School!

I went to school last week!!! As our 2 older children attend pre-school in the morning I thought I would pop along with them to see how things were taught here. Pre-school here operates in a similar way to our nursery in the sense that there are 2 intakes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Our children attend in the morning and the session starts at 7.30am and finishes at 10:45! A long morning!


The official age for starting school at the elementary government school is 6 and the school year starts in June. The school day is from 7am-3pm. It is hard to believe that they expect their children to be at school that long at such a young age. I am hoping to visit the elementary school next week as I believe it is very different to the pre-school. Look out for the post!




On arriving at the pre-school it was immediately clear that the children were not going to concentrate on their teacher when there is a strange white woman standing at the back on the classroom - not really like I blend in!!!! All the children were sitting at tables appearing busy! These children are aged 3-6. The classroom was very endearing lots of recognisable areas of learning such as, role play, small world, science area etc... but at the same time completely different to ours. It was really great to see the Sari-Sari (shop) and house role-play area as that is exactly what you see along the road here in the Philippines. I think I might steal that idea and build a sari-sari and house here at Ruel!




I wandered around as the teacher was talking to them in Tagalog and heard her mention 'madame Lynette' a few times and assumed that was me! Then after a while I noticed that she had left!!!!! What was I to do - 30 little faces looking up at me. I tried to talk to them in English and they tried to talk to me in Tagalog but we were getting nowhere and just to prove that children everywhere are the same, when their teacher leaves they started to be very silly! We had several boys running around with waterpistols, girls crying and lots of children trying to talk to me in a strange lanugage I didnt understand! So in true style the water pistols were removed and although I couldnt stop the girls from crying some sort of order was restored. Let's say we had not been very productive in all that time!


I felt really sorry for the teacher who is on her own with 30 children aged 3-6, I understand how it is not an easy job and I only had 19 in my class when I left and had support! And to think she does all this for less than £50 a month. Never have I been so grateful and appreciative of my job. I certainly will be looking with fresh eyes around my classroom when I get home.

Playdough!

Good news now feeling totally better and back to normal. It was so nice to be back working with the children and although I was only unwell for about 4 days it was amazing how much I missed them!

On Sunday I set out to make some playdough ready for using with both the big kids and small kids at Ruel. Accompanied by Maiya and Ayda we made 4 lots of playdough - using lots of different colours. It was such good fun! Believe it or not I had never made playdough before so had the potential to be a complete disaster.

It is amazing how much fun and learning you can get from playdough. Watching the childrens faces light up as I brought out the bright coloured playdough. I have been teaching the bigger kids the letters 's' and 'a' so we used the playdough to make these letters. You should have heard them gasp in wonder when I showed them how to use the playdough mats to make the letters. They had so much fun. With the small toddlers they seemed a little unsure and the sensation of the playdough in their hands felt strange to start. But they too soon got the idea and enjoying flattening, banging, rolling and prodding the playdough!!!! Something so small and cheap to make has brought me and the children so much joy this week!!

A mixed week!

Week 4!!!

Week 4 already and a month has passed since I left the UK! As each day passes I am feeling more and more confident to do more things and getting familiar with my surroundings. Here are some pictures of our street and neighbours.

This week I travelled on my own into town on a tricycle to collect my passport. Doesn't sound like much but for me it was a big thing; being able to do something completely on my own and successfully! I was even confident when the tricycle driver I asked to bring me home wanted more than double the fair! I just told him I would find someone else to take me! And I did!

Week 4 has been mixed. Start of the week went really well the children are making progress in so many ways. I was planning to do so much with them, the first thing being to make some playdough! But by Tuesday evening things did not all seem to be well...and by Wednesday morning it was obvious that I was not myself!!! So enforced rest has been upon me - but I am making the most of it. Enjoying reading my bible lots and watching DVD's and sleeping until I feel better. Oh and drinking lots and lots and lots of water!!! Today (Thursday) I still feel a little weak but I think the worst is over! So hopefully I will make the playdough at the weekend and we will be back to normal next week.

I am praying for wisdom at the moment that I will know when to do the right thing. When you are living side by side with people who are experiencing injustice, poverty, corruption its impossible for your heart to not want to help. Especially when you consider that a days wages over here is a little over £3 and that would have been a very hard day for most people. Being part of The Ruel Foundation has really opened my eyes to so many things and I am learning all the time. They face hard decisions daily and there is always a need somewhere within the small area in which we live never mind the wider community.

Well...no plans as yet for weekend but I am sure it will be busy there is always something happening or somewhere to go, people to meet!!!