I need to reflect on my first three days at the Colegio so I won't forget about how great they have been. I love the school, the students, and my fellow teachers in la escuela de internacional secondaria. Most of the students in this section of the school have one parents that is Ecuadorian and another that is either European, Canadian, American, etc. Others have parents that have saved money for their children to attend a private school. The cost for each student per month is $1,000 USD so you can imagine the amount of time/money parents have saved for these students to receive a bilingual education. They all speak Espanol at home and with their friends, but they are required to speak and write in English during class. My 8th graders speak/write better than my 7th graders, but all of them speak/write great English, especially for it being their second language, some even better than 9th graders at Apalachee.
It's really quite amazing how similar & different these kids are from my students in America. They are all VERY polite, eager to learn, very inquisitive, and, most importantly, awake! It is a different world really than the students I have been around in the past that seem bored, tired, and like they'd rather be anywhere else than school. I believe it is because they realize that they are VERY lucky to be receiving an education in Ecuador & may have the opportunity to attend college in the U.S.
Another thing I like about the school is that each class only has about 11-13 students each. They go to each period (there are 8 periods, 45 min each) with the same classmates every day. They seem to really enjoy this because it really creates a feeling of community. They have to stick together. Since crime is such a central apart of their country, the school really encourages community. Really, if someone (like me) questioned if teaching is what he/she should really do, if they are good at it, then this is the school to be at. These kids engulf themselves in the stories, in the characters, because these fictitious people & stories are better than what these children, their peers, parents, family, and most everyone in this city see & live everyday. They really do give me hope for education & hopefully these values can be brought to where ever I end up because America needs kids who want to learn & teachers who believe they deserve better.
In this post, I have included two pictures. Both are of the view out of my classroom; one from early in the morning when the clouds are over the montanas (7:30) when I arrive to school & the other is right after the first recess when they clear (around 10:30). Maybe the view is why the school is so great...
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