Before you all get your panties in a knot, let me explain this one thing:
Nothing is certain in Chile.
All of the information about my placement, school, etc is very tentative. And everyday I discover that I have interpreted information incorrectly.
For example, I will not be teaching at an Engineering school. I shared my info packet with my temporary Spanish teacher today, and she pointed out that the title of the school was named after an ex president. The name of the estableshment is "Ingeniero (which does mean engineering to prove im not a huge ditz) Jorge Alessandri Rodriguez" And I feel like an idiot because I know who Alessandri is. (remember I checked out many books at the CP library before my arrival...including books with their political history)
Ingeniero in this context solely serves as his Alessandri's title, since he was also an Engineer. Thus, I will not be teaching at a technical school. I will be teaching at un Collegio Basico (k-8th), and most likely 4th-8th graders. (phew) I was sweating at the thought of teaching a classroom of high school, male engineers.
I have 2 more days of orientation, una fiesta grande, a night of dancing, and a day exploring the untouched hill of Santiago (ie. San Cristobal, granted the smog levels are low)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Estoy inferma :(
I became grossly ill yesterday and missed most of the orientation sessions today. I'm not sure what made me sick. It could have been a combination of living in close quarters with 30 other people (in a hostel), drinking the water here or the food. I'm thinking it was something I ate this past weekend in Valparaiso.
I did make it to one session today, and we found out more about our placement site. I will be living with another teacher in my school. Also, I will be living with her parents and her husband. The entire household is over the age of 50. I was surprised to find that I will not have 10 kiddos running around, but I think it could be a good thing. (ie. more alone time, a break from kids, etc) The family described themselves as warm/friendly, studious, and religious. They are positive that my Spanish will improve. (The emails they sent me were very formal, as if written by scholars)
Also, I think I will be working for a technical school. The name of the school has the word "Ingeniero", which means Engineering. I thought I would be teaching medio (1-8th), but now I'm unsure.
I am trying to go into the next week with minimal expectations. (because there is a HUGE chance that it will change.)
I did make it to one session today, and we found out more about our placement site. I will be living with another teacher in my school. Also, I will be living with her parents and her husband. The entire household is over the age of 50. I was surprised to find that I will not have 10 kiddos running around, but I think it could be a good thing. (ie. more alone time, a break from kids, etc) The family described themselves as warm/friendly, studious, and religious. They are positive that my Spanish will improve. (The emails they sent me were very formal, as if written by scholars)
Also, I think I will be working for a technical school. The name of the school has the word "Ingeniero", which means Engineering. I thought I would be teaching medio (1-8th), but now I'm unsure.
I am trying to go into the next week with minimal expectations. (because there is a HUGE chance that it will change.)
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Que es un voluntario?
To volunteer: to perform or offer to perform work of your own free will.
I always considered volunteering to be defined as work without pay. I've volunteered at homeless shelters, at fundraising activities for organizations, and other works of charity. Although I enjoy helping people, I never considered myself to be very altruistic.
I joined the teach abroad in Chile program for Alliance Abroad to learn Spanish, gain teaching experience, and travel. Also, it wasn't a requirement for me that the program have much pay, because I knew that the program would offer me riches worth more than money.
The past week in Santiago, I have been training with the other program volunteers. We arose early to learn about Chilean culture and history, study the Chilean school system, attend personal Spanish lessons, and to take Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) courses. We are all exasperated, but feeling more prepared. I am anticipating the teaching experience very much.
Its been extremely helpful having the Spanish refresher courses before i meet my host family next week in Curico (where i will be teaching); also, it has been interesting learning more about the customs in Chile, such as eating with both hands in sight. (never to be hidden underneath the table); and its been great brainstorming TEFL classroom strategies with other teachers here. But the most beneficial part of the training was studying the Chilean school system.
There are three types of school systems in Chile: private (catholic), semi public, and public. There is colegio basico (1-8) and colegio medio (1-4, similar to high school). The quality of education depends on the wealth of the students' families. (The disparity between the best private school and the poorest public school is very vast.) But overall, Chilean schools are strict, formal, conservative, and simple.
