I was supposed to start teaching today. I found out yesterday that I’m not. Then I was supposed to start teaching tomorrow. I found out this afternoon that I’m not. In fact, I learned, I may not even start teaching till next week.

I think this would be hard for a veteran teacher. It’s sure hard for me. I accept that it’s a result of the culture and the economic times and that nothing can be done to change it. But I sure wish I knew more. Because I think the expectation will be that I teach well, regardless of my experience (or lack thereof) and my inability to prepare.

I worked today on putting finishing touches on the blog I’ve set up for my students. It is my hope that they or I will post their writings and photos and questions and comments up there. I was disappointed to learn yesterday, after having been told for months that the curriculum is very fluid here, that two of the classes require strict adherence to material set forth in a workbook. It’s my first direct contact with the concept of “institution.” I will be expected to work in a linear fashion through material that seems, to me, to be untethered. The workbook for adults is centered around audio-taped conversations. I hated them when I was young, and have been reading Penny Ur’s book, Teaching Listening Comprehension, that advises against their use in most cases. So I asked Magdalena if I could at least read the dialogs instead. That way at least they’d have a body and mouth to look at. She agreed that I could. I asked if I could diverge from the books. She didn’t agree. So I told her I would look for material that enhanced what was there. But this will be hard. So far I’ve been able to look through the students’ copy of the adult workbook, but haven’t seen the teacher’s version, which I need, or the children’s workbook. The conversation class, on the other hand, will be free-form, so I can use my books and some of the ideas I gleaned from classes to put together things that I hope will be engaging and customized to their interests and levels. Easier said than done. Among the most daunting aspects of that class is that it’s four hours. How on earth can I do something for four hours?

This afternoon I told Magdalena I’d follow her to school to see how she teaches a group of newer learners. I haven’t even seen the classrooms yet. I hear they’re tiny. I think that’s okay by me. If I feel I’m in a womb I may feel more secure. Alternately, I may be forever knocking things over.

Just now when I found out that my teaching may not begin till next week, I decided I’ll make good use of the time. Maybe I’ll go to Mexico City. Or I might even try to get to Guanajuato and Aguas Calientas to see El Museo del Muerte. I could leave Wednesday and come back Saturday. That would be quite nice.  Yeah, I don’t want to start teaching till next week. Hell with the internship.

I’m frustrated because one of my goals here is to learn Spanish, but there are no language schools here, or classes, and Magdalena speaks English so I’m too embarrassed to speak Spanish, which I only do when I have no choice. And her housekeeper’s Spanish is completely incomprehensible to me. I’ll have to get Sarah to listen to her and tell me why I can’t understand.