With my new schedule, I teach the first 40 minute period, then the next two are Spanish classes, and then I teach the 4th period, right before recess.
During this 4th period, on the second day of school, we were practicing procedures and I had three students who didn't show me the procedure properly. Two of them corrected their errors, but the third lay with his head down, refusing to move. I gave him a warning for disrespect.
A few minutes later, one of the girls told me he was crying. I tried to help him subtly leave the room so I could talk to him once the class got rolling, but he wouldn't budge, or speak. With recess just 20 minutes away, I continued on and figured I would talk to him during the break, not in front of the whole class.
So, we kept going. About 5 minutes later, he started vomiting all over his desk. At this point I was able to whisk him outside, but not as quickly as may have been desired. I tried to urge him to go see Gilda, the school-everything, but he sat on the side of the futbol field and continued to throw up. I brought him some water and went back to the class, getting them occupied with anything while I tried to take care of him.
He couldn't talk, let alone walk well. When I took the kids to recess, a bit early, I took him to Gilda. She was convinced he had a cough, because he was choking on it, until he continued it the way that he had been (we even argued about it, “Miss, it's a cough” “No, it's a stomach thing, he's been vomiting. Oh, wait...there you go. You see?”). She called home and we went back to the room to get his things. I sent him on his way, which seemed to be fine, to go deal with some of my kids who were misbehaving in an area they aren't even supposed to be during recess, when he fell to his knees and continued to throw up.
He had nothing in his stomach from the get go, so it was getting ugly. I sat with him until 5 minutes to the end of recess, when I had to go get food myself. Ronnie, the school vigelante, asked if he could call the kid a taxi, but I knew his mom was coming, I wasn't comfortable putting him in a taxi with a driver I don't know, and I couldn't imagine how horrible that bumpy tuk-tuk ride would be for a kid this sick. I asked someone else to look after him until his mother came and ran to get myself some food before I went into my next segment of teaching, which is substantially more than 40 minutes.
As I sat down to eat, I saw my kids back in the not-okay-to-be zone and had to go talk to them again before finally finishing my breakfast. At the end of the day, after I had class, I went by his house to check on him. His mom was out, but the new girl working at the restaurant his family owns said that he had made it the doctor, gotten medicine, and was doing better. He was asleep when I went by and he didn't come to school the for the rest of the week, which I imagine is for the best.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Student Series: Back log
So here are my favorite student stories from my first year of teaching:
During small groups for Reading, a couple of my students were having a side discussion while I was helping one of their classmates. One of my girls approaches me and says, “Miss, Como se dice prostituta in English?” I look at her, dumbfounded for a moment, trying to compose myself so I don't show her that I'm shocked at her question (as well as trying to figure out what sparked the question). Before I get a chance to say anything, she says, “You know, a bad woman who sleeps with many men?” I have to catch myself from letting my jaw drop for 1)the original question, 2) her ability to explain to me what a is prostitute, and 3) her knowledge of the subtleties in the English phrase “sleeps with.” I keep my face straight and say, “It's a prostitute, Ileany.” “Oh, la misma, Miss.” “Yes, Ileany, they are almost the same.”
I have a student who's mother runs my favorite place to get baleadas. Baleadas, if you don't know, are the Honduran staple-food. It is a large, thin tortilla with a spread of beans, crema, and salty cheese. I usually get them with egg and avocado also. The Urban Promise folks in town know her as the “Chicken Lady” because she also serves good chicken, but I stick to the baleadas. Her comedor does not have a name, you just have to know it's there and when to go, which I do. However, every time I do go, Katia, my student, will sit or stand just out of sight and try to listen in on my conversations, whether they be in English or Spanish. I call her out on it regularly and it's just become a game we play, and I know that I can't talk about anything private there.
During recess, while I was watching my kids go through the line, Judy, an ex-pat friend of mine from Pittsburgh came up to talk to me. We were chatting about a variety of things and my student, Issella, was sitting with us, just listening. After some time, Judy turned to her and said, “Why are you listening to our boring conversation? Why don't you go play?” Issella responded with, “Oh, I do that in class.” Fantastic, recess is English time, class is play time. At least she still wants time for English.
As I mentioned earlier, the baleada is THE Honduran food. Any one who knows much about latin culture knows that soccer, or futbol, is THE sport. All my kids ever want to do is play and talk about futbol. At recess, we have a rule where the kids must keep their food in the caseta (cafeteria) because otherwise they litter all over campus. However, I had a student who, when he could get away with it, would take his baleada with him to play futbol. This child could have been the Honduran flag, going for goals with baleada in hand.
Some of the students at my school have a lot of money, some are on scholarship, and some have parents who make great sacrifices to pay for their kids to come to this school. Because of the uniforms, you can't always tell who is who, but sometimes a child will break your heart. One of my girls doesn't have a mother in the house. I'm not sure what the story is, but I know she has a lot of aunts, uncles, and grandparents around who take care of her. For mother's day, I had the kids make picture frames with photos I took of them reading (everyone looks beautiful when they are reading!) and give them to their mothers. I told the kids who didn't have a mother around to give it to an aunt or grandmother. However, at the end of the year when the kids gave me a book for my birthday with a picture and write out by each child, I found that this girl had taken the photo out of its frame, cut around the edges with patterned scissors to make it new, and put it in my book because it was the only picture she had of herself.
My weight fluxuates, but never to a degree I've ever been too worried about it. However, working with children has taught me two things I've always known but never experienced: 1)kids will say anything and 2)they will get up close and personal. My students touch me all the time. They want hugs, they touch me to get my attention, they use me as a stop, they try to direct me, and so on. They are about at belly height, so the hands always fall on my stomach. When I've gained weight, my kids would always notice and, without fail, comment on it. But, I live in a culture where I'm relatively old not to have kids, or at the most, I'm at an age where I should be, so their comments are often along the lines of, “You're belly has grown. You are pregnant, Miss!” However, the first time this happened it took me a moment to translate, because it was in spanglish, with the important word in Spanish, “You are embarazada, Miss!”