The school I went to observe was a semi public, technical school in a middle class neighborhood. It was surrounded by high cement walls topped with jagged glass to keep out intruders. The gate had to be opened for our bus to reach the parking lot. Even though the school wasn't terribly inviting, it was clean and well maintained. It had an open courtyard and 2 large, stone buildings.
The principal and school welcomed us with open arms. They sat us in the 'sala' for coffee and cookies while a dozen students introduced themselves to us. We mingled with them and were then ushered around the school to observe the technical and academic classrooms.
The students were divided into 5 groups in the school. One group were studying to attend a university. Three groups were studying to obtain practical jobs (ie. cooking, mechanics, electronics), and the last group was for basic education. I was surprised to see that a majority of the students were boys. The mechanics and electronics classes did not have one girl in them.
I asked the principal during our tour, "Where are all of the girls?"
She answered that many of the teenagers become pregnant before 14 yrs old.
In the English class we observed, there were 40 students (38 of them boys) crammed into small room, elbow to elbow. The walls were bare. The only materials were a dry erase board and marker. Inside the classroom, it was obvious to me that the students were consumed with distractions. It was a tight squeeze in the small rooms. The students played on their cell phones, passed notes, shouted jokes and insults, and ignored their teacher. The students were not motivated. The English teacher laughed when she said, "I do not give them hw because they will not do it".
Also, the coldness in the rooms was quite shocking. The top of the interior walls were made of glass windows, many of them broken, and did not do much to keep out the cold or the noise. The voices clung to the icy hallways. I wondered how students could concentrate in classrooms when they had to be bundled in wool coats.
These are the realities of schools in Chile, but not only in Chile. America has similar struggles.
So, when I signed up to teach English in Chile, i really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I pictured myself in a cozy classroom of 20 students, growing close with them, playing games, taking field trips, playing soccer after school, etc. However, this is not the case.
I was informed, 3 days ago, that all of the teachers in the program will be placed in our own school (either basico or medio). I will be expected to take half of an English class (approx 20 students) to my own room for instruction in conversational English. I will be teaching 40 minutes and then swapping with the other teacher for the other half of the class. And then repeat this for the next period. All day long.
So, I wont be teaching 20 students. There is a possibility that I will teach 100-400 students every week. The schools are expecting us to be streched so that all of the students can benefit from us. They want us to share our native tongue with the entire school.
At first, the epic news that i will be the school's English tutor made me very nervous. It shook up my imaginings of making a positive impact in a very personal way.
One of the program directors comforted us with these words: "You will most likely be the first and only native speaker your city will ever meet. You will be able to improve their state of living by helping them to acquire a second language or at least encourage them to pursue further knowledge."
Even though i came to Chile with selfish intentions, my heart is finding priority in charity.
I will found out my host family and school information this Tuesday, and I will leave for Curico on Saturday.
I always considered volunteering to be defined as work without pay. I've volunteered at homeless shelters, at fundraising activities for organizations, and other works of charity. Although I enjoy helping people, I never considered myself to be very altruistic.
I joined the teach abroad in Chile program for Alliance Abroad to learn Spanish, gain teaching experience, and travel. Also, it wasn't a requirement for me that the program have much pay, because I knew that the program would offer me riches worth more than money.
The past week in Santiago, I have been training with the other program volunteers. We arose early to learn about Chilean culture and history, study the Chilean school system, attend personal Spanish lessons, and to take Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) courses. We are all exasperated, but feeling more prepared. I am anticipating the teaching experience very much.
Its been extremely helpful having the Spanish refresher courses before i meet my host family next week in Curico (where i will be teaching); also, it has been interesting learning more about the customs in Chile, such as eating with both hands in sight. (never to be hidden underneath the table); and its been great brainstorming TEFL classroom strategies with other teachers here. But the most beneficial part of the training was studying the Chilean school system.
