This is an extinct type of sea turtle in the water.
This is me in part of the Chiapas jungle. Can you tell my looking sideways that these plants were much taller than me??
New and Exciting Opportunities
On February 2, José Luis and I both started teaching at a universidad here in San Cristobal. It is called ¨Escuela Superior de Educación Fisica¨ (Superior School of Physical Education). José Luis received his bachelor´s degree there and also taught there dos years ago. We went to see about oportunidades for me only, and as it turned out the secretaria academica hired us both right there on the spot. I am teaching English for 9 hours a week, and José Luis is teaching physical education classes for 16 hours a week. Teachers get paid pretty well here, and the pay for one hour of teaching is as much as what some Mexicans make for a whole day´s work. It is few enough hours for me to still be able to relax every once in a while and stay committed to the preaching schools and my other responsibilidades, and enough pay for us to save up some extra money (particularly for the inevitable immigracion fees). I really feel like God has answered our oraciones in providing us this opportunity.
Me, a Professor??
The reality hasn´t quite set in yet that I´m a university teacher! I never thought I would be, (especialmente since all of my experiencia is with niños and I am barely older than my 1. alumnos). I must say that I am not enjoying the 2. trabajo as much as I thought I would. I feel exactly like a teacher out of one of those classic education movies like Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Minds, or Freedom Writers, who come prepared with so many plans and tough 3. expectativas, only to discover on the first day that the students are neither capable nor willing of meeting those expectations. It is a classic situación of students suffering from poor teachers and just slipping through the cracks, year after year after year. In return, they lack confidence, have no motivation, don´t care if they fail, and don´t even want to try. Their teacher, meanwhile, is doing everything posible to help them, to make the class more interesante, to egg them on...only to become equally exasperated in the proceso.
The reality hasn´t quite set in yet that I´m a university teacher! I never thought I would be, (especialmente since all of my experiencia is with niños and I am barely older than my 1. alumnos). I must say that I am not enjoying the 2. trabajo as much as I thought I would. I feel exactly like a teacher out of one of those classic education movies like Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Minds, or Freedom Writers, who come prepared with so many plans and tough 3. expectativas, only to discover on the first day that the students are neither capable nor willing of meeting those expectations. It is a classic situación of students suffering from poor teachers and just slipping through the cracks, year after year after year. In return, they lack confidence, have no motivation, don´t care if they fail, and don´t even want to try. Their teacher, meanwhile, is doing everything posible to help them, to make the class more interesante, to egg them on...only to become equally exasperated in the proceso.
Let me give you some ejemplos of what I mean. I really had no idea ahead of time of what to expect from my alumnos. The school has zero materiales, and the only thing they gave me before the start of clases was a very short, very vague program of study. According to the program of study for English II, the students are supposed to be learning how to analyze different kinds of texts in English, like narratives, instructional textos, and scientific textos. So, naturally, I assumed that they had already mastered 4. los basicos. Wrong! José Luis had warned me that the programs of study are not very accurate, so my plan for the second class was to give them an evaluative examen (to have a better idea of what their actual level was). When I discovered that they did not understand a single word I was saying to them in a simple introduction, however, I quickly changed plans. The evaluative exam would have been way too hard for them! Instead, their ¨exam¨was to write sentences with the new vocabulary words. Well it turns out that most of them don´t even know how to write a simple sentence! Plus, they are all freshman boys who are only there so they can play soccer and basketball all day. Can you imagine??
My other group, English 4, are sophmores studying tourism. There are only four of them (lucky for me!) They are much better students than my freshman boys, but they, too, lack motivation and act like they are there only because they have to be. (Actually, one day they tried to get out of having class and almost got me in trouble, but that´s a long story). They at least do their homework and participate in class, but even so I feel like they are doing the bare 5. minimo. Everything I do to spice up the class some seems to backfire because they don´t put the necessary 6. esfuerzo into their work. One day, for example, I asked them each to write questions with ¨will¨ to ask their classmates. Well the questions were so outrageous that the other students didn´t even want to answer--which defeated the 7. propósito. Not surprisingly, their level of speaking and listening is very incompatible with that of 8. gramatica.
