RCOE International Student Teaching Fall 08

Teaching!

Miss Margarita and Pedro

The kids and I at school

Well, we got to Puebla one week from today. Time goes by even faster here than in the US. I adore the students here at D`Amicis. We have been teaching the 6th graders English, and I believe we will continue to do so. The kids here are fascinated by us, and they love asking questions, and being around us.

So far everything has been amazing. It's hard to know where to start whenever I post a new blog. I suppose I will just talk about teaching and explain about Institudo D'Amicis. The school is quite awesome.The only way to describe what the school is like is to compare it to a mini university campus. A good description for schools in Mexico is paranoid-free zone, as compared to schools in America. The school ground is very open with lots of places for the kids to sit and eat outside on the tables, benches, or the grass. The classes are very homey and open. Also, the artificial lighting is very low, and it`s mostly natural sunlight. The tables are arranged in a group-work manner rather than an individually arranged (my bubble).

My absolute favorite part of the school`s campus is the kindergarten section. They have their own gated section that is absolutely beautiful. The best word to describe the kindergarten section is serene. The section is called Jardin de niños, literally meaning garden of the children. I will take pictures of it for you guys. I wish all the kindergarten schools look like this one.

For most of the schools here in Mexico, students are required to wear a uniform regardless if it is a public school (escuela publica) or (escuela privada). I honestly think that it is a great thing because it's almost as if education is a privilege, something that you shouldn't take for granted. I'ts different because you see kids in uniform everywhere regardless of the area (rico o pobre).

Instituto D'Amicis is pre-school, kindergarten and grades 1 through 12. There are 2 groups per grade (A or B). A normal dia para a student is to have English for the first half and then Spanish for the second, or vice versa depending on his-her group (A or B). Their English class consists of learning and talking just in English. They would learn natural science, grammar, reading and writing. After that, they go to a specials class, then recess-lunch, and then their Spanish teacher comes in to do everything in Spanish.

Seth and I have been teaching the 6th graders' English yesterday, today and tomorrow. The kids love us. The teachers are also very happy for us to be here because the students are paying better attention and practicing their English a lot more.

Today we had a lot of fun playing question games with the 6th grade students. Monday is a holiday here for the Mexican Revolution. Tuesday, 6th and 3rd graders are putting up a mini ceremony to celebrate the holiday. They all have to sing the Beatles Revolution song. So, today we practiced singing the song. It was awesome to be able to talk about something that I aboslutely love. It{s amazing how powerful music is, and especially the Beatles because regardless of the language barrier, we can share the same love for a common thing.

I made a pact with some of the students. I told them that I am learning Spanish while they are learning English, so we have to help each other out, and they are more than happy to agree to the idea. I told them that everyday I would write of what happened in Spanish, and the next day they will help me correct my journal (of course, there are ALOT of corrections).

I love this school because it is such a loving environment. It is also the culture that I really like. Students come up to you and kiss you in the morning and before leaving. It may sound strange, but after about a day, you get used to it and you love it. Kissing on the cheek is just as common as waving hello here. I wish schools in America was more like that because it creats such a different atmosphere for a place that so many children come to learn everyday.

Another great thing about this school is the fact that parents come and get the children right at the front door of the class. Parents would have a chance to meet the teacher and be really involved.

More to come.