First Impressions ' Part I

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  San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Thursday, September 11, 2008

Hello again!  I am attempting 2 posts in one week, as I have a bit more time now than I think I will later, and I thought that it would be fitting to write about my first impressions of the schools where I am working and of my new family.  I will split this post into 2 parts - the first about the schools, and the second about my family.
 
I visited all of the schools on Monday, and began teaching on Tuesday.  The students here only attend school either in the morning or in the afternoon.  The classes that I work with are all in the mornings, so I alternate between 3 schools every second day.  Each school is in a different batey (sugar cane settlement), and they all are painted the same because they are government-owned buildings.  All of the students are required to wear a uniform that is the same throughout the country, but not all families can afford them, which is a problem.  The schools are quite clean and tidy, but the classrooms are very sparsely equipped...for example, out of all of the classrooms in the 3 schools where I work, only 1 had a map, which was of the Dominican Republic.  Neither the students nor the teachers have much in terms of supplies...some chalk boards are ok, but others cannot be written on.  The desks are very old and some are falling apart (see pictures!), but the great thing is that the students are WONDERFUL! 
 
When you enter the room, all of the students stand up until you tell them to sit, and they say hello to you.  When they are told to sit, they say "thank you."  This was a very big shock to me, as I think it's a good day when no one has tried to fall asleep in front of me!  There are many grades and ages in one class, which makes it difficult at times, because they are working at different levels.  Some students are in their late teens, but can be in the same grade as students who are 10 or 11.  One thing that they all have in common is a general difficulty with writing...they are very slow, and look at the board many times to write one word, and even then they often make spelling mistakes.  Some of them also have a hard time listening in French, and can be easily distracted.  That being said, however, the thing that is most apparent in ALL of the students is that they are extremely polite, respectful, and friendly - albeit shy!  Even my class of 42 seems like it is a class of 15.  They are calm and very complacent, and I feel very welcomed and at ease with the students.  They are also very eager and excited about French (which, again, is a drastic change and pleasant surprise!), and they all want to yell out answers - even the older students who are 17 or 18. 
 
What marvels me the most, I think, is how happy and pleasant and polite these students are, despite their EXTREMELY meagre and difficult lives at home.  Most of the children live in extreme poverty in the bateyes (see pictures), and many have parents who either abandoned them or died, and are left to be raised by any other family member that may exist in the batey.  None of the homes have running water in the bateyes - there is one water source, where they all must go to bathe and fill buckets to bring water back to their "houses" for cooking, cleaning, etc.  There is some electricity in the schools, but most of the homes have no electricity at all.  Some homes are so small that the entire family sleeps in one bed, which is directly next to the kitchen.  There are no bathrooms in the homes, but there are 5 or 6 outhouses. 
 
When I see how these people live everyday (many of them never leave the batey except to work in the cane fields, for those who do work), I can't believe how happy and positive these students are, and I wish more than anything that all students at home could see how these children live, so that they would realize how lucky they all are in comparison, and be thankful for all that they have.  Even the poorest that we can think of at home are rich compared to these people.  I have much admiration and respect for these students, as they are faced with more adversity than one ca imagine, and yet they come to school everyday, hopeful and happy.  I hope that this wonderful outlook on life will take them far and help them to establish themselves, rise out of this poverty, and help their families. 
 
Overall, I have had a great first experience in these schools, and I am really looking forward to getting to know the teachers and students, and hopefully creating a project through the Rotary Club so that they can receive money and supplies to help them in the future. 

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some of my students

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