Basically the first three weeks have been a lot of trial and error. First, I had to figure out where to start since the programs were useless. Sometimes I still give assignments to the English II boys that they act like is over their heads. On the one hand, I don´t want to start from the beginning when they supposedly should have had an English class every year since 6th grade. 9. También, I have a feeling they know a lot more than they realize, and it´s only a matter of drawing out what they know and teaching them to use it wisely. On the other hand, it really gets to me to see students fail; I am the kind of teacher who cannot just sit back and let it happen. But José Luis thinks that if the students see that they´re failing, it will cause them to work harder. Maybe he´s right. The first time I gave homework, no one did it and of course I had to give them all a zero. (The homework was to watch the soccer game between the U. S. and Mexico and take notes on what happened--in Spanish--and they didn´t even want to do that! Urrrrhhhh!!!) The second time, eight of them did the 10. tarea. The last time, all but one of them did it! They still made a lot of 11. errores and were scrambling to get it done at the beginning of class, but at least they did it! Also, I had to talk to three boys one day about copying each other´s homework. I told them it didn´t do them any good to do something that is not their own work and that as long as they make an attempt, I would give them 12. credito. Well they all did their own work the next time, and one of them actually received one of the highest 13. calificaciones. Yea!
More than the Requirements
A few people have told me that the most I can do is just complete the requirements and then after that it´s up to the students; but I don´t agree. It may sound gushy, but I want to teach so that I can help impact the students--not just teach them a bunch of boring grammar. So far the only impression I´ve made, it seems, is that my ideas are very different from what they´re used to--and therefore invalid. The students have had so many bad English teachers for so long that it´s hard for me to ¨undo¨ their poor learning skills. One day I gave something to my English 4 students and specifically told them NOT to translate it, to just look for vocabulary words and try to understand the main idea. But after 20 minutos, they had barely scratched the surface because they were looking up every unknown word in their 14. diccionarios--and had not even identified any of the 15. vocabulario like I had asked! Also, my freshman boys seem to have the 16. mentalidad that if they can´t do something entirely correct, it´s better for them not to do it at all--which could be another razón that they often don´t do their homework. I am trying to emphasize to them that 17. obviamente they are not going to have perfect grammar and spelling in everything they turn in (if they don´t even understand grammar in Spanish, then much less in English) and that´s it´s OKAY!
A few people have told me that the most I can do is just complete the requirements and then after that it´s up to the students; but I don´t agree. It may sound gushy, but I want to teach so that I can help impact the students--not just teach them a bunch of boring grammar. So far the only impression I´ve made, it seems, is that my ideas are very different from what they´re used to--and therefore invalid. The students have had so many bad English teachers for so long that it´s hard for me to ¨undo¨ their poor learning skills. One day I gave something to my English 4 students and specifically told them NOT to translate it, to just look for vocabulary words and try to understand the main idea. But after 20 minutos, they had barely scratched the surface because they were looking up every unknown word in their 14. diccionarios--and had not even identified any of the 15. vocabulario like I had asked! Also, my freshman boys seem to have the 16. mentalidad that if they can´t do something entirely correct, it´s better for them not to do it at all--which could be another razón that they often don´t do their homework. I am trying to emphasize to them that 17. obviamente they are not going to have perfect grammar and spelling in everything they turn in (if they don´t even understand grammar in Spanish, then much less in English) and that´s it´s OKAY!
