Debate/Temuco

Alright! Sorry for being out of touch for so long, I have been busy scrambling to get things organized for my remaining few weeks in the program and afterwards. 

But last week were the regional debates! We had to catch a 7am bus to get to Temuco (the regional capital) on time, and settled in to watch the first few debates before it was our turn.  The room we were in was too small to fit all 16 teams, and the students were very nervous to begin with, so it was a bit of a stressful atmosphere. The program gave everyone breakfast and lunch, and gave us a little break to get out and walk around a bit, but it was still a very long day to be in that little room listening to 8 debates about the same topic. We had to argue either for or against the statement that grades encourage students to learn (our team was against).  My students did a great job, and my host teacher and I were very proud of them! Our score ended up tying for 3rd place with the same team that we had debated against, but we officially received 4th place because our students chose to forfeit the re-debate that would have been necessary to decide the tie (as I said, it had been a longgg day).   

There was a little awards ceremony for the top 4 teams, so we went and got little medals and a trophy for the team.  There are official photos of that somewhere but they have not been passed along to us yet (though I have been assured that they will be!). In the meantime, here are some of my photos from the day.

this is their response to me saying, "just act naturallll"

lunch!  believe it or not, 3/7 smiling at the camera is actually a record

On our mid-day break we walked around the area and through one of the markets where there are lots of Mapuche products and things.  

why hello

After the debates were over, we had some time to kill before our bus back to Angol, so we went to the mall in Temuco and got a big pizza in the food court and walked around (and I helped two of the students film part of a group project video they're working on). Finally got home around 9:30, unbelievably tired. But at the debates I got the chance to talk to two women who I had been in contact with about a job, who work at a university in Temuco and were judging the debates that day. So I have at least one job prospect--still in the works, of course, but it's better than what I had before!  So it was a very productive day for everyone

 : )