Do you like to draw bats?

Fridays are my favorite day of the week. I have a class at 7 am, and then I´m done for the day, so I have lots of time to plan and work on materials, and since I´m already up and running, I can be fairly productive, but today I want to take a minute to write this blog!
The beginning of a term is an interesting time of year for a teacher. You are still getting a sense of where your students are in terms of their language and study skills, "who" they are, what the dynamics of the group are, etc. And as a new teacher, I am still working a lot of things out as I grow into this role. It is a constant process of trying things, modifying them, and considering how they can be improved upon. (As my best instructors always taught me.)
When I woke up (a little late) at 6 am today, I honestly wasn´t quite sure what I would do for my 7 am class. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how to make sure my teaching is truly reflective of my philosophy, despite the inevitable frustrations of a poorly designed syllabus and a course packet that does not provide much in the way of interactive or student-centered activites (making my job all the more difficult).
As a teacher, I aim for my students to be active participants in their own learning and I want them to generate their own language as much as possible. I also want them to be comfortable using English with each other and to learn from their errors. That said, the other day we did a "Find Someone Who..." activity which requires students to mingle and ask each other questions, writing down the names of people who fit certain descriptions (For example, Find someone who speaks Maya.) This exercise is fun, interactive, and requires students to use the language. It´s a classic. That day for their homework, I asked them to each write their own description. Today, I "recycled" a bit. I had them work in groups of 3 to correct their errors and use their descriptions to form questions. Then, as a class, we wrote down all the descriptions and questions, which brought up some important grammatical points that they need to review and allowed them to use and build on their collective knowledge, rather than just being recipients of information given by me. Their input also brought a level of fun to the class that, on my own, I can´t consistently produce. For instance, I would never have come up with the question: Do you like to draw bats?
For all the teachers out there, this is nothing revolutionary. It´s pretty basic. I am not an expert. I don´t consider myself a grammarian, and I still have lots to learn about teaching; however, I am creative. I am determined. And, most importantly, I received good training.
My next goal to incorporate more focused work on sounds and pronunciation in my classes. The students want it and need it, but I am not sure yet how I will present it...
I am looking forward to a three-day weekend. The past couple weeks have been rough, but I am almost fully recovered from my illness and subsequent allergic reaction. I´ve been eating healthily (I found swiss chard at the supermarket!) and sleeping adequately. This weekend I will have a chance to take it easy and to go see my friends in Yokdzonot.
I have heard something called "snow" has been falling in some places in the US, but I have to strain my imagination to remember what that is like. January is a beautiful time to be here in Yucatán...