On the Road Again with Mrs. V: You can take the Teacher out of the School, but you can't......

Once a Teacher,
ALWAYS a Teacher
(actually, here I'm a "Maestra")

Monday, 1/26/15 Since I have tend to have a touch of OCD (LOL), I usually write my blog entries in the exact order the events happened. However, today I must start with what was the highlight for me: a visit to a Mexican elementary school - "Escuela Primaria", in a little town of Higuera Blanca. When we spotted the school and pulled up in front, we could tell that school was over for the day. We still weren't sure if we would be allowed to go in and look around, so we asked a young man who was cleaning up. He spoke only Spanish, but we must have looked "safe" because he motioned for us to come in and allowed us to walk around. Each classroom has its own little building, the "teachers' workroom, complete with copier, etc. is in its own little building, and there is also a playground and play areas all inside a decorative concrete-block "fence". All of the doors to the individual classroom-buildings were open, even though no one was there. (Perhaps they don't have as much of a vandalism problem as we do in the states?!) The only little building that had a locked door was the one for the teachers' room. Maybe they had heard about my reputation for eating any treats left in the teachers' room...LOL!

As we walked around the "Escula Primaria" campus looking into the rooms, I REALLY wanted to go into a classroom, but wasn't sure if the custodian would then get nervous. Well, Ladd talked me into going into one classroom-building, and I'm happy he did! It was a Second-Grade Classroom, and when I walked in I started feeling like I should be back teaching. (Hmmm...a SECOND teaching career in Mexico??) At first I wished the students were there, but we actually had more freedom and time to look around the empty classroom.

As I walked around the room I kept saying, "Oh, look, we do this". There were things everywhere that would be very familiar to any primary teacher. One display was for teaching good manners. Another display had balloons for the children's birthdays. Yet another was work on nutrition. On the white board was a list of writing assignments. There was a display showing signs of good listeners, good behaviors, and consequences for misbehavior. Since my first year of teaching in 1973 I have always wished we taught a second language to our kiddos from kindergarten on, and in this classroom there were charts with words in both Spanish and English.

Then Ladd asked me to sit at the teacher's desk for a "photo op". I hesitated because I felt uncomfortable "invading" another teacher's space. But I knew I wouldn't touch any of his/her belongings and that this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I reluctantly sat for Ladd to take a picture. On the desk, right out in the open, was the number of 2nd-grade students in the class: 17. (Sounds like a great class size to me!) Also on top of the desk were lesson plans and even an observation summary. Of course I did not touch them nor attempt to read them, but since they were in Spanish they would have been "safe" from me even if I attempted to decipher them...ha!

On our way out, we stopped to TRY to talk to the young custodian. We think he understood that I had been a "Maestra" for 41 years because his eyebrows shot up and he looked at me as if he wondered why I was still alive! Ha! He also understood our thanks and appreciation because he smiled from ear-to-ear.

I felt so "at home" that I thought I should wait till "mañana" to greet the second graders!

Centro for where the school was

Entrance to the school grounds

Polite-behavior Words & Nutrition work

P. E. & Activities Schedule

School Courtyard between individual classroom buildings

Class Birthday Balloons

Air-conditioners in every classroom building (Should that request be added to the next B.O.E. meeting? Ha!)

Discipline Codes & Signs of Good Listeners: Universal!

Oh, I want to be teaching! Where ARE those 2nd graders?

Some writing assignments

Oh, no, it seems there are piles of papers to be corrected HERE, too!

Heidi, I thought I'd help you out and do some observations. The only problem is: they are here in Mexico! LOL (Want to join me here to finish?)

Heidi, Ladd says he'll call Dr. D. to get O&M to paint "Escuela Slingerlands; Profesor Heidi" on the wall of the school!

This teacher needs translation time, please.

No translation help needed for these posted rules! They ALL look/sound very familiar!

Thanks for a GREAT visit, polite, hard-working custodian!

This is the place we set out driving to this morning to explore: Punta de Mita - "Point in the middle", about a half hour drive from where we are staying. It is the "middle point" of the peninsula at the north end of Banderas Bay. It actually is the same latitude as the Hawaiian Islands, and the humidity felt like it today. The rocky coastline reminded us of Maine and Rockport and Gloucester, Massachusetts...except much warmer here! Ha! It is a favorite spot for surfers, just as Sayulita is. After visiting the beach areas, we drove around the town. Of course there are middle and lower class areas, but LOTS of very expensive private houses and condos. Too rich for our blood, we decided as we were driving around. Then later we read that some rich entertainers and business people have places in Punta de Mita.