Pre-Service Training (PST) Week 1: 1/16/12-1/21/12

Pre-Service Training (PST) Week 1: 1/16/12-1/21/12

PST is the 9 weeks prior to our swearing in (in the middle of March).  We spend this time working on our Spanish skills as well as our teaching/technical skills.  We have also gotten more specific information about what our assignment is.  They keep saying our first goal is for the teachers; our second goal is for the students; and our third goal is for the community.  What this means is that we will primarily be doing co-teaching, as this is a more sustainable practice than just having volunteers take over a classroom. I am actually quite relieved about this because I am not trained as a teacher or in English language instruction, but that’s what these classes are for, right?

So my typical day starts with me getting up for school (around 7), showering, breakfasting, and going to class around 8:30 to talk with the professor.  There are only 5 people in my class.  I already feel like between my Spanish class and my host family my Spanish is so much better than it was!  After Spanish class, I go home for lunch at noon and then to the school for Tech classes from 1-5.  This is where we are learning teaching (English) techniques and cultural information about the Panamanian school system.  I am really excited to get to work.  We have been learning a lot about co-teaching because we will be doing a lot more work with teachers than with students (which I actually feel more qualified to do anyway).  In the evening I go home for dinner and mostly just hang out and do some homework.  Sometimes Yuri and I go over to the neighbors´ and play Uno with the kids/volunteer over there, which is always fun.  The other day, there were 10 of us playing!  That´s really all I have time for now, but hopefully I will be getting internet more regularly (cross your fingers).  I miss you all and would love to hear from you (via comments or e-mail...I will get it eventually...lol).

P.S. I am hoping to have pictures to post the next time I have internet.  It was just a little too much work to try and get it together this time...lol.