CIEE the program which I started this whole thing is hosting a contest for teachers to write about a typical day in the school where you are teaching. You must include three pictures. The winner receives 250$ from Amazon and your school receives 250$ from Amazon. So I decided to enter and this is my take on being "schooled."(the theme).
OMG! Justin Bieber!
My name is Joel Morse. I teach 5th grade through 8th grade in La Serena, Chile and this is my story of "schooled."
Tio! Tio! Tio! The students form a tunnel as I arrive to school. I feel like Justin Bieber walking down the red carpet to the Grammys. My name is replaced in the form of "tio" or "profe" and the chants, well I can't help but smile. The students use the name tio as a form of respect and to be honest I'm not even sure they know my real name and I'm just fine with that. Some of the students give me gifts and not like a gift certificate to the closest Starbucks or a gas card to the nearest Chevron, I'm talking about an orange, one cookie from an already opened package, a pencil, a marker, a juice box and some portraits of myself on a spiderman body, don't ask. All these gifts I have stored in a box in my room, except the cookie, orange and juice box for which I consumed on site. Would I trade these in for a Starbucks gift card? No. Not a chance. A chevron gas card? Well...gas prices are pretty high lately...and I....just kidding, there isn't a chance I would. Somethings are just worth more.
Hey do you know Justin Bieber? Hey do you know Justin Bieber? Hey do you know Justin Bieber? This is the most popular question amongst my students. And the answer is no. I do not know Justin Bieber, I did not talk to Justin Bieber, I did not go to any of his concerts, but I did see him on tv once... When I told them that the girls went wild. They did that "oh my gosh Justin Bieber is so hot scream." The boys usually don't say much about their celebrity crushes but they love to give me soft taps on the stomach and ask me if I have abs. "Abs?" "Have abs?" You would think that the hundreth time they would know whether I have abs or not. Looks like I better start working out!
The seats fill up and I ask the class to stand up. I say in my most properest English, oops I meant proper English, "good morning class!" They respond, "good morning teacher!" I usually see about one or two hands a day raised before I start class. "Yes Daniella, what is it?" She looks back and forth at her two girlfriends beside her and smiles. "Do you know Justin Bieber?" She follows it up with a giggle and a slight blush and the class continues. I begin with the question of the day which could be anything from how are you to what are you doing this weekend? They answer but you can see it in their eyes that they are wondering whether or not we are going to play a game or not. The first game I ever played with the students was Simon Says. I really had no idea what level their English was at so I started out with some vocab that they knew. They got bored and I asked why? They said they knew all the vocabulary already. So, I decided to switch it up and add a whole bunch of new vocab. Simon had them doing all sorts of things from cartwheels to pushups from dancing to giving high fives. I had them practically breakdancing. They not only had fun doing the moves but I'm sure a few of them went home and asked their parents if they knew what an air guitar was and performed it afterwards, rightfully so.
Days usually end around 3 or 4 and maybe if I'm not too tired I'll stick around and get my butt kicked in some Ping Pong. Who knew Chile breeded professional middle school ping pong players? I sure didn't! First two shots were winning backhands followed by an applause and the Tio chant. The next 21 shots not so much. I feel I may have a shot in the next four months. It's like what I tell my kids in English class, the more you practice the better you will get!
My school is called Colegio Cordillera and it is four years new. The walls of my own classroom are blank waiting eagerly for student's work to be posted. Just some odd days ago, the library was just a single wall of books and two tables. They just finished building a bigger room for it and are in the process of moving things as we speak. The school is small in size but big in heart. The small number of students and staff make it more like a family than a school. There are around 200 students from grades K-8 and it seems even smaller than that. One of the best times of the day is during the 15 minute break where I have a front row seat in the teachers lounge to watch all the students run a muck in the playground. The smiles on the faces are priceless and the carefree attitudes are unquestionable. If I'm having a bad day I just wait til the clock strikes 12:00 and turn my eyes onto the playground. If I'm not having a good day, at least I know someone is having a good one, and for that, I am thankful.
Whether or not I know Justin Bieber or have chissled abs, the most important thing is their education. This is an awesome school in that there is one class per grade. I'm excited to leave after the four months knowing all the names of my students, even though I probably won't be able to pronounce any of them correctly. I pass through the hall to my class everyday. The students interact with eachother as if there is no discrimination between grade levels. It's just one big family. I feel that these kids would all have eachothers backs, even mine. That is what makes this school special. The school may be only four years old but it feels like these kids and staff have been together forever. It is a school where students want to stay afterwards and play volleyball together. It is a school where the staff makes you feel at home even if you stick out like a sore thumb, aka "un gringo." It is a school where students take your school bag and your cd player and walk it down to your classroom for you. Even when you look at the school you can't help but smile. The yellow paint on the outside provides a sunny disposition. The neighborhood of close friends and family provides safety and warmth. This is a good school with good people. For that, I am thankful and for that Colegio Cordillera is deserving. Help fill their new library with books. Ciao.
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