46 Fahrenheit

That seems like an appropriate temperature at which to turn on one's calefactor (heater), right? Wrong. This house is a tundra. The heat has been on maybe once since we've been here, because it was 5 degrees Celsius, and then everyone was like, "Oh wow! It's cold."
Newsflash - it's been cold. I am wearing my heavy wool coat inside. I take two hour naps every afternoon just so I can be under the covers.
Here is the tundra, it looks like a college dorm room:

 Note the golf decor.

We live with the laundry and the Wii.

 Also because teaching is exhausting. I had the 9th and 10th graders yesterday and today. They are the worst. I do not recall being like that. There are maybe five kids in each group that do their work without hesitation, do it well, and encourage me with sympathetic smiles. The classes are 26 and 27 students. Do you know how many kids that is?? Especially when half of them are twice your size?? Especially the boys. They are preoccupied with hormones and cannot sit still for more than ten minutes, if they can, don't expect them to exert any more effort than that.

It's frustrating because individually, each kid has great ideas. Only one has been brave enough to choose to describe himself as Basque and Spanish; the rest of the kinds are leaning on Spanish, except for two that are definitely Basque. Pauline warned me this would be difficult, because there is so much political weight between identifying as one or the other. But very few of them are actually working on their projects, it's amazing how they can manage to do nothing for a full 55 minute class.

All of the teachers had warned me about 10th grade, but 9th is the one I got off on the wrong foot with. They were impossible the first day, explaining something to the whole class is useless because only five people are listening. I ended up yelling and I don't like to yell, so I apologized to each table later and explained the project again. They were more receptive after that, but I have never experienced a student actively tuning me out before. Nor have I ever been faced with a bold faced lie. In the States, high school students are more apt to sleep on desks or be listless. These kids are smart and energetic and actively pursue not working. Apparently they're always like this though and it's not me.

Today Dana and I worked together on a "papyrus" making project with her 6th grade class, as they are studying Egypt. They were angels, we had a great time and the project went really well. I'm hoping it goes as well with my 8th grade on Monday!!

And for my second Friday night in Spain, I will be sitting in my "apartment" planning our weekends for the rest of our stay.

For your viewing pleasure, the view from the teacher's lounge at school: