In my week of observing my new school, I have not only been watching to see what the teacher does in class, but I've also been watching how the students and different teachers interact. Wow. The school seems to be almost opposite of the way Korean schools are ran, and it is quite different than anything I've ever imagined happening in a school at home. I don't know if it's just this school, or if it is Costa Rican schools (I'm told that it's just in this area), but I get the feeling that school is kind of optional. And if the kids do decide to come to school, class is optional. And if if the kids do decide to come to class, listening to the teacher is optional. So, as you might can imagine, the classroom is almost chaotic. Luckily, it's a private school, so there aren't too many kids. In most classes, there are 4 to 6 students. The small number of students make the chaotic feeling a little easier to control; however, no matter how many or few people you're trying to talk to, it's always frustrating when you have to dance to get their attention every time! It's not that the kids are bad--there are some really cool and sweet kids there; they just have a different idea of what school is I guess. And it doesn't help that "respectar" and "disciplina" aren't commonly used words or thoughts.
The school itself is a pretty neat place: concrete building painted green, no air-conditioning but fans in every room, not too many windows that close, a big open court in the middle that all the kids go play basketball, ping pong and foosball during their breaks. It is exactly how a school in a tropical area should be. Kindergarten through 10th grade attend. Kids from all different backgrounds. It really is a diverse and interesting environment.
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