RCOE International Student Teaching Fall 08

My first full week at Instituto D' Amicis was incredible! I am so glad that I decided to make this trip to Mexico.

The school is very different from any other school that I have been at in the states both in the atmosphere, campus, available resources and student interactions. Because of its comparatively small size to other schools, about 900 students for Pre-K to 12th grade, the faculty are considered more family than teachers.

Over the past five days we have visited three different age groups of students. The majority of our time has been spent in 6th grade which I have to admit I was a little nervous going into. 6th graders? I was even a little nervous about with 5th graders because I didn't speak their native language. My fears were put to rest as soon as I stepped in the English-only classroom. The teacher was incredibly welcoming and did her best to get us involved right away.

Being native English speakers at this school, which weaves English and Spanish seamlessly in the classroom, makes us of high demand. This school boasts of having one of the highest English-proficent student bodies in Puebla. Several of the teachers had the idea that we should tour the school weekly and involve the students in a conversational type atmosphere with the focus being up to the teacher of the classroom.

On our first day in 6th grade we interacted with the students for almost an hour and half answering their questions and asking some of them. Two days later, we were managing a full day's worth of 6th grade English classes while the teacher was out. The picture that is loaded is an example of an extension that I did that day. It is a theatre game which requires the students to peer into my "magic box" and tell me what they see, the more creative the better. The students really enjoyed this and I can't wait to work with these students again.

Aquas,
Seth

Myself and a few students during recess.

Some tourist action at the Teotihuacan