Dear Friends,
We can hardly believe our first week of the 3-week workshop has ended. We appear to have 18 participants here in San Miguel -- I believe Dianne has the same or more in San Salvador. Please cross your fingers that they all return on Monday. There are many demands on the teachers' vacation time, and some are timid about jumping into an English class where they must listen and speak.
Our Thanksgiving was small but very nice. We have a great team, the teacher participants are incredible, El Salvador is beautiful, and the weather is wonderful -- we have much to be thankful for.
On Friday morning the team was privileged to visit a small private foreign language school started by a former workshop participant. We received royal treatment -- welcome signs, appetizers and cake, and were central figures in an all-school photo. This school is wonderful -- teachers and children are happy and involved in teaching/learning English.
We end the first week with a simulated Salvadoran market. Teachers participate in "centers" using money: bills and coins, calculators, review reading and saying numbers, numerical quantities, and prices. They buy, sell, and make change -- all in English. This activity is not easy to replicate in classrooms of 60 students, but past participants tell us our real-world activities are highly motivating for their students and, therefore, worth figuring out how to do.
One of our volunteers, Gretjen, is returning to Guatamala so Friday was her last day. Several of the teachers gave impromptu speeches expressing their gratitude for her help and wishing her well. One of our teachers is a published poet who promised to write a poem especially for her.
We'll rest up tonight and then look forward to a busy weekend visiting area cultural sites.
Thank you for all of your good wishes. We appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and support.
Sincerely,
Daphne
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