I have no shame admitting that I have an addiction to caffeine. In fact, I use it to my advantage as a means of humor, and to help force my kids into good behavior on certain days. Sometimes, the power goes out and when this happens, there is no coffee. On these days, I will walk into class and say, “There is no power, what does this mean for Miss Sarah?....that's right, no coffee. No coffee means?...that's right, no patience. So, if we want to have a good day, you're going to have to work really hard at being good, right? And if Miss Sarah has no patience, it might not be your fault, right? Good.” On one such day, when I was ill, I actually drew up a patience meter on the board and adjusted it according to their behavior. There was no real consequence attached, but it did cause them to help each other behave better. That's one to save for special occasions, though, or it will lose it's potency.
I had a student who goes my three different names, and it just depends on the day. I got to where I have a rotation for what I call her each time I call on her. On the last day of class, after all was done and we were free, several of us teachers went out for drinks. The next day we still had to be up to give recuperation exams (as required by Honduran law) to any student who had failed the quarter/year. We weren't going to make a long night of it, but I was still in my going-out clothes, and my tolerance was down from living in Latin America. After two drinks I had a steady buzz and it was about this time that my roommate Abby came up to inform me that my student, with three names, was desperately looking for me. Turns out, she had lost her study guide for her recup exam and was terrified. The fact is, she's a smart girl and had no business failing. I wanted to give her the chance to study up, catch up, and do better next year. I went down, and sat on a street corner with her and her cousin to recite the study guide so they could go study, buzzed, and in my party clothes.
I lost one student during those recuperation exams, and it simply broke my heart. This child would have been low in the first grade class, but was sweet as can be. He was always willing to help and to try, but English just wasn't sticking. Without English, the other subjects are really rather difficult. The best subject he had was math during multiplication and I tried to build his esteem on that, but it wasn't enough for him to have faith in himself. We tutored 3 days a week, but he always seemed to fall short and I couldn't foresee things going any better in fourth grade. The only hope was if all his subjects were in Spanish, maybe he could catch back up. But, when he came in for his recuperation, he was so excited because he had studied really hard. It was true, he obviously knew and understood more than he had before, but it still only gave him a 50%. He was crushed and I tried not to show that I was too.
My students knew that my brother James was coming to visit, but when the first student met him and asked his name, she just stared at him and nodded her head. James simply didn't make sense as a name. So, before he came to school, we practiced staying his name and almost all of them had it before he came in. But on the day he was to come in, the kids rushed to the room and looked at me like I was a traitor. “Where is he, Miss?” “He's coming during recess.” “But, he's not here.” They were crushed. Until he did come, and then he was the best thing to ever hit Mayatan, of course. He's James Barr.
During small groups for Reading, a couple of my students were having a side discussion while I was helping one of their classmates. One of my girls approaches me and says, “Miss, Como se dice prostituta in English?” I look at her, dumbfounded for a moment, trying to compose myself so I don't show her that I'm shocked at her question (as well as trying to figure out what sparked the question). Before I get a chance to say anything, she says, “You know, a bad woman who sleeps with many men?” I have to catch myself from letting my jaw drop for 1)the original question, 2) her ability to explain to me what a is prostitute, and 3) her knowledge of the subtleties in the English phrase “sleeps with.” I keep my face straight and say, “It's a prostitute, Ileany.” “Oh, la misma, Miss.” “Yes, Ileany, they are almost the same.”
I have a student who's mother runs my favorite place to get baleadas. Baleadas, if you don't know, are the Honduran staple-food. It is a large, thin tortilla with a spread of beans, crema, and salty cheese. I usually get them with egg and avocado also. The Urban Promise folks in town know her as the “Chicken Lady” because she also serves good chicken, but I stick to the baleadas. Her comedor does not have a name, you just have to know it's there and when to go, which I do. However, every time I do go, Katia, my student, will sit or stand just out of sight and try to listen in on my conversations, whether they be in English or Spanish. I call her out on it regularly and it's just become a game we play, and I know that I can't talk about anything private there.
During recess, while I was watching my kids go through the line, Judy, an ex-pat friend of mine from Pittsburgh came up to talk to me. We were chatting about a variety of things and my student, Issella, was sitting with us, just listening. After some time, Judy turned to her and said, “Why are you listening to our boring conversation? Why don't you go play?” Issella responded with, “Oh, I do that in class.” Fantastic, recess is English time, class is play time. At least she still wants time for English.
As I mentioned earlier, the baleada is THE Honduran food. Any one who knows much about latin culture knows that soccer, or futbol, is THE sport. All my kids ever want to do is play and talk about futbol. At recess, we have a rule where the kids must keep their food in the caseta (cafeteria) because otherwise they litter all over campus. However, I had a student who, when he could get away with it, would take his baleada with him to play futbol. This child could have been the Honduran flag, going for goals with baleada in hand.
Some of the students at my school have a lot of money, some are on scholarship, and some have parents who make great sacrifices to pay for their kids to come to this school. Because of the uniforms, you can't always tell who is who, but sometimes a child will break your heart. One of my girls doesn't have a mother in the house. I'm not sure what the story is, but I know she has a lot of aunts, uncles, and grandparents around who take care of her. For mother's day, I had the kids make picture frames with photos I took of them reading (everyone looks beautiful when they are reading!) and give them to their mothers. I told the kids who didn't have a mother around to give it to an aunt or grandmother. However, at the end of the year when the kids gave me a book for my birthday with a picture and write out by each child, I found that this girl had taken the photo out of its frame, cut around the edges with patterned scissors to make it new, and put it in my book because it was the only picture she had of herself.
My weight fluxuates, but never to a degree I've ever been too worried about it. However, working with children has taught me two things I've always known but never experienced: 1)kids will say anything and 2)they will get up close and personal. My students touch me all the time. They want hugs, they touch me to get my attention, they use me as a stop, they try to direct me, and so on. They are about at belly height, so the hands always fall on my stomach. When I've gained weight, my kids would always notice and, without fail, comment on it. But, I live in a culture where I'm relatively old not to have kids, or at the most, I'm at an age where I should be, so their comments are often along the lines of, “You're belly has grown. You are pregnant, Miss!” However, the first time this happened it took me a moment to translate, because it was in spanglish, with the important word in Spanish, “You are embarazada, Miss!”
I have no shame admitting that I have an addiction to caffeine. In fact, I use it to my advantage as a means of humor, and to help force my kids into good behavior on certain days. Sometimes, the power goes out and when this happens, there is no coffee. On these days, I will walk into class and say, “There is no power, what does this mean for Miss Sarah?....that's right, no coffee. No coffee means?...that's right, no patience. So, if we want to have a good day, you're going to have to work really hard at being good, right? And if Miss Sarah has no patience, it might not be your fault, right? Good.” On one such day, when I was ill, I actually drew up a patience meter on the board and adjusted it according to their behavior. There was no real consequence attached, but it did cause them to help each other behave better. That's one to save for special occasions, though, or it will lose it's potency.
I had a student who goes my three different names, and it just depends on the day. I got to where I have a rotation for what I call her each time I call on her. On the last day of class, after all was done and we were free, several of us teachers went out for drinks. The next day we still had to be up to give recuperation exams (as required by Honduran law) to any student who had failed the quarter/year. We weren't going to make a long night of it, but I was still in my going-out clothes, and my tolerance was down from living in Latin America. After two drinks I had a steady buzz and it was about this time that my roommate Abby came up to inform me that my student, with three names, was desperately looking for me. Turns out, she had lost her study guide for her recup exam and was terrified. The fact is, she's a smart girl and had no business failing. I wanted to give her the chance to study up, catch up, and do better next year. I went down, and sat on a street corner with her and her cousin to recite the study guide so they could go study, buzzed, and in my party clothes.
I lost one student during those recuperation exams, and it simply broke my heart. This child would have been low in the first grade class, but was sweet as can be. He was always willing to help and to try, but English just wasn't sticking. Without English, the other subjects are really rather difficult. The best subject he had was math during multiplication and I tried to build his esteem on that, but it wasn't enough for him to have faith in himself. We tutored 3 days a week, but he always seemed to fall short and I couldn't foresee things going any better in fourth grade. The only hope was if all his subjects were in Spanish, maybe he could catch back up. But, when he came in for his recuperation, he was so excited because he had studied really hard. It was true, he obviously knew and understood more than he had before, but it still only gave him a 50%. He was crushed and I tried not to show that I was too.
My students knew that my brother James was coming to visit, but when the first student met him and asked his name, she just stared at him and nodded her head. James simply didn't make sense as a name. So, before he came to school, we practiced staying his name and almost all of them had it before he came in. But on the day he was to come in, the kids rushed to the room and looked at me like I was a traitor. “Where is he, Miss?” “He's coming during recess.” “But, he's not here.” They were crushed. Until he did come, and then he was the best thing to ever hit Mayatan, of course. He's James Barr.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Gearing Up For School And All That Comes With It
I have spent my first two weeks back in Honduras as the go-to girl and tour guide. After last years show of Shy-Sarah, Social-Sarah is making a come back. I have simply had a blast helping the new teachers adjust and learn about Copan. They seem like a really good group, and take teaching very seriously, but they're also willing and ready to explore this new land.
Some of them have a lot of experience traveling and living abroad, while others are like I was...in way over their heads. However, this year I have one thing I did not have last year and it has made all the difference in the world—I'm in my element.
I've been more forward with my Spanish and more willing to make mistakes, I've been getting out of the house, I've been working hard at the school. It's been incredible to come back here and know what's going on.
As I've explained to them, I obviously loved my experience last year, but the whole year is flavored by last year's group, so I really have no way to prepare for what the coming year will be like because all social dynamics are being rewritten as we go.
Last week was orientation, and so we got all situated for school. It's 2 days before school starts, and my class list isn't even secure. I have two new students, lost one from last year, lost one to the other fourth grade section (she and her twin want to be in the same class, but my class was already full so they had the option of being together in the other section of separate), and am waiting to hear on a couple others.
The woman originally hired for the other fourth grade section and I exchanged a myriad of e-mails and information. I was thrilled about her coming. She sounded like a fantastic teaching partner and I was eager to soak up her experience and teaching skills during the next year. However, when her husband lost his job, she had to decide to stay back in the States. Not long ago, they hired her replacement—a very sweet seeming woman named Emily from Pittsburgh. Emily is having to shut down her whole life: give notice at work, close out her apartment, and completely shut down her life on very short notice. She will not be coming to Copan until two weeks after the start of school.
This means that I need to make sub plans...for two weeks, for the first days of school. I was just going to give Cid, the sub, my plans, but there are too many stylistic and situational differences for them to really work. I already know my kids, I WILL be their teacher for the next year, and I have a lot of procedures I want to drill into their heads before the year gets going. He doesn't know these kids, he doesn't know what kind of procedures to teach them for Emily, and he has a very different approach to how the first days go. We've set up her room, and at the open house on Friday, I will get to meet with all of the parents and explain that Emily will be coming late, through no fault of her own.
