Day 60 – at Cortegana

Since the rain passed, with those humid conditions, a cold front has come through, meaning a significant drop in temperatures. The transition from summer, just a week ago, has happened so quickly. Clear skies today, with a maximum of 14C and a low last night of just 3.

It was a good chance therefore to put all my wet gear through the washing machine at camp and get it dry. Mid-morning I walked into the town, for a coffee, but it was a quiet day. I’m still the only person at the campsite, which the dog really enjoys, as he just wanders around picking up the various smells of a summer passed.

The way into town from the campsite passes the school, and there were a couple of PE lessons going on. If I’m not careful I find myself watching and assessing the teacher; I’ve done that so many times. These (the one I saw in Cazorla also) are old-fashioned static drill type lessons with the teacher barking a series of exercises for the children to do. I don’t think anything in PE has changed in these rural schools for many years. I look back now at those years working in international schools with a completely different view than I had at the time. I was employed to change things, the local teachers, and the quality of the learning experience for the children, and worked hard to do so, and had some success. But an international teacher’s time at such a school is limited, in my case to 5 years. Soon after the school didn’t employ British teachers any more, so pretty soon things went back to how they were previously. Money wasted? Well perhaps, but we had a good time, and the many ex-pupils I’m still in touch with think now that they certainly benefitted from it.