There are three types of school systems in Chile: private (catholic), semi public, and public. There is colegio basico (1-8) and colegio medio (1-4, similar to high school). The quality of education depends on the wealth of the students' families. (The disparity between the best private school and the poorest public school is very vast.) But overall, Chilean schools are strict, formal, conservative, and simple.
The school I went to observe was a semi public, technical school in a middle class neighborhood. It was surrounded by high cement walls topped with jagged glass to keep out intruders. The gate had to be opened for our bus to reach the parking lot. Even though the school wasn't terribly inviting, it was clean and well maintained. It had an open courtyard and 2 large, stone buildings.
The principal and school welcomed us with open arms. They sat us in the 'sala' for coffee and cookies while a dozen students introduced themselves to us. We mingled with them and were then ushered around the school to observe the technical and academic classrooms.
The students were divided into 5 groups in the school. One group were studying to attend a university. Three groups were studying to obtain practical jobs (ie. cooking, mechanics, electronics), and the last group was for basic education. I was surprised to see that a majority of the students were boys. The mechanics and electronics classes did not have one girl in them.
I asked the principal during our tour, "Where are all of the girls?"
She answered that many of the teenagers become pregnant before 14 yrs old.
In the English class we observed, there were 40 students (38 of them boys) crammed into small room, elbow to elbow. The walls were bare. The only materials were a dry erase board and marker. Inside the classroom, it was obvious to me that the students were consumed with distractions. It was a tight squeeze in the small rooms. The students played on their cell phones, passed notes, shouted jokes and insults, and ignored their teacher. The students were not motivated. The English teacher laughed when she said, "I do not give them hw because they will not do it".
Also, the coldness in the rooms was quite shocking. The top of the interior walls were made of glass windows, many of them broken, and did not do much to keep out the cold or the noise. The voices clung to the icy hallways. I wondered how students could concentrate in classrooms when they had to be bundled in wool coats.
These are the realities of schools in Chile, but not only in Chile. America has similar struggles.
So, when I signed up to teach English in Chile, i really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I pictured myself in a cozy classroom of 20 students, growing close with them, playing games, taking field trips, playing soccer after school, etc. However, this is not the case.
I was informed, 3 days ago, that all of the teachers in the program will be placed in our own school (either basico or medio). I will be expected to take half of an English class (approx 20 students) to my own room for instruction in conversational English. I will be teaching 40 minutes and then swapping with the other teacher for the other half of the class. And then repeat this for the next period. All day long.
So, I wont be teaching 20 students. There is a possibility that I will teach 100-400 students every week. The schools are expecting us to be streched so that all of the students can benefit from us. They want us to share our native tongue with the entire school.
At first, the epic news that i will be the school's English tutor made me very nervous. It shook up my imaginings of making a positive impact in a very personal way.
One of the program directors comforted us with these words: "You will most likely be the first and only native speaker your city will ever meet. You will be able to improve their state of living by helping them to acquire a second language or at least encourage them to pursue further knowledge."
Even though i came to Chile with selfish intentions, my heart is finding priority in charity.
I will found out my host family and school information this Tuesday, and I will leave for Curico on Saturday.
Monday, May 21, 2007
photos de santiago
Colorful art murals/grafitti art.
Overlooking the vast city on Santo Lucia
The only restaurant ive liked thus far! Bellavista in SantiagoSaturday, May 19, 2007
mi primero dia en chile!
The plane from Dallas to Santiago lasted an entire 10 hours. It was a roomy, overnight flight with two complimentary meals. And even though the seat next to me was vacant, I could still not get comfortable. I believe I exhausted all of the sleeping positions the two seats would allow.....Watching the sun rise over the Andes mountains made up for my night of tossing and turning.
Chileans did not make a good first impression with me. Upon arriving in the country, all foreigners are required to pay a fee and for Americans, it is $100. So, i handed the lady at the booth 5 $20 USA bills. She would not accept one of the twenties because there was a teeny tear in the bill! I tried to hand her Chilean pesos and she refused. "no accepto".