I'm sure everything will smooth out within a month, but until then I feel like I'm running in place. I don't want to take off with my kids and dive into lessons unless her class can too. Cid and I will have to work out how we should go about the intro to the year, because 2 weeks is a long time to stall and just do review. However, the more he does with her class, the more she'll either have to change when she gets here or be stuck with.
I have tried talking to her about her preferences, but she's so overwhelmed at home right now that she can't even start to think about setting up here yet. I also think she's a first year teacher, though I'm not sure.
I look forward to meeting her and finally being able to hammer out some concrete details on how we want to run the year. In the mean time, I'll just focus on setting up a better classroom environment than I had last year and enjoy getting to know the other new teachers better.
Some of them have a lot of experience traveling and living abroad, while others are like I was...in way over their heads. However, this year I have one thing I did not have last year and it has made all the difference in the world—I'm in my element.
I've been more forward with my Spanish and more willing to make mistakes, I've been getting out of the house, I've been working hard at the school. It's been incredible to come back here and know what's going on.
As I've explained to them, I obviously loved my experience last year, but the whole year is flavored by last year's group, so I really have no way to prepare for what the coming year will be like because all social dynamics are being rewritten as we go.
Last week was orientation, and so we got all situated for school. It's 2 days before school starts, and my class list isn't even secure. I have two new students, lost one from last year, lost one to the other fourth grade section (she and her twin want to be in the same class, but my class was already full so they had the option of being together in the other section of separate), and am waiting to hear on a couple others.
The woman originally hired for the other fourth grade section and I exchanged a myriad of e-mails and information. I was thrilled about her coming. She sounded like a fantastic teaching partner and I was eager to soak up her experience and teaching skills during the next year. However, when her husband lost his job, she had to decide to stay back in the States. Not long ago, they hired her replacement—a very sweet seeming woman named Emily from Pittsburgh. Emily is having to shut down her whole life: give notice at work, close out her apartment, and completely shut down her life on very short notice. She will not be coming to Copan until two weeks after the start of school.
This means that I need to make sub plans...for two weeks, for the first days of school. I was just going to give Cid, the sub, my plans, but there are too many stylistic and situational differences for them to really work. I already know my kids, I WILL be their teacher for the next year, and I have a lot of procedures I want to drill into their heads before the year gets going. He doesn't know these kids, he doesn't know what kind of procedures to teach them for Emily, and he has a very different approach to how the first days go. We've set up her room, and at the open house on Friday, I will get to meet with all of the parents and explain that Emily will be coming late, through no fault of her own.
I'm sure everything will smooth out within a month, but until then I feel like I'm running in place. I don't want to take off with my kids and dive into lessons unless her class can too. Cid and I will have to work out how we should go about the intro to the year, because 2 weeks is a long time to stall and just do review. However, the more he does with her class, the more she'll either have to change when she gets here or be stuck with.
I have tried talking to her about her preferences, but she's so overwhelmed at home right now that she can't even start to think about setting up here yet. I also think she's a first year teacher, though I'm not sure.
I look forward to meeting her and finally being able to hammer out some concrete details on how we want to run the year. In the mean time, I'll just focus on setting up a better classroom environment than I had last year and enjoy getting to know the other new teachers better.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Settling in For Year Two
By the time I had to get ready to leave, I had adjusted enough and gotten into enough of a routine that I was used to being in the States and it was really starting to feel like I HAD to get ready to leave, not that I GOT to get ready to leave. But, it was in the plan, and I'd signed my contract, and I was sure it would be better once I actually got back.
I finally started to get excited as I felt the plane dip down to land. Once I landed, I rushed off to get in line for immigration, but I was coming from the back of my plane, so I was in the back of the line, and we landed almost an hour late, so two other planes had come in before us. It was a long line. I was stuck waiting with an impatient, but nice, woman from Spain. We were behind a group of Korean-American teenagers in a group, and they were very annoying. They also split in the line and the group leader came in front of us so she could go first, which made sense to me, but then, when we were finally getting close, 5 more members of the group cut in front of us. They didn't seem to know a lick of Spanish, so the woman and I were able to complain about them. I got through, got my bag, and got out.
When I got to Copan, and as I drove in saw a student and a different student's parent, and Megan, I finally felt like I was coming home. It was good, because I was beginning to be afraid that I wouldn't feel that way and I will be living here for another year, whether I felt at home or not.
I know that a year ago I swore up and down that I'd only be in Copan for a year, and now I say again that I'll only be here for another year, but this time it's true (honest, let me earn back some credibility!) The reason I'm the only returning teacher is because of the pay. It's also the reason I can only stay one more year. It's plenty to live on, but it's not enough for the plane fare back and forth.
I am now thinking of coming home for at least a year of schooling, probably at TNCC, to take care of some undergrad courses that I need to be certified as a primary teacher. From there we'll see if I got straight into a graduate program, start a grad program online and in the summers, or come back to somewhere in Central or South America for an international school (which would really help me get away with not having to take out loans.)
But...for now, I have moved into my new, awesome house. And, it is, if you couldn't guess, awesome. I was mostly set up by noon on my first full day (yesterday) and I got started on it around 5:30 or 6 when I woke up (and had some coffee).
The house is awesome (pictures are on facebook) and the view is fantastic. Next week my landlord is paying someone to come replace the kitchen shelves, because they are full of termites, and to paint the wall, because the paint was washed away by a leak. I was sad to see that my big beautiful mango tree is not producing right now. It's too wet for it, apparently.
Now that I'm settled in, I'm going to be helping the new teachers figure out the town. Three came in last night and they seem very nice. It'll just be us until Monday night, so I'll have plenty of time to show them around and get to know them.
