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Published: August 26th 2010
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Director Paul Williams
greeting new hires and giving school history Maurice says that I have to tell you about school here in Mexico City. So, with cervesa in chilled mug, I start out my school blog. I began school AT the school on August 4th, Wednesday. There are many departments at this school and each of the departments had to do something that let all the newcomers know that they were very important and they really are, but after a full week and a half of this I WAS SICK of meetings. I don't really remember all the stuff they told me about, but they gave me a laptop and sent me off to laptop world to play on it. The rooms are small and most don't have a teacher desk or a table to work at. Everything needs to be locked because nothing get stolen here, it just changes hands. Finally the children will come to school and I'll spend time doing what I do best...teach! (not drink beer and party). Friday the 13th PM half of my class and parents show up with more supplies than are humanly possible to carry and the students were given 2 small cubbies each to hold the massive amount of supplies...Spanish, English,Music and
Staff Breakfast
during orientation week, before classes begin, over 580 staff welcomed to breakfast Art. I walk over to the supply room for teacher supplies, which are housed under the bleachers for the football field. I see something that looks like Office Depot less the desks and computers....a delightful teacher candy store. I am allowed to select and take, without charge, ANY and ALL the things I take from the shelves. Yes, yes I must write the names on a list ...in spanish, but I have died and gone to heaven....AND I can go back as often as I like...although it is on the other side of the 17 acre campus. Or I can have all my supplies delivered to me on Thursday mornings and my students will bring them up to the third floor. Each floor has 12 to 15 foot ceilings, those stairs are long and after 13 to 14 trips a day....I send the kids.
My day begins at the school about 6:45AM, half of the parking lot is full by then. The days start early here. I walk up to the 3rd floor, check my emails and find 20ish new entries. I'm getting good a deleting the chaff, reading what needs to read, respond to parents and yes, finding
Linda at the supply room
I left my list and supplies were ready for pickup an hour later out that yet another meeting has been scheduled. The 2 today are about Meet the Teacher Night and grade alike pacing for the next 2 weeks. I get at least 80 minutes of prep a day and today I get to add another 40 minutes because my kids have a special (art, music or gym), Tuesday is the only day I don't 120 minutes of prep. I do one noon period of supervision a week (40 minute) and during the year I will do one week of 7:15 to 3:15 supervision, then I'm done supervision for the year. I have 22 delightful children, 1 adhd, 7 struggling with English, but ALL work very hard. I send 1 hour of homework home 4 days a week and so far ALL of it has come bac to me done(ish). I sent parent homework home twice and ALL of it has returned....mostly by email. They take their school very seriously. I have 3 workbooks to get through this year and I could have 4 if I wanted to. We have 5 units of study and Social and Science are intergrated into those themes. My first theme is puberty! Wha Who!
Computers are
Supply room
evrything imagineable that might be needed the thing to use. There are 3 digital experts that assist you at anytime during the day or afterschool. They work from 7AM to 5PM, five days a week. The teacher librarian is a computer guro from Australia and has and knows how to use more toys than I knew existed. He has kids use Destiny Quest for everything. He helps kids with anything on line. He has a set of 75 MAC laptops at his disposal AND they all work. We have a cart of 25 laptops, all in working order and the server makes working with a computer simple. Did I tell you there are 3 librarians in my school alone both spanish and english. 40 books were published from the grade 5 class in school last year. I think I can get the ISBN number is anyone wishes.
The pool is closed until the end of Sept but it will open for October. American football, soccer and almost any other sport you can think of is taught here at the school. Arts is huge here. They are building a new theatre to hold 500 - 600 people. Parents don't have their drivers, bodyguards, maids or nannies
Tarmac
kids line up here on the tarmac at 7:40 precisely, and lI greet them and take them to my classroom pick up the kids before 6PM. There are guards placed about every 30 metres all the way around this massive school ground area 24/7. No one gets in or out without ID, even the heads. If you lose your ID it costs you $200 pesos.
Parent Night is this Thursday the 26th. I have a 1 hour oral presentation with powerpoint ready to present to my parents. I've been told that ALL parents will be there dressed to the hilt. Any divorcies will look better to show the new spouse up.
We will go to camp in October for 1 week. We will travel by coach bus to Veracruz, Mexico. The kids will have to rough it in a 3 star set up because it is an environmental camp. Counsellors take charge from the minute we leave the building. We can get involved but do not need to as there are lots of adults that cover every need of the children. We take small boats to the island of monkeys to explore their habitant, we go an area where there are alligators and crocodiles, the jungle is ripe with exploration. Teachers are not needed but they encourage you
My classroom
note the windows, the ABC Hospital, the most elite in the City is across the street, and the helicopter dropping patients off disrupts to go along for team building.....I'm in!
Enough school stuff for now.
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joanne
non-member comment
wow
thanks for sharing your journey with me ... how exciting ... let me know if ANYTHING comes available for a position in my field ... social work is my thing .... not as prolific a writer as you and felt i also wanted to let you know that i am supporting you and thrilled by your adventure ... namaste, joanne :) hey, i owe you some free yoga :)