There was a great deal of material to cover in today’s lesson, and I wanted to avoid lecturing for the entire class. I thus spent the morning preparing an interactive lesson for my students. It was about the process of eutrophication and the process of paper-making. During the first half of class, I described the process of eutrophication by telling a story (“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful pond…”) and I had the students illustrate it on the whiteboard. It may have been a coincidence, but it was all girls who volunteered to draw, while the boys were content to watch. Nevertheless, both parties seemed to be engaged.

To teach about paper-making, I showed the students a short video that animates the process, telling them to pay careful attention so that they could answer questions afterward. (If you’re curious, you can watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IP0Ch1Va44.) The students were duly attentive, and curious to learn more after the simple introduction to the process provided by the video. One student in particular had question after question after question on the paper-making industry. I was glad to answer him, but after several minutes I needed to move on to assigning the homework and wrapping up the lesson. I said so and suggested to him that he could speak with me after class if he had further questions. Unfortunately he took this the wrong way and became defensive, saying that I had wasted their time by having them play with clay (during one of last week’s lessons). Outwardly, I ignored his accusation and moved on with the lesson, but I was offended on the inside. Later on, another student came to me to thank me for using drawings to teach, saying that he had previously thought that reading was the best way to learn, but now realized that pictures helped him to understand things better.

Reflecting on all of this, I realized that significant changes in a classroom (such as having more interactive lessons rather than the lectures they’re accustomed to) are more difficult for some students to accept than others. This is not really surprising, as it is human nature to resist change, but I think that I was so excited to enhance their learning, based on what I had learned about teaching in Canada, that I overlooked this barrier. I hope that the students I’ve been teaching will benefit from my work with them, even if it is difficult for them to see how playing with clay and drawing pictures are worthwhile educational activities.

(Note: For those of you reading this blog who are not particularly interested in educational theory and practice, you may want to skip this entry.)

After an incredible four-day long weekend of travel and adventure, going to back to work on Monday was a bit of a shock. The past two days have been composed of a variety of teacher activities. Monday morning I met with David to discuss Tuesday’s test. He explained that all tests at Tec de Monterrey are completed by the students on computers, and are randomly generated from pools of questions created by the teachers. Tuesday’s would draw evenly from two pools – one on each of two units. I suggested that smaller pools (one on each topic within the units) be created, in order to create a more balanced test. David was enthusiastic about the suggestion, so I spent much of the day sorting questions into new pools, writing new questions to add to the pools, and correcting the English in the questions that had already been written.

During class later in the day, David’s (and my) students gave group presentations on a nutrient macromolecule of their choice. I asked the students questions at the end of their presentations, and, as in Canada, I found that these students often presented information that they had looked up and written down but did not really understand. David and I discussed this later, and neither of us are sure as to how it could be prevented, although we agreed that spending more time teaching presentation skills might help. I found out only after the presentations were over that David wanted me to help grade them. I had been paying attention of course, but I would have liked to have known that I was evaluating before seeing the presentations, so that I could have made notes. Thankfully the students were required to hand in a CD with their slides on it, so I was able to review these in order to evaluate the presentations more accurately.

This morning I met with David to discuss the grades for the presentations. He had graded them as well, and he was happy to find that his and my grades agreed with one another (thinking back to the assessment course I took at UBC, I believe this means that the assessment rubric had good validity). After our chat, I finished planning my lesson for tomorrow, then took a lunch and suntanning break before heading back to invigilate the test. This required a sharp eye, as the students all take their tests on their personal laptops but may not use any applications aside from an internet browser, which may only have open the single window that displays the test. The students find out their grade as soon as their test is submitted, and I learned today that, at Tec de Monterrey, any grade below 70% is considered an F. Many students failed the test today. I am curious to see how they do on the final exam.

Sunday morning, we’re strolling toward the Plaza del Revolucion, and we start to notice that literally every child who walks by is carrying a new toy, still in its box. A big toy store sale, perhaps? But just because there’s a sale doesn’t mean everyone will be buying something. So what’s going on here?

Things become clear when we reach the plaza, where some sort of children’s festival is going on, complete with toy giveaways as well as a free performance by the younger, Spanish equivalent of Justin Bieber. It was quite an amusing sight! However, we quickly moved on to our reason for visiting the plaza – enjoying the view from the monument at its center. Mexico City is not as beautiful as Puebla, but it is incredibly expansive, seeming to go on infinitely in all directions.

I personally enjoyed the basement of the monument even more than the viewing deck, as it is home to a museum that that takes you chronologically through Mexico’s revolutionary history from the early 1800s to 1920. The museum displays were entirely in Spanish, but by picking out key words and looking at pictures, we were able to piece together a reasonably accurate interpretation of the information (I checked our version against some websites later on). Like the pyramids, the museum reminded me of how rich learning can be outside the classroom. I think that field trips are most straight forward to organize for social studies teachers, as there are endless historical sites and museums that cater to their subject. However, I want to look for (and take advantage of) opportunities to teach science outside the classroom, as I feel that this makes for memorable and meaningful learning experiences.