Lately I spend so much time and 18. energía planning my lessons, so much time putting myself in my students´19. zapatos, so much time wracking my 20. cerebro trying to figure out what will work and what won´t--all for their benefit. (As I mentioned, I am used to teaching kids, which is a lot different--and a lot more 21. divertido!) Sometimes my hard work pays off--like when I experience those small ¨victories¨ like those I already mentioned. Sometimes it doesn´t pay off--and I am the one who ends up feeling stressed out and angry and discouraged afterwards, not them. But José Luis says to be 22. paciente, and that it might be a long time before the students appreciate anything, but that one day they will. I hope he´s right. I have written a poem to sum up my new teacher feelings:
Teacher to Student
All of them are different,
Yet they all look the same
As I´m teaching them—
Faces blank, withdrawn, motionless,
Thinking about what they´re
Going to do this afternoon
And counting down the minutes
Until they´re free of my charge,
Free of the school,
Away from all the stress
And work and boredom.
I, meanwhile, am pleading
Silently for them to
Hang on,
To stay with me,
To pay attention just a little
Bit longer.
My actions say it all—
Asking them to stand up
And practically dance
In a circle,
Laughing with them
When one of the boys
Suddenly falls out of his chair,
Giving them more time
To finish so they can
Do a good job.
And yet,
Try as I may to
Make it
Different,
Interesting,
Exciting,
Every class is still the same;
And every class I still see
The same, lifeless stares.
They are like zombies,
Walking around
Playing their part
In the world
But not actually in it—
Not yet anyway.
And when they finally
Have to integrate,
To face the music,
To do their own work,
I can only hope that—
One of these days—
They will think back
On our short time together
And thank me.
All of them are different,
Yet they all look the same
As I´m teaching them—
Faces blank, withdrawn, motionless,
Thinking about what they´re
Going to do this afternoon
And counting down the minutes
Until they´re free of my charge,
Free of the school,
Away from all the stress
And work and boredom.
I, meanwhile, am pleading
Silently for them to
Hang on,
To stay with me,
To pay attention just a little
Bit longer.
My actions say it all—
Asking them to stand up
And practically dance
In a circle,
Laughing with them
When one of the boys
Suddenly falls out of his chair,
Giving them more time
To finish so they can
Do a good job.
And yet,
Try as I may to
Make it
Different,
Interesting,
Exciting,
Every class is still the same;
And every class I still see
The same, lifeless stares.
They are like zombies,
Walking around
Playing their part
In the world
But not actually in it—
Not yet anyway.
And when they finally
Have to integrate,
To face the music,
To do their own work,
I can only hope that—
One of these days—
They will think back
On our short time together
And thank me.
Kids´Class at Church
I am still teaching the kids´class at church on Sunday nights, as well. (There are two fotos above of kids in the class.) Recently a few of the varones started a pre teens class on Sunday mornings, for 8-12 year olds. Several of us who teach the kids have been complaining for a while about the need 22. separar the older kids from the younger ones, so our 23. quejas were finally heard. There are about 10 in the class each semana, and it seems to be going well. Unfortunately, the clase doesn´t help me at all since it is only on Sunday mornings. The preteen teachers have told the students that they´re too big now to go into the kids´class; but nonetheless I still have 11 year olds coming to my class each week and participating right alongside the 2 year olds. I have a feeling they continue coming because their 24. padres have not told them otherwise. And as much as I stress to them that they need to be the líderes and set a good ejemplo for the younger niños, they seem set on doing nothing but the opposite—choking, hitting, kicking, whistling, screaming—and basically making it that much harder for me to maintain control of the class—and keep from losing my patience!
