“School? We have school today?” or “I can’t come to class…I have band” or “Classes have been cancelled - didn't you hear?”

Here in Guatemala…or maybe it’s just at NPH, I really can’t be sure… people will use ANY excuse to cancel classes for the day. I’m sure if you’ve been keeping up to date with my blog you’ve thought to yourself at least once “do they EVER have classes in Guatemala?” The answer, unfortunately, is no, not really, we don’t really ever have class.

This week we were supposed to have classes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday is the beginning of the week of “Dia del Independencia” – that’s right – they celebrate the equivalent of our Fourth of July for their own independence…but for a week straight there are no classes and many people don’t have work. WHAT??

Like I said, today we were SUPPOSED to have regular classes. But of course, all of the kids in band were excused from classes all day to go on a field trip in a local town to practice for their big showcase which is on Thursday (during school…of course.) AND all of the kids in Liderazgo (the leadership group of really awesome older kids) had a workshop…which they have again tomorrow. AND all the kids who are going to bachillerato next year (high school) had practice for their entrance exam, which again…they ALSO have again tomorrow during my class. So instead of my usual class configurations, I was missing MORE THAN half of my kids in all my classes. Except my last class. Where in a class of 10 students I had 2. Of course we accomplished so much! Not. We’ve been missing so many classes that I have had the same lesson plan prepared for each of my classes for the last 3 days. For those of you who are teachers – I’m sure you understand how awesome and frustrating that is at the same time!

Anyhoo, we’re down to 16 more days of class. Where does the time go here???