Our afternoon was spent aimlessly and enjoyably wandering around the city. My favourite part was quite possibly seeing the locals enjoying the fountain in the park in a way that would be a faux pas back home. Lunch was also a highlight. We decided we were brave enough to try the day’s special menu without recognizing many of the words on it, and it turned out to be delicious! I tried squash flower soup, and though at first I had to ask the waitress in my best possible Spanish whether the flowers are in fact meant to be eaten (they are), I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had to visit one more museum before we bused back to Puebla – the Museum of Tequila and Mezcal. It was small but interesting, and made me realize how little I know about tequila. Like wine, its flavours and aromas can vary according to the plant species, the growing region, the age, and the fermentation process. The museum displays just a few bottles to give you an idea of the surprising  diversity of this beverage.

I haven’t been to Egypt, so I can’t really compare, but the pyramids of Teotihuacan were absolutely spectacular. Kristina and I braved an early morning taxi ride and two long bus trips to reach the ruins, and they were well worth the effort. To make our visit even better, we were able to meet up with our friends Miranda, Margaret, and Hailey, who are doing the same thing as us but in Queretaro. We found them almost immediately after our arrival, and joined in with their tour group.

The tour was led by a Mexican man who learned his history from his grandfather, who learned it from his grandfather, and so on. He told us the meanings behind the figureheads of the pyramids, why there are pyramids underneath other pyramids, and what life was like in the time they were built. He showed us the plants that grow in the area, and shared knowledge of their traditional uses, from painting to drugs to protection from the opposite sex’s lust. He taught us the proper way to climb the pyramid stairs (weaving like a snake), and told us our names (dependent on our birth dates) in the native tongue, and their meanings. (If you’re curious, mine means “jaguar woman”). All in all, it was a fascinating, fun, and informative tour, and it reminded me of the high educational value of both field trips and guest speakers. I am interested to learn more about the natives of our own country, and the knowledge and culture they have to share.

The end of the tour left us at the Pyramid of the Sun, the largest pyramid in the city of Teotihuacan, which we climbed with excitement that masked our physical strain (my legs are still sore two days later). The five of us took time at the top to enjoy the view, the sunshine, and one another’s companionship, before making our way down and scaling the smaller Pyramid of the Moon next. I cannot think of a better way to have spent the day than with these lovely ladies in this place rich with history.

Before I describe the amazing adventure we had this evening in downtown Puebla, I should note that we spent all morning and afternoon working. I am teaching a short unit on the ecological impact of chemical processes next week, so I spent time researching the topic and preparing notes and activities. As with the previous topic, I was given a set of PowerPoint slides, and though they are helpful, I cannot use them as given. The information presented in them is severely disorganized and sometimes incorrect. I wonder whether this is more due to the writer’s lack of expertise on the topic, or to their lack of English language skills. Nevertheless, I appreciate the slides as a starting point for my lesson planning.

Downtown Puebla held many rewards for our hard work! First, as we wandered from the zocalo towards the Capilla del Rosario, which Kristina re-christened the “Sparkly Church,” we walked past a pet store and did a double take when we saw a large iguana sitting atop a cage containing two toucans! I can’t recall having ever seen a toucan in real life before, so I was quite excited about this. Unfortunately photos of them were not permitted. As we continued along our way, we stumbled upon a hidden gem of a bakery. It didn’t look like much, but it smelled incredible, and Kristina and I soon found ourselves purchasing a large bag of delicious sweet breads and pastries for only about four dollars Canadian.

Despite our frequent side-tracking, we did make it to the Sparkly Church, and it certainly lives up to its name. I would try to describe it, but I really think the photograph below says more than I ever could.

We peeked inside several other churches as we continued to explore the city, but what really took our breath away was the view of their towers from the rooftop terrace of the Museo Amparo. This spectacular place was yet another lovely surprise for us, as we had gone to the museum only to look at its exhibits, but were asked to wait on the terrace for a few minutes while a piece of art was being moved. Needless to say, we spent much more than a few minutes on the terrace once we discovered what it had to offer. In addition to an incredible view, this included comfortable white rocking chairs, lime trees and other flourishing flora, sunshine, and a chorus of ringing church bells coming from a distance. Add in some great conversation with a friend, and you have one of those wonderful moments in life when you are overwhelmed by your blessings and cannot think of anything in life of which you are in want. We stayed until the sun set, basking in the wondrous surprises that life holds in store.

Puebla is definitely not a tourist destination. Everywhere we go, we attract stares, questions, and even requests for photographs taken with us. This and the fact that we have seen nothing but Mexican faces since our arrival confirm that the people of Puebla are not accustomed to foreign visitors. Of course, this does not detract from their impressive degree of friendliness and good manners.

Anyways, as Puebla is somewhat lacking in tourist attractions, we have taken to asking the locals for recommendations of things to do. We explored one such recommendation today, and it blew our expectations out of the water! We went to Agua Azul, expecting a water-slide park something like the ones we have back home. What we discovered was a variety of slides and pools nestled within a gorgeous nature park, full of brightly-coloured flowers, palm trees, pine trees, and birds singing tropical songs.

