the boys and girls to see who does more homework by April. We'll see if it works...I definitely saw a lot of faces in class light up...especially among the girls. I'm rooting for them!

3. I had an interesting conversation with one of my co teachers the other morning. He said that one of our office workers will be the new District Education Officer starting next year when the current one retires. I really like the man so I'm excited about him...he'll be a great working partner for the new volunteer that will come in October. Due to the corruption that prevades every part of government, including education, the teacher had to pay a $7,000 bribe to get the job. My co teacher explained that this is why the District Ed Officer then has to take bribes from teachers because he/she has to pay him/herself back for the bribe the paid....and the circle continues. I was also told that teachers did not receive their salaries last month because all the money went to support the military effort to protect a temple at the border of Thailand. I thought this was interesting and asked my friend in the next district...her teachers were paid. Makes me wonder what reeeeeally happened to the salaries for the teacehrs at my school....

4. Sometimes in class....I just have to laugh at myself. I'd just washed a black school skirt (I wash them as rarely as possible!) and was wearing it to teach one more morning. I erased the board and tossed the erarser (a small square pillow basically) on the floor in front of me. I stupidly didn't look before I tossed it and it landed in a pile of red chalk dust which this exploded in a little red cloud all around/over me....the skirt is in the wash again and my students got a chuckle. :) I have fianlly accepted my roll as village clown!