Nicaragua: My new preschool classroom

You may remember pictures I took toward the beginning of my time here, of the unfinished rooms in the school. I posted pictures of the same rooms with the grass cleared out, roof and electricity installed. Last month, they finally finished the floors, which meant that I could move in! Tuesday was my first day in the new room. Right now I have just the essentials moved in; sometime soon we´ll move in the other furniture and the backup supplies and materials.

I love the new space. It´s bigger, there´s more light, and best of all, it isn´t isolated. I have already enjoyed a hundred tiny ways that I am more included in the school faculty, in the school schedule and rhythm. There is more collaboration between the other teachers and me, sharing ideas that wouldn´t have been worth the old trek to the old preschool but which can now easily take place. After school it´s nice to plan for the next day knowing that in the adjoining classrooms the other teachers are doing the same. There´s a synergy to my new location that encourages me to feel part of the school community, and it´s really making a difference.

In these photos, three of my younger kids are in a bus headed for Masaya. This is one of their favorite things to play. At the table, Noelia is fitting a square into the square-shaped hole. Lately she is really getting good at this shape-matching toy. On the wall are the alphabet and a calendar. I took these photos on Tuesday and even four days later, things are a little more decorated and spiffy. I´m very happy.