The park was packed with locals enjoying their long weekend. After we’d wandered through the park and settled on a grassy area in which to set up camp, I left Kristina to bask in the sun and went to try out the slides. First, though, I had to find a washroom, which turned out to be a little adventure all on its own. It took me a few minutes of observation to understand that in order to flush, you had to fill a bucket with water and pour it down the toilet. Then the toilets themselves turned out to be fairly disgusting, but I had to go! This was a strong reminder of how spoiled I am by the level of sanitation back home.

The slides provided a great adrenaline rush as they whipped you through dark tunnels and down steep declines. The park also had a rope swing, a tire swing, and a long slack-line across the largest pool. While I was enjoying the slides, I inadvertently made friends with an adorable group of young Pueblans, around 5 to 12 years old. They were fascinated with me and my lack of Spanish, and while the youngest was content just chattering away in Spanish and giving me big smiles, the eldest was very determined to use the little English he knew in order to communicate as much as possible. He told me (with much effort) that he is going to move to the United States when he grows up. He seemed very proud of this. I wonder if it’s a common dream among the people here. As I moved around the park to try different slides, the boy followed me and continued to chat. At one point he asked if I like the weather here. I meant to say (in Spanish) that I liked it very much, but I mixed up my words and instead said that I liked him very much. This resulted in a deep blush on his face, followed by a pause and the response, in broken English, that he also likes me very much. I soon said “adios” and went back to find Kristina, and I’m almost certain that my young friend went right back to his friends to tell them of his foreign encounter.

For dinner we walked to the mall and had Mexican mall food. It tasted like… Mexican mall food. I don’t think we’ll be eating there again. However, we have made a list of Pueblan and Mexican specialties, and we are going to try to taste them all by the end of our trip! Wish us luck!

Ice cream, fruit, candy, nuts, chicken, you name it, it can be purchased covered in ground chili peppers. The people of Puebla love their chilis! This morning we took a bus to campus earlier than usual to try a coffee shop there and do some work before Kristina’s 10 am class. While we were paying, I picked up a small candy out of curiosity, and the man working there gave us each one to try, free of charge. They turned out to be dried strawberries covered in ground chilis and sugar. Maybe it’s an acquired taste, because the two of us both thought it was quite strange, bordering on disgusting. I’m glad I tried it though, just for the experience!

Instead of using the office, Kristina and I spent much of the day working in the sun at a picnic table. I think sometimes we almost blend in, but then we give ourselves away by putting on sunscreen and speaking in English. At lunchtime, we took turns going to buy lunch so that the other person could watch our things. While I waited for my food to be prepared (fresh fruit smoothie and a salad), I struck up a conversation with a young man standing nearby. He was, as with everyone we’ve encountered here, extremely friendly, and we spent several minutes chatting even after our food was ready. When we said goodbye, he caught me off-guard with a big smack on the cheek. Of course, this is standard custom here, but it is usually more of a cheek-to-cheek contact with a fake kiss sound, whereas this was a genuine lip-to-cheek kiss. I think I was blushing for the next fifteen minutes, but I’m sure he thought nothing of it. It’s an interesting cultural difference.

In the afternoon, we observed a chemistry class taught in Spanish. It was the first class we observed rather than taught, and it was quite interesting. On the plus side, the students seemed to like the teacher, and vice versa. The teacher was also very organized and seemed to know the material well. Further, at the end of the class, he played an engaging video clip for the students. However, besides the video, the entire class was teacher-centered, and there was no portion of the class during which students were engaged in discussion or in writing anything besides notes. I found this somewhat surprising, especially for a well-reputed teacher in a well-reputed school, but it also helps me see more clearly why the teachers we are working with are eager to hear our ideas. I think that they realize there is something lacking in their current approach to teaching, and they are, like all good teachers, open to improving their practice.

In my own class, I taught about the structure of macronutrient molecules. I gave the students plasticine and had them make primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary proteins. When I handed out the plasticine, the students thought it was a gift for Children’s Day, which happens to be today. I hadn’t realized how well my planned activity suited the occasion, but I’m happy with the way it turned out (and I did let them keep the plasticine as a gift). Some students refused the gift, claiming they are not children but adults. When I explained that they had to take one anyways, because we were going to use it to learn, they were thoroughly surprised. I don’t think they are accustomed to kinesthetic learning activities. However, when I asked some students at the end of the class whether they felt they had learned the topic well using the plasticine, they all said they had. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the class.

In the evening, we went on the biggest Ferris wheel in North America – the Star of Puebla. It’s a 30-minute ride in a spacious cabin in which they play Spanish elevator music. You have a wonderful view of the city. Afterward we wandered through the mall for a bit and ended up seeing Hombre-Arana 2 (in English with Spanish subtitles). During the movie we enjoyed some popcorn, coated in – you guessed it – ground chilis!