I love the morning ritual:
Chasing Ashley and running up and down the street crossing
Walking to school under a full moon
Slamming through the turnstyles
Hopping on the train
Laughing at the sleepy men with us on the morning commute
Laughing when the train driver slows down for a look at Ashley
Music on the Metro.
The Churro* salesman.
Watching people setup their food stands before the sun is up
The smell of fresh vegetables, frying pancakes, and cinnamon coffee
The juicer's stall - never with a light on, always with club music
Jose our bus driver
Nora, Sandra, Scott, Mark, Enrique, and the random other few
Balancing bags and lunches on our knees
Shoulders jamming against headphoned sleeping teachers
Tuning out negative conversations
Trying to learn from positive discussions
Watching the sun rise over Mexico City as we climb up out of the smog
Yawning ¨Beunos Dias!¨ everyone as we stumble inside and up 4 flights of stairs
Email.
The day has begun :-)
*Churros are a kind of fried breadstick with cinnamon sugar... really good!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
This is the stuff of (future) legends
We watched “Soy Leyanda” (I Am Legend) Sunday night. All the Bob Marley themes have me missing Tanya really bad. I wanna make coffee and tease the customers. I also watched some of “Friends” for the first time – my roomie brought the first season with her. Hah. I finally know 
what everyone was talking about, and figured out some connections a certain acquaintance made with coffee shops. Weird when you start figuring out what makes people tick.
what everyone was talking about, and figured out some connections a certain acquaintance made with coffee shops. Weird when you start figuring out what makes people tick.The metro isn’t really that bad, and I’ve been in love with public transportation since Moscow. At night, during “rush hour,” when the trains are crowded, the front 3-4 cars are reserved for women and children, so we don’t have to worry as much about being felt down while 
smashed like sardines. The veteran Americans here have given us a lot of good advice, and we never go anywhere alone. We
live in a safe part of town, and watch each other’s backs. Mexico City really is the secret of Mexico – I had no idea how classy it could be. Sure, the kidnappings really do take place, but safety can become a habit. We try to switch up our routes home every once in a while. We’re saving a lot of money cooking at home, so we don’t have to go to the ATM all the time, and we can leave valuables and home and carry the minimal change and passport copies.
My language acquisition is horribly slow. I listen and usually catch the drift through guessing and context, but Ashley’s my security blanket – I freak out if I’m asked a question and don’t know what it was or how to answer. The barista at Starbucks (yeah, we found one nearby! J) was irritated with me when I couldn’t tell him if I wanted anything else, but he didn’t sabotage my drink, so we’re cool.
smashed like sardines. The veteran Americans here have given us a lot of good advice, and we never go anywhere alone. We
live in a safe part of town, and watch each other’s backs. Mexico City really is the secret of Mexico – I had no idea how classy it could be. Sure, the kidnappings really do take place, but safety can become a habit. We try to switch up our routes home every once in a while. We’re saving a lot of money cooking at home, so we don’t have to go to the ATM all the time, and we can leave valuables and home and carry the minimal change and passport copies.
My language acquisition is horribly slow. I listen and usually catch the drift through guessing and context, but Ashley’s my security blanket – I freak out if I’m asked a question and don’t know what it was or how to answer. The barista at Starbucks (yeah, we found one nearby! J) was irritated with me when I couldn’t tell him if I wanted anything else, but he didn’t sabotage my drink, so we’re cool.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Thursday Reflections
Upon returning to the hotel after dinner yesterday, Mr. Wright informed us that he had found 4-6 more apartment options for us, and that we will take tomorrow (Friday) off in order to try to find one and finalize our plans. I am very relieved. Think I will miss school, but it is important to find an apartment. Besides, we need to find somewhere to do laundry – I can only wear the same pair of dress pants so many days, especially since the hems get so dusty with walking.
Yesterday we walked to the metro station from the hotel – we left at 6, got to the metro about 6:15, caught the next train, and were still about 10 minutes early for the Westhill van. I bought cinnamon-sugar coffee from a street vender and paid the gringo price, because I forgot to ask how much it cost – I paid a crazy $2 USD L. Lesson learned, however – and it was really good. I brought my ghetto portable CD player (everyone else had Ipods) and nearly fell asleep on the 35 minute ride to school listening to Arabic love songs. Somehow listening to relaxing music, particularly if I don’t understand it, makes the cultural transition easier. I’m not sure why, but am pondering it.
