Mexico: Schools, Language and Culture

This program offers teacher candidates the opportunity to study at Kukulcan Language Community in Cuernavaca, Mexico, approximately 75 minutes south of Mexico City. The two-week experience is both personally and educationally enhancing for the teacher candidates. They live with a family, interact with students and teachers in private and public P-8 schools, bask in the sun during breaks in between Spanish grammar and conversation classes, attend dance, music and cooking lessons, and explore Mexico City, local art museums, as well as nearby archeological sites. During off hours, they practice newly learned phrases as they negotiate their way around the town. As a result of full participation, these future teachers receive one semester hour of credit and ten of the required field experience hours toward certification.

Contact Mary Pat Garr at 312-344-8146 or mgarr@colum.edu

with the edublog nominations came a killer list of people who are fierce, committed educators, striving daily for excellence–not for monetary purpose or even an administrative nod–just doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do (and not settling for the culture of mediocrity we seem to find ourselves drowning in academically, culturally, politically, and otherwise). consider these folks the philosopher-kings of the classroom. if your children are lucky enough to experience education at the hands of people like this, then they are blessed. personally, i feel the best educators have, well, think of the kiss of Glinda the Good Witch…a call, a sign, a seal, an unction…whatever, my point is that (i’ve found) many of the best educators are those who feel it in their bones, in the bones of their bones. it is what they do. it is who they are. it is the role they were meant to play.

among other topics that i’ve read lately was one that cried out for “a call to action“–basically the idea that we are all sitting on truly excellent ideas and game plans and solutions and answers, but for whatever reason, we aren’t showing our cards, so to speak.

as i primarily (right now) work with jk-kindergarten, i am limited as to what is of the most value to others. i mean, i can tell you it is my experience that you model everything, no matter how small, that you never confuse procedures with rules, that you make time for each child individually each day, that you remember ultimately it is about creating life-long learners who feel good about school, and always always always it is about THEM not about YOU. but i have a feeling i’d be preaching to the choir.

whether my preschool musings transcend from pint-sized learners to high schoolers is rather unknown to me. so let me offer something else, something a little more mid-range.

i have worked with other grades, so i’m throwing down a fifth grade (at least here, in chicago, in public school) introduction to ratio, percentage, and proportion. (intro to proportional reasoning) the students i taught this to LOVED it and produced some pretty great results…i think the challenge and temptation with math sometimes tends to be, “well, it’s math, they either know the answer or they don’t. it’s either right or wrong. just give ‘em some rote, some worksheets, some flashcards, hey, maybe even a little hands on with the ‘ol unifix cubes (ooh, progressive, non?)…” again, everything we do, i think, needs to service what students are thinking and why…hopefully it is employing more than one modality (are you just lecturing up there? only one modality being served…boo. lecture with pictures, words, colors, sounds, engage students to move around and participate–you must get as many little fishies in your net as possible with one swoop!)

5th-grade-proportion-ratio-intro-transparencies.doc

5th-grade-proportion-ratio-worksheet.doc

(i should mention this can be done in the urban school, you know, the one with an overhead that you borrowed from the teacher down the hall and projected onto the bedsheet you’ve tacked on the wall where a projection screen would go…)

personally, i always have been and always will be more interested in HOW my students are thinking and WHY they are thinking that way. i give a lot of leeway for those who can justify their conjecture–you may not have the “right” answer, but if you can explain and defend and justify the one you do have, then there is validity in the higher-level thinking taking place. ultimately, i’m interested in students who think for themselves and are rewarded intrinsically with the virtue of understanding, understanding both academia and themselves.

so, as you know, i am currently in my second year as a Master of Ed student…and along with that comes the opportunity to observe at different schools all over the city.

in chicago i have seen the full spectrum–from schools where every classroom has a Smartboard to schools that have to bring their own soap and toilet paper to the bathroom so their students will have some to use. i have been treated very respectfully and i have been treated very poorly by administration and staff. i have traveled up to two hours one way to observe in the suburbs, and i have walked 3 minutes down the block to my local school. and as it so happens, it is just this school that i’d like to talk about…

first off, Stockton Elementary’s Assistant Principal, Mr. Gutierrez, was warm, accommodating, and SO helpful to let me in to observe on very short notice (a different observation fell through for today.)

i was given a friendly and courteous welcome by Ms. Jugenitz and her fourth grade class, which was very impressive. this class got right to work at the beginning of the day, and went about individual, group, and whole class work with kindness, great listening skills, and respect to themselves and their teacher. i especially appreciated my kindly done introduction to the students by Ms. J, the many little projects she found for me to make my time authentic and productive, and how she let me do a quick demo on 3d snowflake making–so fun! also, pair reading with Kendall was a highlight, not to mention kirigami with Bryan (and the crew!)

how to make a 3d snowflake

at the end of the day, students really touched my heart by saying thank you on their own accord, and some even gave me hugs and asked when i’d be back…

Room 202, i wish with all my heart that my schedule allowed for me to come back soon…and if some time frees up, with Mr. Gutierrez and Ms. Jugenitz’s permission, i would be delighted. until then, thank you for being such a great place to visit–keep up the hard work and friendly atmosphere and know that in all of the schools i have seen in chicago, you get the A+ in my book!

did you vote for mrs. amy’s preschool press for Best NEW Blog 2007? no? ye gods and little fishes… click here to vote!