I plan to start taking classes again on Monday, because, just like a child coming back from summer, my Spanish is not doing very well. This year, I will not break from Spanish classes for the first month or so of work like I did last year, I'll just stick with it and hit it pretty hard. The new teachers, at least these 3, are already more experienced than I am with Spanish. It just gives me more incentive :)
I finally started to get excited as I felt the plane dip down to land. Once I landed, I rushed off to get in line for immigration, but I was coming from the back of my plane, so I was in the back of the line, and we landed almost an hour late, so two other planes had come in before us. It was a long line. I was stuck waiting with an impatient, but nice, woman from Spain. We were behind a group of Korean-American teenagers in a group, and they were very annoying. They also split in the line and the group leader came in front of us so she could go first, which made sense to me, but then, when we were finally getting close, 5 more members of the group cut in front of us. They didn't seem to know a lick of Spanish, so the woman and I were able to complain about them. I got through, got my bag, and got out.
When I got to Copan, and as I drove in saw a student and a different student's parent, and Megan, I finally felt like I was coming home. It was good, because I was beginning to be afraid that I wouldn't feel that way and I will be living here for another year, whether I felt at home or not.
I know that a year ago I swore up and down that I'd only be in Copan for a year, and now I say again that I'll only be here for another year, but this time it's true (honest, let me earn back some credibility!) The reason I'm the only returning teacher is because of the pay. It's also the reason I can only stay one more year. It's plenty to live on, but it's not enough for the plane fare back and forth.
I am now thinking of coming home for at least a year of schooling, probably at TNCC, to take care of some undergrad courses that I need to be certified as a primary teacher. From there we'll see if I got straight into a graduate program, start a grad program online and in the summers, or come back to somewhere in Central or South America for an international school (which would really help me get away with not having to take out loans.)
But...for now, I have moved into my new, awesome house. And, it is, if you couldn't guess, awesome. I was mostly set up by noon on my first full day (yesterday) and I got started on it around 5:30 or 6 when I woke up (and had some coffee).
The house is awesome (pictures are on facebook) and the view is fantastic. Next week my landlord is paying someone to come replace the kitchen shelves, because they are full of termites, and to paint the wall, because the paint was washed away by a leak. I was sad to see that my big beautiful mango tree is not producing right now. It's too wet for it, apparently.
Now that I'm settled in, I'm going to be helping the new teachers figure out the town. Three came in last night and they seem very nice. It'll just be us until Monday night, so I'll have plenty of time to show them around and get to know them.
I plan to start taking classes again on Monday, because, just like a child coming back from summer, my Spanish is not doing very well. This year, I will not break from Spanish classes for the first month or so of work like I did last year, I'll just stick with it and hit it pretty hard. The new teachers, at least these 3, are already more experienced than I am with Spanish. It just gives me more incentive :)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Care Package Ideas
As I gear up for my second year, I have reassessed the kinds of things that would be useful to get in the mail.
I don't want anyone to feel under obligation to send me things, but I had a number of people sending me packages, and so if anyone is so inclined, these are some things to keep in mind:
1) I currently have more stickers than I know what to do with (but I will come up with ways of dolling them out) but should you find some really awesomely cool stickers, feel free to send them my way.
2) Individually sealed candies can be a great way to fill in the nooks and crannies in a package. Try to think of candies that don't melt so easily and that ants will have a harder time getting into.
3)Music is great. Pop-music aimed at kids or on one of those kidz bop CDs are good mood setters and motivators. I now have portable speakers to help liven the classroom.
4) I have taken up a good deal of cooking, so spices and flavors that will keep on a shelf and might be hard for me to find are great. You can ask me what in particular my kitchen is lacking once I've been there a few weeks. (I didn't cook so much last year, so I really don't know what i will be missing.) Also, instant oatmeal.
5) Art and Science project supplies. All summer, especially in any craft store/section my mouth would water at the idea of buying supplies, but it simply wasn't practical to pack. Look for bargains, or easy projects. Little craft-things can go a long way. If you have an art or science project in mind PLEASE share it with me. I was never meant the be an art teacher. I have just under 20 students, so don't over do it on fancy things, keep in simple, but I don't have access to/money for many crafts.
6) Books aimed at third-fourth graders. Pictures are good. Stories are good. Non-fiction is good. You can even go younger if you want. I had a great library last year in my room, but the school seems to be lacking in classroom books for upper-elementary. Any books you send will be left to help future generations of students. All books should be in English (unless they are children's books for me) and ESL specific is also excellent.
7) Books aimed at me are also great. I love reading in my spare time and last year I read all the books in the teacher's room. That means I will not have that resource this year. William Goldman, Orson Scott Card, Paulo Coelho, or anyone else you might think I'd like. I recommend people bargain hunt before sending me books, though because books are heavy and chances are I won't be bringing them back with me.
8) Decorated pencils (I have half boys and half girls.)
9) Magnets, velcro, googly eyes, those new shape bracelets the kids are raving about
10) Last but not least, Holiday or season appropriate decorations. For this one in particular, I would like to remind you that it takes roughly 3 weeks for a package to get to me. I do not have glass windows, but I can tape things to my door. Halloween is not really smiled upon.
I love getting mail, not just packages, so for about 98 cents you can send me a letter! I will write back!
I could really use art ideas and science experiment/demonstration ideas. So, if you recall a favorite project from when you were in school, even if you don't send the supplies, tell me about it! I have a few multi-class ideas like making jewelry for Mother's Day, tye-dye clothes, and making t-shirt pillows. If you want to send supplies for any of those, please talk to me first so that I can 1)make sure I don't get a double-up on it and 2) we can talk about the kind of supplies that are cheaper for me to get here and what I would need from the States.
