Day 3
Day 3 was the first day at school. We arrived at the school eager to get started and get going, and we were warmly greeted, the students were in a similar fashion. With waves, smiles, pointing and staring from both parties, we were very eager to start. The teachers were receptive and keen to learn, and it was great to see such enthusiasm, one of the teachers even used one of Nate’s introduction games the next day after seeing him use it. After school, we headed over to a wonderful flea market where we wandered around fairy lit trees and pathways and even bartered for a few bargains!
Day 4
After a nights sleep and a gorgeous breakfast, Day 4 had arrived and we headed off for our second day at school; it was incredible to see the improvements in the teachers in such a small period. The students seemed fascinated by us, and we got many more smiles and stares today, and even a few requests for a group photo, which I could not decline. Emily and Gabe then did a fantastic job of delivering the day’s session; the session started with building towers from spaghetti and marshmallows and was followed by a session on lesson planning structure. Half way through the power went out! However, everyone jumped in to help with their phone torch lights to illuminate the situation, and we were back on track in next to no time at all!
Day 5
By our third day of school, we were in our stride and over half way through the trip, and you could already see progress in all of our teachers, with some showing exceptional levels of growth. They were implementing the strategies and techniques from the seminars and seemed to enjoy watching their observation grades improve! Sierra, Amanda and Mel did a great job with their seminar, which involved our artistic skills being put to the test as we had to draw our partners which brought about bundles of laughter as we compared portraits. The rest of the seminar was highly interactive, and our teachers enjoyed chatting with us and getting involved in the activities of the day. The day wound down in Haus Kauz Village, in the higher socioeconomic part of the city, which is a maze of restaurants and bars, where we were treated to some great music and shared a few drinks.