I spent the first couple of periods writing emails back and forth to Kennesaw, getting advice from my professors and trying to resolve some issues with financial aid and the study abroad office. After a couple of hours writing stressful emails, I sat down and organized my teacher notebook – hole-punching and filing everything till I was satisfied. I know it’s a sign of perfectionism, but I love to clean/organize when I’m frustrated because I feel like I can fix at least one area of my life. Maybe I can use this tendency in my classroom.
I sat in on 2 of Ashley and Mr. G’s classes and observed, once again, his amazing ability to adapt his lessons to the specific needs and abilities of his classes. Ashley and I both observed that he treated his 12th graders like college students, asking them higher-level questions that required critical, philosophical answers. He told more anecdotes and stories to the 11th-graders, however, and glances around the room saw all the students in rapt attention, sitting on the edge of their seats. I really would like to be that kind of teacher one day!
After classes, Mr. G took the time to talk with me and Ashley, and give us some advice. He tried to explain the importance of teachers understanding the difference between negligence and simple negligence. He explained (from an insider’s administrator’s position) that often administration not familiar with teaching will try to pass the blame to the teachers, and (especially as new teachers) we need to not only document everything, but learn to determine whether we had really done our best. If so, he said to let the blame roll off your shoulders and not get upset. I’m so grateful for his advice, because I could see myself breaking down under pressure and being confused. Hopefully I’ll learn a lot here and be better prepared to face these types of strain.
During Mr. S’s classes, I noticed how wild the kids were. The couples couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and one girl was even painting her nails in class! I know they’ll mope and complain, but I to try to be strict. They’ll probably still trick me, but I will try my best. Not be mean, of course, but try to maintain order. Mr. S told me that he’ll sit down with me today (Thursday) or Friday and go over next week’s lesson plans, and let me start easing into the classroom by backing up his lessons by leading activities. We then attended the high school staff meeting. I’ve always wondered what teacher meetings were like, and wanted to participate. Things went well, and after a get-to-know-each-other, build-working-relationships activity led by the school psychologist, various announcements and concerns were addressed. A (cultural?) concern that received the most heated interaction was that of objects “missing” (probably stolen by security/cleaning staff), which administrators answered by reminding everyone to keep their valuables with them. Mr. S ended the meeting by announcing that it was his last year here as the headmaster, and I was surprised to see how little reaction resulted. Perhaps everyone already knew, but it almost appeared like some were relieved – most did give him a hug or handshake as they left. I may be young and idealistic, but I think that even if I did not agree with someone, after fighting alongside them for a common cause – the education of the kids – I would at least have some level of attachment and regret that they were leaving. Previous work experience showed that I could still be nice to people I didn’t always like and appreciate their strong points.
Ashley and I signed up for lunch duty patrolling the recreation areas outside during 6th period lunch on Thursdays and end-of-the-day duty at the front entrance for Tuesdays. Ashley will be working with the 12th grade group on Oaxaca, and I will be with the 11th graders who represent Saudi Arabia. Mr. G then gave Ashley, Tara, another teacher and I a ride home and a mini-tour of the Santa Fe district, which is very much like Beverly Hills. Today I hope to discuss planning with Mr. S, but if not, I’m learning to be flexible. J Being proactive is good, but sometimes I think you have to do your best and let the responsibility lie on someone else, in order to avoid harassing them.
Sorry I don´t have more pictures yet - I haven't bought batteries yet. When I do, I'll post them.
Yesterday we walked to the metro station from the hotel – we left at 6, got to the metro about 6:15, caught the next train, and were still about 10 minutes early for the Westhill van. I bought cinnamon-sugar coffee from a street vender and paid the gringo price, because I forgot to ask how much it cost – I paid a crazy $2 USD L. Lesson learned, however – and it was really good. I brought my ghetto portable CD player (everyone else had Ipods) and nearly fell asleep on the 35 minute ride to school listening to Arabic love songs. Somehow listening to relaxing music, particularly if I don’t understand it, makes the cultural transition easier. I’m not sure why, but am pondering it.
