July 5

"What smells like beef jerky in here?" -Mandy
"My burp."- Maggie

Today was my first class teaching the little kids. I went into work and just worked on the database for a few hours. Around 1, I ate lunch and got ready to leave for St Michaels at 1:30. I got there quickly and prepped a bit with Aline and Leonie, my supervisors there. The first group of kids came in at 2oclock...

There were supposed to be in eight in each group... only two from this group ended up showing up. It was a little awkward and uncomfortable teaching stuff to just two kids. I had to like pull information out of them. They were quiet girls and didn't wanna talk. I brought some giant paper to make a big list of all the things you could take pictures of. At this point they started talking a big. They named stars, people, trees, buildings, the usual. We made a list. Then, probably because they knew I was American, they started naming things like... The Simpons... and George Washington. I told them it may be hard to get pictures of those things today, but what we could do is color pictures of them and photograph the drawings. So we did for a little while.



Afterwards, we moved on to the planned activity of the day. We played dress up and took turns being the model or the photographer. One of the ladies helping supervise, took my camera and kept it with her today and got a bunch of great shots of my helping the kids. Unfortunately.. the family resource centre as well as my boss at Common Ground we very specific with me that I could not post any pictures of the kids on the blog. You know... kids and legal issues. Just to much to deal with.

The second class... was the complete opposite. It was a packed class and all the kids knew each other. The first thing said, before I could even give me "Hi, I'm Rachel from America" speech... they started questioning me about what football team I followed. Football being soccer... and Irish soccer. Of course I had no clue. They started yelling and fighting over which team I should support. Whew, this was gonna be a more hectic hour I already knew.

So I regained control at some point and explained today's tasks and how to work a camera. We made a list too. Then they took over the list and colored all over it. Which gave them something to do so it was good. It ended up going smoothly from then on. The kids are sweet and hilarious, just also bold and wild. The kids would stay in the room and color until it was there turn. They picked partners, and one set of partners would be in the dressing room, picking outfits for each other, since I told them the photographer gets to make all the decisions on what the model wears and how they pose, etc. While they were getting ready, I had a different pair, with me, outside the building. We took turns playing photographer/model and they actually got into it. They made their models so poses, and faces, and use props laying around (strollers, etc.) It was pretty funny. And most kids stuck to the three pictures I allotted them, which was good.

(When we were coming back inside, on of the girls asked to take my photo. She told me to make this pose and a "happy face" hahah.)


We took a group picture at the end, on the playground, where the kids dressed me up in scarves too. I am dying to post that picture, it's hilarious. But I can't, sorry :( If you wanna see it, lemme know and I'll email it out individually.

After the classes were over, I headed home. Happy for a little alone time on the luas. I called Jenny when I got on the bus to talk about dinner (it was our turn to cook again)... and strangely... we ended up being on the same bus. Weird. It was packed, standing room only packed, so when some people got off we found each other haha. We made a tesco run and went home to prepare our burgers, chips and dip, and ice cream sundae bar for desert.

(Oh yeah.. walking to the Luas stop... this horse was just... there. Alone. No owner in sight.)

(Jenny likes clean hands.)

(Condiment bar.)

(Group.)

(Hanging out.)

(Dinner time.)