All in all, I just like to keep in touch, so even if you don't send any form of snail mail, e-mail me and tell me about life. :)
Sarah Barr
Mayatan Bilingual School
Copan Ruinas, Copan, Honduras
Take care y'all!
I don't want anyone to feel under obligation to send me things, but I had a number of people sending me packages, and so if anyone is so inclined, these are some things to keep in mind:
1) I currently have more stickers than I know what to do with (but I will come up with ways of dolling them out) but should you find some really awesomely cool stickers, feel free to send them my way.
2) Individually sealed candies can be a great way to fill in the nooks and crannies in a package. Try to think of candies that don't melt so easily and that ants will have a harder time getting into.
3)Music is great. Pop-music aimed at kids or on one of those kidz bop CDs are good mood setters and motivators. I now have portable speakers to help liven the classroom.
4) I have taken up a good deal of cooking, so spices and flavors that will keep on a shelf and might be hard for me to find are great. You can ask me what in particular my kitchen is lacking once I've been there a few weeks. (I didn't cook so much last year, so I really don't know what i will be missing.) Also, instant oatmeal.
5) Art and Science project supplies. All summer, especially in any craft store/section my mouth would water at the idea of buying supplies, but it simply wasn't practical to pack. Look for bargains, or easy projects. Little craft-things can go a long way. If you have an art or science project in mind PLEASE share it with me. I was never meant the be an art teacher. I have just under 20 students, so don't over do it on fancy things, keep in simple, but I don't have access to/money for many crafts.
6) Books aimed at third-fourth graders. Pictures are good. Stories are good. Non-fiction is good. You can even go younger if you want. I had a great library last year in my room, but the school seems to be lacking in classroom books for upper-elementary. Any books you send will be left to help future generations of students. All books should be in English (unless they are children's books for me) and ESL specific is also excellent.
7) Books aimed at me are also great. I love reading in my spare time and last year I read all the books in the teacher's room. That means I will not have that resource this year. William Goldman, Orson Scott Card, Paulo Coelho, or anyone else you might think I'd like. I recommend people bargain hunt before sending me books, though because books are heavy and chances are I won't be bringing them back with me.
8) Decorated pencils (I have half boys and half girls.)
9) Magnets, velcro, googly eyes, those new shape bracelets the kids are raving about
10) Last but not least, Holiday or season appropriate decorations. For this one in particular, I would like to remind you that it takes roughly 3 weeks for a package to get to me. I do not have glass windows, but I can tape things to my door. Halloween is not really smiled upon.
I love getting mail, not just packages, so for about 98 cents you can send me a letter! I will write back!
I could really use art ideas and science experiment/demonstration ideas. So, if you recall a favorite project from when you were in school, even if you don't send the supplies, tell me about it! I have a few multi-class ideas like making jewelry for Mother's Day, tye-dye clothes, and making t-shirt pillows. If you want to send supplies for any of those, please talk to me first so that I can 1)make sure I don't get a double-up on it and 2) we can talk about the kind of supplies that are cheaper for me to get here and what I would need from the States.
All in all, I just like to keep in touch, so even if you don't send any form of snail mail, e-mail me and tell me about life. :)
Sarah Barr
Mayatan Bilingual School
Copan Ruinas, Copan, Honduras
Take care y'all!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Poverty Ramblings
After spending a year in Honduras, I'm even more aware of the excess that I was already sensitive before I went. The excess in the choice of product and brand in the grocery store, the size of the store. The excess of size to everything from cars, houses, and portions. Fun things like the hobby of reenacting is a sign of the extreme excess. People can pour their extra money into their hobbies. People can have hobbies.
I'm not trying to say I'm different. Luxury is nice and I drive everywhere. I want to use the AC on a hot humid day. I enjoy hot showers and cold drinks. I like having my own room with a big bed and extra pillows. What I'm saying is it is hard for us to know what real poverty is when the microwave breaking is the problem of the week.
In the United States, poverty is defined as something very different than what I've seen. I'm not saying that there aren't people who struggle, but it's a different world. Here, a family can qualify for food stamps when they have money for two cars, television sets, and a number of gaming systems. 1st) they can afford a lot of unnecessary stuff and 2nd) there's such a thing as food stamps for the poor.
Earlier this summer, I went to a large two story house with a basement. They had 9 cats, which appeared to be everywhere. The basement had a “man cave” decked out in Redskins paraphernalia and comfortable chairs around a massive TV. There was an ultimate gym, which hadn't been used since the day it was set up, an x box that was purchased and never hooked up, a Wii that had been used once, a few other game systems I didn't recognize. In another room there was a full sized kiln for which the house lacks the proper wiring to support, a pottery wheel that no one in the house knows how to use, and a work area that has never been touched for wood work and art projects. This couple has lived in the house about 4 years. They are in debt.
I have to keep putting things in perspective, because there's nothing wrong with indulging sometimes. Or enjoying your success by living a comfortable life. It's good that extreme poverty is rare in the States. Things like volunteerism is more common in the States anyway. People are trying to help other people.
There are rich in my community in Copan, too. They indulge, spoil their kids, and lead comfortable lives not so unlike those I'm now struggling with in the States. They are also less likely to go out of their way to help the poor in their community. It's not that it never happens, but it is less likely. I haven't been able to pinpoint this cultural difference. It seems possible to me that they then open themselves up to exploitation. Maybe it's just a mark of pride that they got to their status and they don't feel a need to make the road to wealth any easier for others. I'm really not sure.
What I do know is that little helps will only help little situations and big helps can actually hurt people in the long run. The only way for real change is for a dynamic shift with intention to completely revamp the internal governing structures. Until the basics are available, or more available, then nothing else can get better. Water, food, health care, housing, and education must be improved and available. Without water, food, and housing, children need to be at home or working to help do their part for the family, and without education it is much harder to learn how to improve their circumstances. The education system is already in need of a great deal of help, but it is better than nothing.
