Off topic - Dulce is Sweet

Dulce - the perfect student. Always two chapters ahead, demands that I check homeworks that I have not assigned yet. Always on time, asking questions that stump the teacher and best of all - always with a contagious smile. She is the leader of her class, intervenes for other's grades, constantly reminds her peers about due homeworks or upcoming tests. In a way, that's what differentiates my sixth graders from my seventh graders. The absence of a peer that reminds, advocates and keep others accountable has drastic academic and behavioral effects.

In turn, and making a huge leap in comparison (if the reader will allow me), but in the spirit that a class is a microcosm of society, the same consequences brought upon by the absence of good leadership fall on a nation as a whole. Take for example, our Honduran President Mel Zelaya.

He lacks foresight, has no accountability and cares less for the Honduran worker. Hondurans are being hit hard by the United State's recession. Just take a look at the labels of your favourite t-shirts or underwear or other garments to figure out that many clothes that Americans wear come from third world countries like Honduras. Heck!!! China is outsourcing its sweatshops to Honduras. If Americans are not buying as they did before, then Hondurans are not producing, and if there is no production then therefore there are no jobs here. 133,000 jobs lost so far (33,000 from garment factories). Mel Zelaya has gone rogue like Venezuelan Hugo Chavez. Trying to be populist, he has exarcebated Honduran economy by instituting an unbelievable minimum wage increase (40-60%). I'm all for more pay for workers specially when it involves international sweatshops that exploit workers, but given the global crisis, this is wrong timing and way too high of an increase in a too short period of time. It's having catastrophic effects for a country where 28% unemployment rate is the norm. At 10%, California should consider itself lucky and for many reasons I rather be unemployed in the States than in Honduras. But I digress, and way off topic and could go on and on about Mel, but for fear of losing your interest let me finish.

My teachers always said that their greatest joy came from knowing that some of us would go and be productive citizens. They felt that they had taken part in developing us as we turned out to be successful in whatever field we chose. I'm starting to experience that as I look at Dulce and others that are similar to her. I can only hope for a better future for Honduras and hope that future leaders like Dulce do not decide to live elsewhere besides her home country. I'm being egoistical and hypocritical, because Dulce is who she is way before I met her and will probably be the same as she goes forward, and I can't wait to go home!!! I'm glad to have taken part in her development. Even if only it means to only have taught her a school year of spelling and science.

Off Topic - Teaching at El Alba #2

I consider myself extremely lucky to have landed a teaching job here in Honduras a couple of weeks after I got off the plane in Tegus. After our tearful goodbyes, I perused the newspaper I had grabbed earlier in the day and looked up potential jobs. Saw an article calling for teachers in Siguatepeque and here I am.

Teaching, is what I had wanted to do for a long time. I still remember that day that made me seriously think about teaching. It was a video on PBS about a teacher who unconventionally taught his classes with very good results. The video must have been made in the fifties or earlier because I remember the film being in black and white. The way he took his students outside and interacted with them and the results he got by teaching differently than his peers made me think that the profession was worthwile. I am sure things are different nowadays what with "teaching to the test" and things of that nature and such (as Arnold will say). I am sure I'll be somewhat disappointed to teach in California specially given this first year experience teaching in El Alba.

First of all, I found that teacher that inspired me to teach, here in Honduras. Well, not exactly him, but he reminds me a lot of the teacher on tv. Mr Cierra as he known by all, is a caring individual, knowledgeable, patient and loved by all students. I remember the first day that I met him. I was given a few books to teach from and was pretty much told "go teach." You can imagine how I felt, but there have been many "sink or swim" situations in my life so I knew how to respond - I needed a guide and I needed someone right away because classes were waiting for me! Of course, I began asking around for the previous science, reading or spelling teachers and no surprise! I had taken their place so they were gone! Who to turn to? Who?

At first, Mr Cierra just brushed me off. I was told to go to him because I would be teaching his homeroom classes and I needed to talk to the guide teacher. My first days were hectic, the same for Mr Cierra back-to-work preparations and so he was too busy for me. Somehow, he gathered that I really needed help and recanted. He sat in my few first classes and gave me pointers. I was nervous throughout this scrutiny. Told me that I was not teaching to college kids and needed to tone down the science for the sixth graders. He showed me how to prepare the weekly and term plans. Taught me to look ahead upcoming months and take out holidays or event days and that I will never finish class books given to me but to go ahead and give it a try. When it came to dealing with parents he said "Think of the conversation like a sandwhich. The soft part comes first where you applaud their child and then you get to the meat of it where you discuss the reason for their visit, lastly you leave the parent with additional praise for the kid." This last advice has come useful since I've had many visits from parents or sibblings throughout the school year. It's not that they do bad (some do), but it's because here at El Alba most parents are concerned about how their kid is doing and drop once in a while to check in - I know! Concerned parents are hard to come by in California public schools.

One last thing that he said lately is "have fun, it's a job but you should be having fun doing it." He'd caught me scolding my class for their refusal to work, I was probably too upset to notice how I was behaving, but that comment pulled me out completely. He was right, so far I'd been having fun, but you know how it is. Some kids get you riled up and the majority pays. In summary I've tried to be understanding with them like I've seen Mr Cierra does, but when they misbehave I've to be strict with them. And in some situations, I know that it's a daily struggle but if you know me you know that I only see it as a challenge to look forward to.

Taking a break from the Story

To all my readers:
Thanks a lot for following my story and for your comments. I know that its disappointing coming to my blog and finding bi-weekly updates. I follow a few blogs myself and there is an unsaid demand that bloggers have to blog before losing people's interest. Those that know me personally will probably keep coming, but for those that don't, then I have to deliver. I've been busy at school and my memory about Belize is now fuzzy. I think that my memories as a kid in Honduras were allowed to be grainy but now that I have arrived to the Belizean part - I have to be more accurate. So, I'm taking a quick trip to visit my "adopted" country (Belize) during Easter week and will now write a few stories about teaching in Sigua. Therefore, my Belizean stories will be more descriptive and include other people in my life. Just picture me going around Belize with a handheld video camera and pen and paper.
Please, do not be confused: I'm taking a break from my immigrant story (25 years ago) and now telling about my current experiences, AND these stories are not going to be chronological but more of a summary of my past 7 months of teaching.
Saludes a tod@s.