Week 2 of PST

Way de man say? For all you non-dialect speakers out there, that's Vincy-talk for "what's up?" The appropriate response is, of course, "level."
I visited my worksite for the third time today, and the kids are already starting to grow on me (two site-visits ago, I would never have believed that!). They're still LOUD and very behind the curriculum, but many of them seem genuinely interested in what is being taught and many of them try really hard to do their work and answer the teacher's questions. I can't wait to work with them on a more individual level, though, because all the enthusiasm in the world can't help a kid with 39 other classmates and no classroom door. Each time I go to Emmanuel, I have a little bit more responsibility. The first day, I just met the teachers and talked lesson plans; the second-time, I just did classroom observation and helped individual students; this last time, I helped teach a little and I watched the class for 5 minutes while the teacher was gone (quite an accomplishment!). I'm glad that we get to ease into this...especially because I think they still expect me to teach after training, no matter how often I assure them I am not qualified.
I also spoke more to the head of the Adult Education Center. He wants me to run a basic literacy course for out-of-school adults (ages 15+), which I am actually pretty excited about. He also wants to work with me to conduct a formal survey of the needs in this community. I think we are going to have a week-long open-house, where community members can walk in and find out exactly what the AEC has to offer. I think this is going to be my project this fall, so let's hope it is a success.
Today, I hand-washed my clothes for the first time! It took me two hours to wash 5 shirts, 1 pair of pjs, 6 bras and 13 pairs of underwear. The end product was a little soapy and I just couldn't get a pesky stain out of one shirt, but as I laid the clothes on the roof to dry, I couldn't help but feel proud of my efforts. This kind of pride that only comes from a laundry room full of soapy water and some raw knuckles. If you've never hand-washed (and I'm not talking about "hand-wash only" stuff, I'm talking "you could throw me in the washing-machine, but opted for the hand-washing experience" stuff), let me recommend it. It's quite character building.