I spent the first couple of periods writing emails back and forth to Kennesaw, getting advice from my professors and trying to resolve some issues with financial aid and the study abroad office. After a couple of hours writing stressful emails, I sat down and organized my teacher notebook – hole-punching and filing everything till I was satisfied. I know it’s a sign of perfectionism, but I love to clean/organize when I’m frustrated because I feel like I can fix at least one area of my life. Maybe I can use this tendency in my classroom.
I sat in on 2 of Ashley and Mr. G’s classes and observed, once again, his amazing ability to adapt his lessons to the specific needs and abilities of his classes. Ashley and I both observed that he treated his 12th graders like college students, asking them higher-level questions that required critical, philosophical answers. He told more anecdotes and stories to the 11th-graders, however, and glances around the room saw all the students in rapt attention, sitting on the edge of their seats. I really would like to be that kind of teacher one day!
After classes, Mr. G took the time to talk with me and Ashley, and give us some advice. He tried to explain the importance of teachers understanding the difference between negligence and simple negligence. He explained (from an insider’s administrator’s position) that often administration not familiar with teaching will try to pass the blame to the teachers, and (especially as new teachers) we need to not only document everything, but learn to determine whether we had really done our best. If so, he said to let the blame roll off your shoulders and not get upset. I’m so grateful for his advice, because I could see myself breaking down under pressure and being confused. Hopefully I’ll learn a lot here and be better prepared to face these types of strain.
During Mr. S’s classes, I noticed how wild the kids were. The couples couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and one girl was even painting her nails in class! I know they’ll mope and complain, but I to try to be strict. They’ll probably still trick me, but I will try my best. Not be mean, of course, but try to maintain order. Mr. S told me that he’ll sit down with me today (Thursday) or Friday and go over next week’s lesson plans, and let me start easing into the classroom by backing up his lessons by leading activities. We then attended the high school staff meeting. I’ve always wondered what teacher meetings were like, and wanted to participate. Things went well, and after a get-to-know-each-other, build-working-relationships activity led by the school psychologist, various announcements and concerns were addressed. A (cultural?) concern that received the most heated interaction was that of objects “missing” (probably stolen by security/cleaning staff), which administrators answered by reminding everyone to keep their valuables with them. Mr. S ended the meeting by announcing that it was his last year here as the headmaster, and I was surprised to see how little reaction resulted. Perhaps everyone already knew, but it almost appeared like some were relieved – most did give him a hug or handshake as they left. I may be young and idealistic, but I think that even if I did not agree with someone, after fighting alongside them for a common cause – the education of the kids – I would at least have some level of attachment and regret that they were leaving. Previous work experience showed that I could still be nice to people I didn’t always like and appreciate their strong points.
Ashley and I signed up for lunch duty patrolling the recreation areas outside during 6th period lunch on Thursdays and end-of-the-day duty at the front entrance for Tuesdays. Ashley will be working with the 12th grade group on Oaxaca, and I will be with the 11th graders who represent Saudi Arabia. Mr. G then gave Ashley, Tara, another teacher and I a ride home and a mini-tour of the Santa Fe district, which is very much like Beverly Hills. Today I hope to discuss planning with Mr. S, but if not, I’m learning to be flexible. J Being proactive is good, but sometimes I think you have to do your best and let the responsibility lie on someone else, in order to avoid harassing them.
Sorry I don´t have more pictures yet - I haven't bought batteries yet. When I do, I'll post them.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Week One: Observations (January 7-11)
Strict. Terrified. No PowerPoint, overhead? What do you think happened to the old English teacher, Ms. C? Can I possibly lecture for 50 whole minutes? In front of the headmaster, no less? How much do I need to know about student backgrounds in order to reach them the most effectively?
Mr. G – “You have 100% to start with in my class – its like a paycheck – you can lower it if you want to, based on how much work you do or don’t do.”
On the first day, we attended the welcome-back, Monday traditional ceremony at the beginning of the day. The middle and high school students sat shivering on concrete benches outside while a female color guard brought up the Mexican and American flags. All students saluted in a parallel fashion as the Mexican anthem played (a few teachers sang), and 1 or 2 Americans saluted and sang as the American anthem was played.
