November Updates

Here we are, into November already!

15 weeks of work completed, and 7 weeks until Christmas holidays.

I think it's safe to say that we've now past the initial honeymoon phase, and I'm able to get a much better idea of what my life is truly like in Colombia. Teaching here is still much like teaching in Canada, the material and classes go much the same way. Where I've started to find some frustrations is in the constantly changing schedule of events. Each week is a new surprise of cancelled classes, new events at or away from the school, or some other change that requires a re-evaluation of my plans. I wish I could say that I always handle these changes without getting frustrated, but that is definitely a work in progress.

That's always the way of life, isn't it? There's always something else that needs more work, or more time, to improve. With the limits of time, there's only so much that you're able to work on. I've been having a lot of successes working on mindfulness and meditation. I have now been meditating daily using Headspace for 200 days, adding up to a total of more than 40 hours in that time. In that time I have learned a few more things about myself, and realized that there are still many things about myself left to discover. Along the way I have developed a greater kindness for myself and my faults, and a greater ability to recognize my own thoughts and moods, and the causes behind them. Writing that down makes it seem like meditation has given me these strange, intangible skills. Actually describing how it has helped me is challenging, but I can see those improvements in myself every day.

I've decided to apply for a Master of Education program to start in Fall 2019. The program is an online program to study Educational Leadership and Policy, done part-time and would finish summer 2021. I'm looking forward to the idea of going back to school and being a student again, and having my MEd will help me as I continue my teaching career around the world.

Next post I'll share my experiences in Cartagena. I'm taking off tonight for 3 days of exploration.