State of the Student Address

I was writing an email to Jordan yesterday, and it made me realize that I have been so busy posting about my adventures, I have neglected to update anyone about how things are going in my daily routine. And since I've now been here almost six weeks, I figure it's about time. So here you go.

I guess I'll start with the English classes I'm teaching at the preschool, since they're my favorite part. :) By that, I mean I am loving teaching- and I am so glad I have decided to pursue teaching as a career. Over the past few weeks, we have taught body parts, shapes, vegetables and actions, and next week we're moving on to clothes. We're also in the process of planning for the rest of they year, and we're going to have an Easter Egg Hunt- I am so excited! I don't think they do that here, but Marta (our director) said it would be a great cultural activity. I can't wait. I like the planning, it's fun to come up with different games and activities for the kids and to find out which are successful and which are not. I am also learning a lot about classroom behavior management! It's also really fun to see how much of a difference there is between each of the classes. One year really does make an enormous difference when they're that young.

Besides teaching, I have three other classes at the University. My Mesoamerican Art class is really interesting, I love learning all the symbolism in the indigenous art- and that's the class we're going on the trip with- so it's exciting to know that I will be seeing all of the things we are studying. The professor is a true character, the perfect stereotype of an art history professor: very knowledgeable and passionate, but very, very particular. For example- we have to research topics every week and put each topic on 5x8 cards, but we're not allowed to use more than one source per card because it's too easy to plagerize that way, and we are also not allowed to use any electronic sources, because they can't be trusted. So I spend a good deal of time in the library each week, but he's just so quirky I can't help but like him anyway. He does remind me a lot of Dr. Vogt though in his strangeness...

My Colonialization class is interesting, but it has SO much reading! I have deemed it to be easily the most difficult class I have ever taken, just for all the reading. I haven't been able to finish it the last few weeks, there has been so much. And if you know me well enough, you'd know that I normally wouldn't worry too much about not doing the reading, but they keep us accountable here by making us summarize and respond each week. Not exactly my favorite thing to do. It is good though, because I have seen my reading comprehension improve dramatically since I've been here, but sometimes it gets frustrating because I spend so much time doing homework during the week that I still haven't gotten to do much exploring around Guanajuato.

The third class is by far the easiest, it's a seminar of US/Mexico relations, but right now we're studying the colonization... which gets pretty redundant after my other class, I must say. But it doesn't have any weekly homework, and I am so thankful for that because I don't know how I could squeeze any more in!

I don't know who ever told me that classes were something you did on the side when you study abroad, but they obviously didn't take my classes!

I'm still getting along really well with my host family, although my host mom and sister have recently started jobs, so I don't see them as often. I'm usually home all afternoon, and then right when I leave to work out or go to class, they get home. I've been starting to think about my spring break plans, and I think I might take a trip with them instead of my other friends. I hope it works out because that would be so fun!

So all in all, I'm still really enjoying my time here. The time is FLYING by- I can't belive I've already been here six weeks. My upcoming schedule is so full that I feel like I'm about to leave already. I'm trying to take it all in and not take even one free hour for granted, I don't know how I'm going to do all that I want to do. I continue to be glad that I am here rather than in Spain, and anyone who hasn't been here- you've gotta come visit!

Well, tomorrow my host sister Maira is getting married, and her baby Andrea (it was her birthday last week...) is being baptized, so I'm sure I'll have lots of fun news to report after that. Until then- que les vaya bien! :)