I'm not trying to say I'm different. Luxury is nice and I drive everywhere. I want to use the AC on a hot humid day. I enjoy hot showers and cold drinks. I like having my own room with a big bed and extra pillows. What I'm saying is it is hard for us to know what real poverty is when the microwave breaking is the problem of the week.
In the United States, poverty is defined as something very different than what I've seen. I'm not saying that there aren't people who struggle, but it's a different world. Here, a family can qualify for food stamps when they have money for two cars, television sets, and a number of gaming systems. 1st) they can afford a lot of unnecessary stuff and 2nd) there's such a thing as food stamps for the poor.
Earlier this summer, I went to a large two story house with a basement. They had 9 cats, which appeared to be everywhere. The basement had a “man cave” decked out in Redskins paraphernalia and comfortable chairs around a massive TV. There was an ultimate gym, which hadn't been used since the day it was set up, an x box that was purchased and never hooked up, a Wii that had been used once, a few other game systems I didn't recognize. In another room there was a full sized kiln for which the house lacks the proper wiring to support, a pottery wheel that no one in the house knows how to use, and a work area that has never been touched for wood work and art projects. This couple has lived in the house about 4 years. They are in debt.
I have to keep putting things in perspective, because there's nothing wrong with indulging sometimes. Or enjoying your success by living a comfortable life. It's good that extreme poverty is rare in the States. Things like volunteerism is more common in the States anyway. People are trying to help other people.
There are rich in my community in Copan, too. They indulge, spoil their kids, and lead comfortable lives not so unlike those I'm now struggling with in the States. They are also less likely to go out of their way to help the poor in their community. It's not that it never happens, but it is less likely. I haven't been able to pinpoint this cultural difference. It seems possible to me that they then open themselves up to exploitation. Maybe it's just a mark of pride that they got to their status and they don't feel a need to make the road to wealth any easier for others. I'm really not sure.
What I do know is that little helps will only help little situations and big helps can actually hurt people in the long run. The only way for real change is for a dynamic shift with intention to completely revamp the internal governing structures. Until the basics are available, or more available, then nothing else can get better. Water, food, health care, housing, and education must be improved and available. Without water, food, and housing, children need to be at home or working to help do their part for the family, and without education it is much harder to learn how to improve their circumstances. The education system is already in need of a great deal of help, but it is better than nothing.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
What's to Come in the Coming Years
Though I was more convinced than my mother that I was only going to stay for one year, I'm preparing to go back down to Honduras. Right now, my options are endless.
If I get two years of teaching experience, I open the door to international schools. Internationals schools prefer, and some only accept, applicants with a degree in education and are licensed, but there are some that will work with you. Some will pay to get the degree, but that means more than the already implied 2 year commitment because they won't pay for it just for me to leave. Even if I don't have the school pay for a degree, I'll be paid real money with a still shockingly low overhead. Many international schools in Latin America pay between 18-25 thousand dollars a year, airfare, housing, and some provide a car if the living situation requires it. That leaves a lot of free money to put toward online classes.
However, the only online degrees I've found are post-licensure, which won't really work for me. There is a question of quality with a completely online degree, and for education courses it can get to be fairly hands on. Of course, to get licensed, there has to be some kind of student teaching or equivalent, which means being in range of an observer.
It would appear that Virginia has 60 credits of undergrad prerequisites for licensure anyway and I am missing roughly half. I have ordered my unofficial transcript so I can actually figure out what can count or what. These I can start taking online at community colleges to help save money. Some I don't look forward to, but some are classes I had always wanted to take but it wouldn't further my degree goals, so I never got around to it.
Right now I've talked to one graduate program that is flexible and willing to work with me. I could lay both the graduate and undergraduate groundwork while abroad, online, and in the summers, on campus, and then come live in the area for a year to finish up with the student teaching and another hands on class. Because I would already be relatively experienced at that point, they have said that I could even get a teaching job locally and they would work my job into my last year of course work and work it as my student teaching.
The only downside to this program is that it's at my Alma-mater. Not that I have any objections to Longwood, but I am unsure about having both degrees from the same school. The upside is that I would be in a different department.
With the exorbitant number of classes I have to take in a community college, I wonder if I'm better off coming home after next year to take those classes and then work at an international school, starting online classes for the grad program then. This leads to one main complication and fixes one other complication.
The added problem is that I would really need to get a job and loans. In the mean time, I'm sure I'd be itching for my abroad experience to continue and feel a little...trapped. Would substituting be enough of a job? Could I work in a library? I don't know and it really depends on what school I would go to. Not to mention housing. Those are things I haven't even begun to work out because I don't know if that's the route I want to take. On the other hand, coming home for a year and clearing out those classes would a)clear out those classes and b)making getting to the conference much more reasonable.
The conference, which you really have to go to get one of the jobs I want, was in Atlanta last year and flying up from Honduras mid-school year is just difficult. If I did it next year, it would mainly be an issue of money and timing.
I'm also currently inclined to stay in Honduras. There are several reasons for this. Two are personal: I already know a lot of people there which lends to connections and I'm already comfortable there. It will keep me closer to the community I've built and the friendships I've made and I generally know what to expect and how the people work. Mayatan has big connections to the schools in Tegusigalpa and I've heard tell of how to work the tables for the San Pedro schools. While I don't care for either city, I have heard that teachers who go to the San Pedro school tend to stay, which means they like it. There are safe places and I have a lot of friends there. I also think I'm more likely to get a job in San Pedro than anywhere else. One of the professors at Longwood does a lot of work in Honduras, as well and he has a lot of connections in administration. We'll see how that works because if I could get a job through him instead of going to the conference, that could clear up that complication.
