This was our last week. We invigilated exams at Tec and discussed with students their plans for the future. It is very interesting to speak with the students. There is this great desire to go an become and engineer or doctor. The arts is lost completely. Which as an art teacher makes me sad to see. I believe art is very therapeutic and with the heavy course load these student have it would be beneficial to have such classes.

We were able to visit Frida Kahlo’s house and I was super excited to see it. I had learned about her in my undergrad and heard about her house but never thought i would go and see it in person. I went with my other two teacher candidates and i was able to share my knowledge of her with them.

Frida had many obstacles in her life from getting polio at a young age, having many miscarriages, an abusive husband and surviving a bus accident that would leave her bedridden and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.  She never shared how she was suffering with people. She and Diego (her husband) would always have guests at their house. She made her disabilities her power and inspired her art. From her dresses to her bedroom you can see how art was her way of life and she paved the way for many woman artists.

For me as an artist Art is my life however i find a balance between daily life and my practice. Art is something to share and pass on to others and as a teacher i want to do that with my students. Children are an inspiration to me. At a young age they are not afraid to try new things. I hope to keep this alive within my students. Before this trip to Mexico I was aware of how fortunate I am for everything that I have. The students I have met here make me very proud to call myself a teacher. I hope one day the girls from Regina will come to Canada and visit. I look forward to coming home and using what i have learned in the classrooms here in Mexico in my own class.

Holla!

We had our last day at Regina, and it was bitter sweet. I really enjoyed spending time with all the girls. From our bus rides with the little girls singing their favourite songs to chatting with the old girls about Mexico and their society. All of these memories I will remember forever.

We helped out with four classes that were doing presentations. Each group had a country and had to pretend they were trying to sell a trip to the destination. It was interesting at this school i found the students were off task a lot of the time. I do not want to speak badly about the school at all because i believe they are doing great things. My expectations were to have everyones work done and be paying attention. The girls did give us their full attention when we would speak to them. A few times groups selected specifically me to watch their project.

The girls loved to talk about the pro’s and con’s of Mexico and what it is like in Canada. Many of them wanted to travel and visit Canada and some hoped they would leave Mexico for a better life. We discussed Trump and his news, the girls articulated their beliefs and i agreed with them. I felt closed to them… not completely sure why… maybe my spanish roots. I have never been around so many people who are just like myself. The way we talked, interacted was very similar.

When it came to the afternoon Tim and I taught a class of girls (age 17). We were working on reading comprehension. The topic of the article was TOM’s shoes,  a very popular brand and how it is an example of social entrepreneurship. It was interesting to discuss these concepts with the students and see how they felt about these issues. There is a fair amount of poverty in Mexico.

On our way home we chatted with one of our favourite bus buddies, Ines. She is 10 years old and is very wise for her age. Ines is funny and bright, like many of the girls i will remember her forever.

Holla!

Today we were back at the all girls private school. We were picked up at TEC and taken to the school along with some of the students. When we arrived, Gabbie was not there yet so we went to have breakfast. Some of the girls from yesterday were in the cafe too. They were not in uniforms so we asked by they were wearing street clothes. They explained they had a field trip and invited us to come. We asked Gabbie and she said we could go!

The field trip was to a Museum about the holocaust and genocides. One of the girls Fran translated for us which was great! At the end of the tour the guide discussed “tolerance.” We discussed this word and what the true definition is. It is not to tolerate someone but to listen and accept a persons way of thinking. It was very comforting to see the girls in Mexico learning about a concept i hold so dear to my heart. There was a beautiful piece of art in the centre of the museum representing everyone who died during these events.

On the way home Fran played tour guide to all of the monuments around the city. It was great! The girls are full of life and love asking us questions. When we returned to the school we had lunch with the girls and participated in an english class. They were reading a novel and took turns reading two pages. Tim another TC read two pages as well and the girls loved it.

At the end of the day we headed back to TEC and met with Maria to tell her all about our day!

chat manana (tomorrow)!

Hello Everyone!

It is already week two! Woot woot! Today we traveled to the all girls Catholic school. I must admit i was a little nervous… When we got there we met Gabbie and Rose, they are super nice and very helpful. We had a quick tour and were told the history of the school. The school goes from k-12 which was great! I love the younger grade and miss teaching them. I taught primary  and elementary ages at 4Cats for a couple years.

We were asked to come up with a game for an english class with girls (ages 15) to help them change sentences into past tense. The girls were super into it and it was fun to answer their questions about Canada.