*What the hell!? i thought. I'm in Chile!
Thankfully, 2 other girls from my program were with me on the flight and came to save the day and lent me the twenty dollars i needed to enter the country.
After the airport, we were bused to our hostel. We were welcomed with pisco sours and keys to the forth floor. Can you imagine 4 girls lugging our huge load up 4 flights of stairs! ?
I had a great time exploring Santiago with people from my program. My hostel is located in the bohemian district in Chile, so it is crawling with new york styles, punk music, and surprisingly, Gothic teenagers. Chile is way more up-to-date with recent trends and popular music than I expected. I spoke with a girl that works at the front desk at the hostel about Sufjan Stevens, New Order, Interpol, and other American indie artists.....and i decided to give chileans a second chance....
I've chatted with many other Chileans since my arrival, and they have proved themselves more amiable. However, I've found that they are more arrogant, hip and independent than other latin americans.
Salud!
Until later...ciao!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Where to?! Curico?!
It's 3 days before I leave for Chile, and I STILL don't know what city I will be teaching in!
(If you cant see this as an inconvenience, remember that Chile has 12 regions, all with separate climates! The city will decide what I will pack!)
I received an email from another girl that is attending my program yesterday. Her name is Nicole Baker and she is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She sent a short note to introduce herself to myself and 4 others in the program because she was privy to our placement site: Curico, where she claimed we will be living and working together for 6 months.
" How did she find out before me?!" I wondered. "I've been waiting for this information for 2 months and I found out from THIS YANKEE? I live in the same city as the coordinators of the program! How am i the last to find out?!"
Nonetheless, I returned Nicole's email and introduced myself, still doubting Nicole as a valid source and waiting for the Alliance Abroad Group's (A.A.G.) confirmation.
Later that evening it struck me that this is absolutely unprofessional that I had to find out this way! (Nicole) I thought that it was unacceptable for them not contact all of the participants at the same time! So, after a million phone calls in an attempt to reach A.A.G., I finally spoke with Kim, the Chile program director, and she had no idea what i was talking about.
"We still haven't received the word from Chile. " Kim replied.
After Kim and I discussed Nicole's email, Kim unveiled the secret spilling of my placement site. She had me refer back to a recent email that was sent direct from Chile. It was addressed "Dear Curico volunteers". I had overlooked this blatant clue, because of the pointless welcome message that was attached.
"Well, it is likely that you will be placed in Curico, then. But there is no guarantees until we hear from Chile."
Keep your fingers crossed! Curico was my number one choice!
(If you cant see this as an inconvenience, remember that Chile has 12 regions, all with separate climates! The city will decide what I will pack!)
I received an email from another girl that is attending my program yesterday. Her name is Nicole Baker and she is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She sent a short note to introduce herself to myself and 4 others in the program because she was privy to our placement site: Curico, where she claimed we will be living and working together for 6 months.
" How did she find out before me?!" I wondered. "I've been waiting for this information for 2 months and I found out from THIS YANKEE? I live in the same city as the coordinators of the program! How am i the last to find out?!"
Nonetheless, I returned Nicole's email and introduced myself, still doubting Nicole as a valid source and waiting for the Alliance Abroad Group's (A.A.G.) confirmation.
Later that evening it struck me that this is absolutely unprofessional that I had to find out this way! (Nicole) I thought that it was unacceptable for them not contact all of the participants at the same time! So, after a million phone calls in an attempt to reach A.A.G., I finally spoke with Kim, the Chile program director, and she had no idea what i was talking about.
"We still haven't received the word from Chile. " Kim replied.
After Kim and I discussed Nicole's email, Kim unveiled the secret spilling of my placement site. She had me refer back to a recent email that was sent direct from Chile. It was addressed "Dear Curico volunteers". I had overlooked this blatant clue, because of the pointless welcome message that was attached.
"Well, it is likely that you will be placed in Curico, then. But there is no guarantees until we hear from Chile."
Keep your fingers crossed! Curico was my number one choice!
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