After a brief tour, Ashley and I sat in on Mr. G’s 11th and 12th grade classes, which Ashley will be working with, and the Headmaster 11th grade periods, which I will be teaching. We introduced ourselves and enjoyed their curiosity. The bus home and then the metro weren’t nearly as intimidating as previous trips, since a couple of the teachers kindly (and patiently!) showed us around. We looked at 2 apartments on the way back to the hotel, but decided to sleep on it before rushing into a decision.
On Tuesday, Mr. S asked me to let him know what novels I’d like to teach with American Literature so that they can order the books and have them available to students in 4-5 weeks. I’ve been working on my list – so far I’m thinking about Stephen Crane’s short story, “Maggie, a Girl of the Streets,” Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings.” After walking through the school library, Robert Louis Stevenson sounds adventurous and maybe and maybe Great Gatsby? I haven’t read all of the classics, and while I would definitely read a book before I taught it and do preparatory research, I’m still nervous about branching outside of a textbook and the texts I covered in my own education. However, there’s no time like the present to learn.
Its very intimidating to think about teaching in front of the headmaster of all the campuses – however, I’ll be trained to think and teach like an administrator, so hopefully I will be better prepared to work with them in the future and have a better, inside understanding of their expectations. For now, I’m extremely grateful for the time to sit and observe. From my seat in the back of the classroom I get to know the students. With a copy of the roll in my hand, I watch the girls passing notes and a make a mental note to keep an eye on them. I see the boy who’s bored and needs more challenges, the couple playing footsie under the table, and begin to understand why the girl in the middle has an IEP. Will I be able to project loud enough, command attention? Mr. S’s naturally commanding voice booms and echoes in the small room.
I have a copy of Mr. S’s lesson plans for the week, a copy of the American Literature textbook, and a copy of the yearly plan for each grade level. However, because the previous English teacher did not return any of my inquiring emails from last semester (I didn’t know she resigned), I still need the necessities – a grade book, markers, a whole punch. Mr. G said that there is a whole street of supply stores downtown – we just have to figure out where and how to get there. I have a whole list of questions and want to sit down with Mr. S to plan out the semester, to understand his expectations. I need to know how much authority I have, what he expects of me. Unfortunately, because he’s the headmaster he’s only on this campus the second half of the day. I need to consolidate my questions and be prepared to only get 5 minutes with him.
Mr. G – “You have 100% to start with in my class – its like a paycheck – you can lower it if you want to, based on how much work you do or don’t do.”
On the first day, we attended the welcome-back, Monday traditional ceremony at the beginning of the day. The middle and high school students sat shivering on concrete benches outside while a female color guard brought up the Mexican and American flags. All students saluted in a parallel fashion as the Mexican anthem played (a few teachers sang), and 1 or 2 Americans saluted and sang as the American anthem was played.
After a brief tour, Ashley and I sat in on Mr. G’s 11th and 12th grade classes, which Ashley will be working with, and the Headmaster 11th grade periods, which I will be teaching. We introduced ourselves and enjoyed their curiosity. The bus home and then the metro weren’t nearly as intimidating as previous trips, since a couple of the teachers kindly (and patiently!) showed us around. We looked at 2 apartments on the way back to the hotel, but decided to sleep on it before rushing into a decision.
On Tuesday, Mr. S asked me to let him know what novels I’d like to teach with American Literature so that they can order the books and have them available to students in 4-5 weeks. I’ve been working on my list – so far I’m thinking about Stephen Crane’s short story, “Maggie, a Girl of the Streets,” Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings.” After walking through the school library, Robert Louis Stevenson sounds adventurous and maybe and maybe Great Gatsby? I haven’t read all of the classics, and while I would definitely read a book before I taught it and do preparatory research, I’m still nervous about branching outside of a textbook and the texts I covered in my own education. However, there’s no time like the present to learn.
Its very intimidating to think about teaching in front of the headmaster of all the campuses – however, I’ll be trained to think and teach like an administrator, so hopefully I will be better prepared to work with them in the future and have a better, inside understanding of their expectations. For now, I’m extremely grateful for the time to sit and observe. From my seat in the back of the classroom I get to know the students. With a copy of the roll in my hand, I watch the girls passing notes and a make a mental note to keep an eye on them. I see the boy who’s bored and needs more challenges, the couple playing footsie under the table, and begin to understand why the girl in the middle has an IEP. Will I be able to project loud enough, command attention? Mr. S’s naturally commanding voice booms and echoes in the small room.