Punishments and Rewards
Yes, the students (young and old) all frustrate me if that was not already 25. obvio. But just when I think I´ve had enough, something happens to make me suddenly change my 26. mente again. I taught the kids a 27. dinamica that helps them get settled and quiet a lot faster anytime we have a prayer. I have also translated some of the Bible 28. cantos I grew up with and taught the kids my own personal Spanish versions, and they love it! Their favorite so far has been ¨12 Spies.¨ Remember I started giving out 29. estrellas to the kids for participation and good behavior (and taking away stars for bad behavior). For every 10 stars they earn a different 30. premio (each one better than the last). Now that the kids have finally caught on to the idea, they will do anything and everything to receive a star. Before, no one would help me clean up the classroom (I sang a song with them and everything, but nothing worked!), and the same two boys always said the prayers. Now (several meses later) nearly all of the kids will stop working right away and actually get down on their hands and knees to pick up 31. basura and crayons, and almost all of the boys wants to pray now (and I´m pretty sure some of them had never prayed before). One day I noticed a 3-year-old loan a crayon to one of the other boys without me saying anything, and I gave him a star for it. Then for the rest of the class all I heard was, ¨Maestra, I shared a pencil sharpener! I let him use my pencil! I gave him my scissors! Are you going to give me a star for it?¨ Another chica said, ¨Can I go get the broom so I can sweep up the floor for you?¨ So maybe I am bribing them, but at least they´re learning to share and lead prayers and be good helpers in the process! Once again, small 32. victorias.
Yes, the students (young and old) all frustrate me if that was not already 25. obvio. But just when I think I´ve had enough, something happens to make me suddenly change my 26. mente again. I taught the kids a 27. dinamica that helps them get settled and quiet a lot faster anytime we have a prayer. I have also translated some of the Bible 28. cantos I grew up with and taught the kids my own personal Spanish versions, and they love it! Their favorite so far has been ¨12 Spies.¨ Remember I started giving out 29. estrellas to the kids for participation and good behavior (and taking away stars for bad behavior). For every 10 stars they earn a different 30. premio (each one better than the last). Now that the kids have finally caught on to the idea, they will do anything and everything to receive a star. Before, no one would help me clean up the classroom (I sang a song with them and everything, but nothing worked!), and the same two boys always said the prayers. Now (several meses later) nearly all of the kids will stop working right away and actually get down on their hands and knees to pick up 31. basura and crayons, and almost all of the boys wants to pray now (and I´m pretty sure some of them had never prayed before). One day I noticed a 3-year-old loan a crayon to one of the other boys without me saying anything, and I gave him a star for it. Then for the rest of the class all I heard was, ¨Maestra, I shared a pencil sharpener! I let him use my pencil! I gave him my scissors! Are you going to give me a star for it?¨ Another chica said, ¨Can I go get the broom so I can sweep up the floor for you?¨ So maybe I am bribing them, but at least they´re learning to share and lead prayers and be good helpers in the process! Once again, small 32. victorias.
Changing the Culture??
Sometimes I feel like I´m not just trying to change the students, but I´m going against the entire cultura! Many of the other teachers probablemente don´t ask their students to help them clean up after class, and some aren´t interested in teaching new songs or giving the kids different kind of activities; they are just there to fulfil a responsibilidad, and with that they´re happy. Their idea of teaching is watching the kids play for an hour. Also, parents here seem to take the idea that ¨kids will be kids¨ to the 33. extremo. Anytime a family with kids comes to eat at Mr. Taco (José Luis´family´s restaurante), the kids are usually running around the entire restaurant the whole time, while the adultos just talk away, not paying a lick of 34. atención to all the mischief the niños are getting into! At church, when there is no kids´class, the parents let their kids play and run around in the street during the entire worship service! Some of the teachers also have the terrible habito here of giving the kids 35. dulces and prizes and toys for no good reason. Consequently, not a week goes by when a child doesn´t say to me, ¨Are you going to give us a ball?¨ or, ¨Why didn´t I get candy?¨ Anyway, I finally figured out that it´s so hard for me to get the kids to stay in their seats and raise their hand to speak and speak only one at a time because evidently they don´t ever have to do those things with their other maestros. Urrrrhhh!!!!
