Starting in the schools

After over two weeks of talking with school faculty, emailing and even going to the University of Guanajuato, I was able to get permission to start in the schools. Friday the 18th was my first day in CBTis 65; one of the nicer public schools. I was there fro the afternoon classes from three to eight.

At three I went to a physics class with Miguel Vazquez. He’s a good teacher, but it’s true the teaching dynamic here is a bit different. The students stay in the same classroom the whole day, here the teachers rotate classrooms.  The teachers do take an authoritative position. The front of the classroom where he stands is elevated about a foot.  The students stand when the teacher enters, and sit when he permits them to.  They also can’t leave until the teacher indicates; there is no bell. Students are taught to fill up the front seats first, or in other words, if there is empty seat in front of you, you move up. I realized this more during the second class; some students didn’t follow the norm and were asked to move forward.

The second class was a two hour long Chemistry class.  When I walked in there were only girls in the classroom, all the guys were waiting around outside. I verified with one of the girls it was the chemistry class and they gave me a puzzled look about why I was there. (I am the only blond one out of 2200 students, I don't blend in super well) I started to explain myself and they all turned to listen. After a minute or so I realized it was me surrounded by 15 teenage girls and I got worried the teacher might walk in and get the wrong image so I left to talk with some of the guy outside the classroom. That class went well, this teacher was also had the class very controlled and attentive.  The dynamic is actually very different in the sense that all the students pay attention regardless of how interesting the material it. I was impressed not to see any students in the back half asleep on their desks (As is common in the Provo schools I visited)   

At the end of Class I spotted Sergio Cornejo, the English teacher I was going to be with next. We still had 15 minutes until class started so I sat and talked with him. He speaks pretty good English but he does have a thick accent. He told me that the school had science laboratories and I thought that was cool. He stood up and I thought we were going  to his class, and when we showed up at a laboratory, I thought that maybe his classroom was going to be in that classroom. The class was full of students with lab coats and when I entered they all stopped and looked at me. I was waiting for something so happen, but it seemed like all the attention stayed on me. I say “Buanas Tardes” and the responded in unison “Buenas tardes.” Sergio did speak up and say he was there to show me the lab. I still felt really awkward so I turned to leave and slightly tripped over Sergio and made a fool of myself.  There was a lot of laughing as I left the room. I don’t care too much, if was a funny memory.

Sergio’s class was very different than the others.  He is a much more relaxed teacher and really lets the students behave how they want. They sat where they wanted and talk among themselves most of the class period. The good thing was that because it wasn’t a formal lecture, I got to go around and be with the little groups as they worked on their book work. All of them were really good to me and I felt comfortable and respected by them.

When I got back home it was only Javier and me. I made some taco filling with chopped chorizo, hot dog, onion and Jalapeños.  That with some reheated rice, special cheese and hot tortillas, it was a wonderful dinner.