One of the teachers was away sick and Gabbie asked us if we would teach a lesson on” The Outsiders.” I had not read the book since grade 8 but remembered the key points. We made a Venn diagram to compare the book and movie. We did the same for comparing the greasers and socs. Finally, we finished with interviewing a character. With both of these activities the students used our “think, pair and share” exercise. The girls could choose their favourite main character from the book and ask him/ her 5 questions. They also shared with a partner to help construct answers to the questions. The girls were great and had many questions for us about our education what we were doing in Mexico and much more.

I felt at home with the students and loved their energy. We ended the day busing back to TEC with younger and older students. The younger girls were age 10 and full of energy asking us questions and getting to know each other.

Today we had to work on the fly and it is a part of teaching that I love. It challenges me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new! I also believe as a teacher it is a very important skill. I am looking forward to tomorrow and spending more time with the students.

Today is Thursday! We arrived and were taken to a chemistry class. I felt the same way I did in grade 9 science class, confused. They were doing equations and I find them very difficult to understand. Whenever I have a student in my art class who either does not like are or does not feel comfortable with are i sympathize with them. I do this because i understand how it is to find a subject challenging.

The next class we attended was a history class of the 20th century in english. It was nice to be familiar with the top and hear everyone speak english. They discussed Afghanistan and the Taliban and 9-11.  It interesting to hear the students discuss events that were discussed when I was their age.

The way teachers teach here is interesting. It seems to be more relaxed then in Canada. I would consider myself a relaxed teacher. My philosophy when teaching is to create a safe classroom environment and make sure the students feel comfortable. Here the students are rolling around on their individual chairs sharing thoughts and other subjects to each other. I do enjoy the bond between student and teacher. As a teacher I wait until the students are quiet and then continue my lesson. I explain I do not want to repeat myself over and over again. In an art class i only give information and instructions for 15 minutes.

This experience like I have mentioned in an earlier blog is I am able to relate to my ELL students. I have always tried to make them feel comfortable in the class and hope to try other exercises to make them feel more included.

Today I went to an English speaking economics class. I have no background in the subject but it was nice to talk to the students and here how they felt about school. Many were feeling overwhelmed by the workload and their sports. It was very similar to what my students at Magee Secondary dealt with on a day to day basis. One thing i love doing as a teacher which i learned from my SA is to thank the students for showing up. I found this helped create a bond between student and teacher. TEC is highly competitive just like the schools in Canada. I could relate to these students and sympathized for them.

Later on we went and watch the Teachers vs Students Soccer game. It was great to see the bond between teacher and student. I hope to create these events at my future school. At the end of the game they played bubble soccer. Check out the video below!

For the rest of the day we attended a conference and met with a teacher to discuss tutoring students for thursday and friday!

Video Click to Download Video 🙂

The end of yesterday was great! I was able to get into a class where I could help students. Their assignment was to read a book that was also made into a movie and compare the similarities and differences. I helped one student brainstorm an idea for her introductory paragraph. I helped two students who had read the same book, brainstorm ideas on how the movie and book were similar. The last student translated his essay in order for me to see if he could add anything. It was nice to be in a class where i understood what was going on.

When i was in the other classes I was able to get an idea of what it would be like to be an ELL learner in my own classroom. It was hard to concentrate, I was searching for clues to understand what was going on and it was uncomfortable at times. This experience has been very helpful to understand how some of my students may feel. Even the culture shock i experience the first couple days allows me to relate to my students from out of Canada.

This morning we got up at 5:30am and arrive at TEC at 630am. We met with Maria and I was quickly taken to an Art class. This class was nothing like a class in Canada, well maybe university. It was not a studio art class more like an art history university level. the whole class was in spanish so I asked one of the students what teacher was saying a couple times. I knew a couple of the artists and their work as I had studied them in my undergrad. The students are super friendly and are very interesting in studying abroad. This afternoon I will be going to another Art class but this time I am bringing my computer to help translate what is being said.

Hello Everyone!

We arrived yesterday and started site seeing right away! Tim and I (another TC) met up with six other TC’s and went into Mexico City! We went to the Museum of Anthropology, Chapultepec Castle and Metropolitan Cathedral! The food was amazing! There was a concert outside the Cathedral, with a huge crowd and everyone was enjoying themselves! It would be amazing to have a concert like it in Vancouver!

Today we met Maria today (our TEC host), she took us to the Santa Fe Campus. Maria showed us around and then brought us to our apartment where we will be staying for the three weeks.

Tomorrow we will be our first day at MTEC!

Today I started my blog for my Community Field Experience in Santa Fe Mexico! This is my last week of my long practicum. My students at Magee Secondary are amazing! Not only are they talented but they are bright, smart, funny students who have allowed me to grow as a teacher. I hope some will follow my experience by reading this blog! 🙂