Sometimes I feel like I´m not just trying to change the students, but I´m going against the entire cultura! Many of the other teachers probablemente don´t ask their students to help them clean up after class, and some aren´t interested in teaching new songs or giving the kids different kind of activities; they are just there to fulfil a responsibilidad, and with that they´re happy. Their idea of teaching is watching the kids play for an hour. Also, parents here seem to take the idea that ¨kids will be kids¨ to the 33. extremo. Anytime a family with kids comes to eat at Mr. Taco (José Luis´family´s restaurante), the kids are usually running around the entire restaurant the whole time, while the adultos just talk away, not paying a lick of 34. atención to all the mischief the niños are getting into! At church, when there is no kids´class, the parents let their kids play and run around in the street during the entire worship service! Some of the teachers also have the terrible habito here of giving the kids 35. dulces and prizes and toys for no good reason. Consequently, not a week goes by when a child doesn´t say to me, ¨Are you going to give us a ball?¨ or, ¨Why didn´t I get candy?¨ Anyway, I finally figured out that it´s so hard for me to get the kids to stay in their seats and raise their hand to speak and speak only one at a time because evidently they don´t ever have to do those things with their other maestros. Urrrrhhh!!!!
A Sad Situation
Something very unusual and terrible happened the other day. Three men went to preach in an indigenous community about two hours away, as there is a new convert living there. On their way back, some leaders from the town detained them just for going to preach the 36. evangelio. Many of the communities in Chiapas are still 100% Catholic. Additionally, they are unincorporated; they have no government and no laws, so they think they can get away with whatever they want (and often do). The ¨leaders¨of these communities have sometimes been known to make threats or hurt others just to get a point across. José Luis, my brother-in-law Gerardo, and a few other men went to explain the situación to the police officers in the next closest town, that is incorporated. Then some of them went to talk to the men who were detaining our hermanos. Luckily one of the ministers who went speaks the same Mayan 37. dialecto and was able to talk to them a lot easier. Finally, about 10 p.m. that night, the men were released—with the 38. condición that they never return to that town to preach. Certainly this was a tragic situation that shows us just how much we take our 39. libertad of religion for granted. Fortunately the men from our congregation don´t seem to be too shaken up by it, though. They recently had a meeting when they discussed the need for us to have a better plan of evangelización and go out to evangelize together more 40. frecuentemente.
Something very unusual and terrible happened the other day. Three men went to preach in an indigenous community about two hours away, as there is a new convert living there. On their way back, some leaders from the town detained them just for going to preach the 36. evangelio. Many of the communities in Chiapas are still 100% Catholic. Additionally, they are unincorporated; they have no government and no laws, so they think they can get away with whatever they want (and often do). The ¨leaders¨of these communities have sometimes been known to make threats or hurt others just to get a point across. José Luis, my brother-in-law Gerardo, and a few other men went to explain the situación to the police officers in the next closest town, that is incorporated. Then some of them went to talk to the men who were detaining our hermanos. Luckily one of the ministers who went speaks the same Mayan 37. dialecto and was able to talk to them a lot easier. Finally, about 10 p.m. that night, the men were released—with the 38. condición that they never return to that town to preach. Certainly this was a tragic situation that shows us just how much we take our 39. libertad of religion for granted. Fortunately the men from our congregation don´t seem to be too shaken up by it, though. They recently had a meeting when they discussed the need for us to have a better plan of evangelización and go out to evangelize together more 40. frecuentemente.
¡Hasta luego!
P.S. I was not able to move the pictures this time because the mouse on this computer isn´t working very well. Sorry!
1. students
2. job/work
3. expectations
4. the basics
5. mimimum
6. effort
7. purpose
8. grammar
9. also
10. homework
11. errors/mistakes
12. credit
13. grades
14. dictionaries
15. vocabulary
16. mentality
17. obviously
18. energy
19. shoes
20. brain
21. fun
22. to separate
23. complaints
24. parents
25. obvious
26. mind
27. dynamic activity
28. songs
29. stars
30. prize
31. trash
32. victories
33. extreme
34. attention
35. sweets/candy
36. Gospel
37. dialect
38. condition
39. freedom
40. frequently
