exploring, examining, exchanging, expressing
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Recovery
The past two days I worked a split shift that kept me in Heredia from 9am til 9pm. I was covering two evening classes for a teacher that's on vacation. Those were long, long days. The classes were difficult. The students were, of course, tired from working all day. I was tired myself. Even coffee didn't help. Plus, it's hard being a substitute teacher. Remember how you treated subs in school? Yah. And with my house being so far from the school, even taking a taxi instead of a bus from San Jose to San Rafael, I didn't get home till around 10 at night.

I'm glad that's over.

Rough days are quickly forgotten, though. Today was good. This is my last real week of teaching my main class. Next week is just review and then testing. I'm going to miss them. Over the past month and a half, I've gotten to know them fairly well; I've learned about their lives, their families, their likes and dislikes. I've grown to appreciate their unique personalities. But another teacher is taking over for the next level. I have to leave them in someone else's hands.

When this class is over, my schedule is going to get... interesting. The owner of my school has decided that the Saturday class just isn't working out as it is. Not enough students are showing up. So he spoke with the HR person at their company and they agreed to move the class. It'll be taught at the company instead of at our academy. And it will meet for two hours in the evening on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I don't like the idea of teaching offsite, but I like the class, so I agreed to keep teaching it.

I'm also going to start teaching one of our highest level classes, which means even more focus on fluent conversation and less on grammar and vocabulary. This one will meet in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. So I'm back to working a split shift, but only three days a week. In those three days, I will work enough hours to cover my living expenses and have some beer money. And I'll have a nice long weekend, perfect for traveling. Despite the inconvenience of having to travel to the company and having to work mornings and evenings, I think I'm coming out ahead in this deal.

By next month, if everything falls in place, I should also have an apartment in Heredia. That'll cut down on my travel time. And that'll mean I'll be in a safer location, so perhaps I can start experiencing some Costa Rican nightlife instead of rushing home to avoid the crackheads that come out after dark. I'll be able to put that beer money to use!

My future's so bright...

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