Oi!
I cannot believe it is already Week 2...time certainly does fly (like at 3e8 m/s)!
My affection for the children I work with has grown exponentially since Day 1. Once shy strangers, I now consider them little cousins that I can have a good time with but also discipline when necessary. This is going to sound awful, but I kind of love when they cry, because who do they come running to? ME. I feel so special! And they are so adorably vulnerable at that point. It was hilarious today when this little girl, Pamela, started crying. She is one of the biggest bullies in her class and a boy who is mentally challenged hit her hard. She kind of received the bitter taste of her own medicine. What goes around, comes around. Sorry, I think I'm still mad at her for throwing my hair clip in the garbage just for kicks and giggles. Not cool, Pamela. (I know, her adorable face is deceiving!)
I am really glad that I chose to do the intern program. While the thought of being the first intern in six years was daunting at first, it slowly became more of a welcome challenge. Brazil's culture is highly laid back; so, as an intern, it is my job to initiate projects and suggest valid and worthwhile ideas. I have spent much time solely observing the methods of classroom management and pedagogy, so as to grasp the potential areas for improvement. I have noticed that there is too much free time in my room. I appreciate that the teacher provides ample time for socio-emotional development. At the same time, however, much of that time period is met with immature verbal fights and turning boys and girls into punching bags. I also wish the teacher was more even-keeled in her tone and instruction. Every so often, she will start yelling...and boy, am I scared; I just want to run for the hills!
(Just a quick tangent: here are the artifacts from the rainbow day!)
After giving myself time to ruminate the possibilities and working with Grace, my intern advisor, every Monday, I have devised several ideas. My first stemmed from my Girl Scout Gold Award Project in high school. I led a two week tutoring camp for inner city children in Paterson, New Jersey. After conferencing with Girl Scout council representatives, I was told to collect artifacts and create a summative guide for future tutors. This way, my contribution would not wither once I was finished. Instead, it would be able to be recycled in different formats by other gals.
This concept makes me want to create some type of portfolio for future Cross-Cultural Solution volunteers and interns. I thought it would be meaningful to develop simple and direct power point lessons. I would cover some of the topics I have already taught such as colors, numbers, fruits, basic conversation phrases, and the alphabet. In addition, I would introduce animals, body parts, and aspects of a town lifestyle (market, beach, church, laundromat, etc.)--to name a few. My love for graphic design and the fact that I miss layout editing for Oak Knoll's newspaper makes it all the more desirable to execute this idea.
Another idea is to have the children go on a pretend field trip. I admit that I may have borrowed this fabulous notion from my 1st grade teacher. I experienced the awesomeness of Mexico in my school's front yard. I would pretend that we were touring Salvador, but through the eyes of an American. We would visit the beach, the art museum, the Historic Center, the soccer stadium, and other sights. Different stations set up around the room would represent various regions. This plan requires a lot of well...planning. I also want to learn a little bit more of Portuguese to buffer any areas of confusion.
Lastly, I want to create a book that the children can have as a keepsake. This book would solely have English content. It would be filled with fun illustrations and would be available for reference once I am gone. I want most of the pages to be created by the children (sorry for my passive grammar!).
Today, I had the amazing opportunity to visit a private school on the east side of Salvador. This was an eye-opening experience, because prior to this stop, I was only familiar with the impoverished education system. This school, called Colegio Candido Portinari, was stunning in design and layout. I swear it could have come out of a Disney Channel studio! They have a gym on the top floor and a state-of-the-art auditorium. The classrooms are spacious and complete with comfortable seating in the form of cushion-y desks. The terrace on the top of the building definitely screams wealth! Also, there are snack bars scattered around the building, at the children's full disposal. Students pay about 7, 000 reais (pronounced hay-ayss) per year, which is quite steep in Brazilian terms.
The discussion I had with the director of the English program from grades 9 through 12 provided insight into the challenges all schools have with implementing solid English programs. The school is currently executing a step-wise plan to elicit a fully sufficient language program. In 2009, there were two short classes per week that taught basic English--according to the director, this translated to "nobody learns English" classes. Now, the director and school are in a transitional phase, jumping on to a more frequent schedule. 5th through 9th graders take English four times a week for 50 minutes. This is officially the 1st phase. The 2nd phase will introduce optional after-school bilingual classes. This will include completing homework and conversing in English.
The focus of the program is on meaning, rather than pronunciation. In my Early Literacy (two-pronged) courses, I learned about Louise Rosenblatt's theory of efferent and aesthetic reading. She believes that efferent reading is the "mode [that] attempts to identify and collect points of information from the text," while aesthetic reading "appraises the rhetorical techniques and qualitative experience presented in the text" (http://everything2.com/title/efferent+and+aesthetic+reading). Sorry, APA, but I ain't following your whole citation rules right now! #suchanacademicrebel
It seems that the director puts more weight on the end of the see-saw that is efferent. In fact, aesthetic reading is dismissed as students spend little time reading English text directly.
Right now, a typical English class consists of working with texts such as Keys of Learning by Pearson and English in Mind by Cambridge. This foundation gives way to rich conversations that make up the bulk of class time. The holistic approach incorporates a multi-sensory method, using visual context, listening comprehension, and pronunciation via speaking. Students enjoy exploring American pop culture and history during this time. Right now, students are exploring the Civil Rights Movements. They are studying the juxtaposition of the struggles of African Americans with the real meaning of democracy in Brazil. Rosa Parks plays a central role in this inquiry. In October, students will gather material to write a play about Parks. While this is a prime opportunity for English skills to be practiced, the teacher reminds herself to be strict in her language choice. When discussing important logistics, the teacher falls back on Portuguese.
I know I assured you that I would mention the cultural activities of Salvador, Bahia! I sincerely apologize...I will definitely discuss said topics in my next post!
Tchau! Arlene (Or-lee-na)
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