I have a copy of Mr. S’s lesson plans for the week, a copy of the American Literature textbook, and a copy of the yearly plan for each grade level. However, because the previous English teacher did not return any of my inquiring emails from last semester (I didn’t know she resigned), I still need the necessities – a grade book, markers, a whole punch. Mr. G said that there is a whole street of supply stores downtown – we just have to figure out where and how to get there. I have a whole list of questions and want to sit down with Mr. S to plan out the semester, to understand his expectations. I need to know how much authority I have, what he expects of me. Unfortunately, because he’s the headmaster he’s only on this campus the second half of the day. I need to consolidate my questions and be prepared to only get 5 minutes with him.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Teotihuican and Dia de los Rias Magos
Taxi rides.
A hotel room.
Dinner with the headmaster.
Pyramids.
3 types of salsa - chocolate, red, and green.
The day of the 3 Kings.
Riding the Metro.
Not much internet.
Dancing waiters.
Museum of Mexico City.
Getting lost and reading maps.
Tomorrow: 1st day of student teaching!
No yo pequino hablo espanol!
A hotel room.
Dinner with the headmaster.
Pyramids.
3 types of salsa - chocolate, red, and green.
The day of the 3 Kings.
Riding the Metro.
Not much internet.
Dancing waiters.
Museum of Mexico City.
Getting lost and reading maps.
Tomorrow: 1st day of student teaching!
No yo pequino hablo espanol!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Market Day
Yesterday Ashley and I, the missionaries, and some Mexican Christians had a mexican breakfast (omelet, steamed brocolli and some other vegetable, with coffee) and went to visit the largest market in the world. We saw an aerial view and it was HUGE. We walked all day and still didn't see a portion of it. At the end another Mexican friend who worked at the market had all of us come over to his house, where his wife and kids fed us meat, beans, rice, fresh tortillas, a salsa made out of cactus (not that bad!), and a dessert of pineapple,jello, mayo, and nuts. It was wonderful. The families were extremely hospitable and very protective, even though they both live in one of the worst parts of town (Nesa - remember where they take the girl in Man on Fire after she's kidnapped?).
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Dia Dos
This morning Ashley and I bummed around the apartment and made nachos with yesterday's leftovers (while watching some guys paint the gutter?), and then took off on an adventure to visit the two local malls. We quickly discovered that we were in a well off upper/middle class neighborhood and were shocked to see how well dressed everyone was. The families are very close and we enjoyed watching the beautiful women, the men opening thier doors, and the cute but mischevious children (throwing stuffed animals in the food court?!). We then walked down the street to another mall with mostly American stores, and wandered up to the movie theatre. I made Ashley go find out the ticket price, and when she announced that it was 35 pesos ($3.50 USD) we went to see the English playing version (with Spanish subtitles) of National Treasure. It was a lot of fun, not to mention the guy next to us who kept answering his phone. We got home and the missionaries next door invited us for hot chocolate and apple pie, and we spent the evening swapping stories and learning about life from different cultures, generations, denominations, and perspectives. Tomorrow we're going with them to the largest market in Latin America - I can't remember the name right now. Pictures soon!
~ Angela (now pronounced "Anxela")
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
we're here!
Mexico city is super modern. Sure, there's graffiti and slums but there are those in all big cities. Ash and I are really sheltered so far, though - the missionaries we're staying with right now have a very nice apartment (and we have one next to them for 3 nights) in a Jewish section of town. We walked around the corner and bought groceries at the Walmart-owned (very nice, Western-European styled) grocery store - the workers all wear collared shirts, the men wear ties, and the managers wear suit jackets. If they need anything they walk to the microphone by the door and call someone. Everything was clean and they had all the American brands (well, most - definately more than I'd expected), plus the delightful European perks of an amazing cheese selection and fresh bakery breads. Ashley and I made a really great fajita meal with lots of leftovers. If anyone's hungry, just drop by. (Pics and more news to follow soon). Buenos noches, Amigos!
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