On the other side of things, I know that other countries will have other, new experiences. Most other countries pay more, too. I don't want to stay in Honduras just because it is comfortable and I know I have a tendency to do that. There are a lot of reasons to leave, but the connections in Honduras are undeniable. As it stands, it might just depends on where things are with Cid. But even if things are good, it doesn't mean I have to stay and if things are bad it doesn't mean I have to go. It'll just be another thing to weigh.
I plan to talk to a few other programs, including ODU and William and Mary. It looks to me like ODU is more geared toward distance learning, though I'm not sure that means they can be as flexible as I'm looking for and that W&M is more stiff with the program. The thing about what I'm looking for is that I need a program that is already flexible AND someone who is willing to work with me. Longwood is already willing to do that, so no matter what, I can fall back there, or change the plan. William and Mary said in the past that if I wanted to start the program late (when I thought I'd only be at Mayatan for one year and then wanted to come back for grad school immediately) and was accepted, they would let me do that, but something about starting grad school behind didn't sit well with me.
As I said to Dr. Locascio, the Longwood professor I spoke with at length, the decisions I have on my hands are complicated, but it is a good problem to have. I don't think there is a right way to do this, it's just a matter of which goals I want to push ahead first and what things I am comfortable doing at the same time, but it will all get done.
If I get two years of teaching experience, I open the door to international schools. Internationals schools prefer, and some only accept, applicants with a degree in education and are licensed, but there are some that will work with you. Some will pay to get the degree, but that means more than the already implied 2 year commitment because they won't pay for it just for me to leave. Even if I don't have the school pay for a degree, I'll be paid real money with a still shockingly low overhead. Many international schools in Latin America pay between 18-25 thousand dollars a year, airfare, housing, and some provide a car if the living situation requires it. That leaves a lot of free money to put toward online classes.
However, the only online degrees I've found are post-licensure, which won't really work for me. There is a question of quality with a completely online degree, and for education courses it can get to be fairly hands on. Of course, to get licensed, there has to be some kind of student teaching or equivalent, which means being in range of an observer.
It would appear that Virginia has 60 credits of undergrad prerequisites for licensure anyway and I am missing roughly half. I have ordered my unofficial transcript so I can actually figure out what can count or what. These I can start taking online at community colleges to help save money. Some I don't look forward to, but some are classes I had always wanted to take but it wouldn't further my degree goals, so I never got around to it.
Right now I've talked to one graduate program that is flexible and willing to work with me. I could lay both the graduate and undergraduate groundwork while abroad, online, and in the summers, on campus, and then come live in the area for a year to finish up with the student teaching and another hands on class. Because I would already be relatively experienced at that point, they have said that I could even get a teaching job locally and they would work my job into my last year of course work and work it as my student teaching.
The only downside to this program is that it's at my Alma-mater. Not that I have any objections to Longwood, but I am unsure about having both degrees from the same school. The upside is that I would be in a different department.
With the exorbitant number of classes I have to take in a community college, I wonder if I'm better off coming home after next year to take those classes and then work at an international school, starting online classes for the grad program then. This leads to one main complication and fixes one other complication.
The added problem is that I would really need to get a job and loans. In the mean time, I'm sure I'd be itching for my abroad experience to continue and feel a little...trapped. Would substituting be enough of a job? Could I work in a library? I don't know and it really depends on what school I would go to. Not to mention housing. Those are things I haven't even begun to work out because I don't know if that's the route I want to take. On the other hand, coming home for a year and clearing out those classes would a)clear out those classes and b)making getting to the conference much more reasonable.
The conference, which you really have to go to get one of the jobs I want, was in Atlanta last year and flying up from Honduras mid-school year is just difficult. If I did it next year, it would mainly be an issue of money and timing.
I'm also currently inclined to stay in Honduras. There are several reasons for this. Two are personal: I already know a lot of people there which lends to connections and I'm already comfortable there. It will keep me closer to the community I've built and the friendships I've made and I generally know what to expect and how the people work. Mayatan has big connections to the schools in Tegusigalpa and I've heard tell of how to work the tables for the San Pedro schools. While I don't care for either city, I have heard that teachers who go to the San Pedro school tend to stay, which means they like it. There are safe places and I have a lot of friends there. I also think I'm more likely to get a job in San Pedro than anywhere else. One of the professors at Longwood does a lot of work in Honduras, as well and he has a lot of connections in administration. We'll see how that works because if I could get a job through him instead of going to the conference, that could clear up that complication.
On the other side of things, I know that other countries will have other, new experiences. Most other countries pay more, too. I don't want to stay in Honduras just because it is comfortable and I know I have a tendency to do that. There are a lot of reasons to leave, but the connections in Honduras are undeniable. As it stands, it might just depends on where things are with Cid. But even if things are good, it doesn't mean I have to stay and if things are bad it doesn't mean I have to go. It'll just be another thing to weigh.
I plan to talk to a few other programs, including ODU and William and Mary. It looks to me like ODU is more geared toward distance learning, though I'm not sure that means they can be as flexible as I'm looking for and that W&M is more stiff with the program. The thing about what I'm looking for is that I need a program that is already flexible AND someone who is willing to work with me. Longwood is already willing to do that, so no matter what, I can fall back there, or change the plan. William and Mary said in the past that if I wanted to start the program late (when I thought I'd only be at Mayatan for one year and then wanted to come back for grad school immediately) and was accepted, they would let me do that, but something about starting grad school behind didn't sit well with me.
As I said to Dr. Locascio, the Longwood professor I spoke with at length, the decisions I have on my hands are complicated, but it is a good problem to have. I don't think there is a right way to do this, it's just a matter of which goals I want to push ahead first and what things I am comfortable doing at the same time, but it will all get done.
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