September 8, 2006 4:30 PM

So guess what? I’m not the worst teacher in the world. I didn’t know whether I would bounce back from yesterday, but thankfully I closed out my week with a wonderful day with my kids – although I didn’t think that would be the case when I arrived at school this morning. Yesterday I withheld fruit at the end of the day to the biggest trouble makers. And today I was definitely still getting the evil eye and the angry 11-year old girl treatment (something I perfected, as my parents and teachers can attest). For the entire walk to school I smiled and laughed when I was mimicked and made fun of, committed to my new found optimism that I could kill them with kindness. But it was hard. Kids can be mean.

However, the teaching gods smiled on me this morning. When I got all my kids into their classroom I informed them that I had a very special surprise for them. I had them line up and quietly make their way to the kitchen next door. Once inside I whispered to them that what we were about to do had to be a secret and it was only for my very special class of 4^th and 5^th graders. They were all smiles at that point, knowing something good was coming their way.

That’s when I busted out the milk and cocoa I brought for them. So yes, I bribed them. Over warm cocoa we all decided that yesterday was a terrible day, and that we all wanted to do better. I think they finally realized that I’ll be their teacher for the next 11 weeks, and I think I did a good job communicating to them that I wanted that time to be great for everyone. Of course I’m no idiot, and I know the glow can’t last. But for that moment those students loved their teacher, and it felt great!

So after our little break and some hinting on my part that this may be a regular occurrence, we made our way back into the classroom to work on math. I had 12 eager beginner mathematicians this morning – writing extra problems for themselves when they were finished to show me what good students they were. And they worked so hard that I totally lost track of time and forgot to get lunch started. Usually I’m counting the minutes to the little break I get to put the water on, but not today.

The rest of the day went well too, as my manual dexterity activity was making paper airplanes and then flying them outside. How could they not think I was the coolest teacher ever?! So now I enter my weekend feeling like I finally won over my kids, at least for now. I’m off to the farm with my host family in a few minutes and thankfully I don’t feel like I have to escape, rather I have some time away to think up some new creative lessons for when I get back.

So the emotional roller coaster that is my life in Ecuador continues – or is that the emotional roller coaster that is teaching? I’m not too sure anymore.