Behind the library

You will find IAVA, the loveliest school, my dream school. It used to be the prep school for the university, and now it is just another liceo, but one that gives all the IPA students celos. The observatory is available upon request.

Classrooms ascend like stairways to knowledge. But the rooms downstairs are more normal.

This is where Lu and Fer have their practice, with Carmen. The day I visited, they were having their goodbye party and receiving the grades, eating, hitting each other with balloons, arguing about the marks, dancing the macarena. It was great. Every student should be able to go to such a beautiful place to learn.

Paulo Freire's long-lost granddaughter

(Not pictured--Noelia was taking the photo for us.) But she has the same name and the same style of teaching, so it must be true. Her class this morning in liceo 23 was a model of openness and respect, and would have done her long-lost grandpa proud. The students actually asked me to stay an extra hour, which I was planning to do anyway, but it was nice they wanted me there. And many of them got up the courage to introduce themselves, so I didn't have to talk the whole time. There are even some whose favorite music is not cumbia!

Update:

Here's another of Noelia's groups, this time in 4th at liceo 9. They were shy today, but according to her they usually are very talkative. I couldn't help showing off a picture of the chivito I had for lunch, as cliche as it was, but only after we talked about more important things like our families, where we live, and the possibility of traveling with an exchange program or grant. It was the last class of the day, so I was afraid everyone would get hungry, but I am hopeful that one day we can all achieve vegetarianism, if we really try. Until then, it is great to be a carnivore in the Republica Oriental.

After a bike ride on the rambla or a sort of bittersweet last day at the IPA, nothing hits the spot like Chivitos Marcos and a visit to the high schools.

Whirlwind tour

That blur may be the effect of how fast the day went, visiting so many classes at school 53, in the Brazo Oriental neighborhood just on the other side of my usual stomping grounds in the Prado.

The blur may also be caused by the alarming number of kids who have been adding me on facebook. I hope this encourages them to keep working on their English. They can also see some of the photos from the places I talk about--Mexico, Spain, Ireland, and the US.

I met a number of famous people, too. The basketball squad and their coach are headed to Peru to represent Uruguay, after beating teams from private schools all throughout the city. Congrats! A blind student I met works on a radio program, and said he'd send me a link. And there was also a pair of young activists from Shoa, educating students in liceos about the Holocaust through the story of Chil Rajchman, a survivor who emigrated to Uruguay. They even gave me a copy of his book, Shh!

Thanks to the teachers, Patricia and Samantha, and all the students for putting up with me. I was getting sleepy by the end of the day, despite my chivito lunch and all their buena onda.

Zoo vs Natural Reserve

Neither--in fact this is a liceo. Number 31, in Malvin.

Just kidding, just kidding! The students weren't savage at all. They debated the matter like decent young scholars, although both sides got competitive and resisted Tamara's suggestions for compromise. And in a likewise civilized manner I gave my opinion of the natural wonders of the US. I tend to pull for the natural reserve, from the animals' standpoint. One student tried to promote zoos for lazy animals. But really zoos are for us, who live in cities and can't always go very far when we want to be in contact with nature. Luckily, we have high schools.

 (photo courtesy of el roodri. viva el facebook)

The liceo visit to end all liceo visits

I don't mean it was the last one. It's just an idiomatic expression that means it was super fun. The bee's knees. The cat's pajamas.  Fun!

This weekend was the end-of-liceo trip for sixth-graders at school 36, and I got to tag along.

We helped the Uruguayan military put up tents for us

and trekked along the hazardous lovely beach of La moza (the waitress?)

Each night closed with a bonfire with all 75 kids and the accompanying teachers and the principal, Margarita herself. The dance party afterward at the boys' tent was optional.

We took the fortress by storm.

Also stole the doggies' hearts.

Made lots of food

And lots and lots of friends.

 

And though the bus broke down just outside the park on the way home, it was fine. We took the time to 'moler cafe, a moler cafe' and play other silly games.

Then did some final star-gazing. We finally got home around midnight, and it was all good, because Monday was a holiday.

Many, many thanks to all the teachers and kids from the IBO who made the trip so wonderful!

All together now!

I just saw the Yellow Submarine for the first time yesterday, in a theater I'd walked past many times without ever noticing, so I was in a great mood even though I had to get up a little bit early to make it to high school 56 on time.

Unfortunately, Veronica, the teacher I was supposed to meet first period, had called in sick today. But I hung out with the adscriptor (secretary-type guy) and the director and librarian, both from Salto, until it was time for the next class.

It made them nervous at first to have their pictures taken. I don't even think about it anymore, but when I was their age, I would have been wary, too. I didn't even like Spanish then, either, which is something I usually tell students, since I can sympathize with them perhaps not liking English so much. But look how friendly we all are! And so it shall be with English as with the pictures--they'll come around.

The school is small, so the kids all know each other and like to wave to their friends from the upper galleries. And the cantina has some really good ham and cheese croissants, one of my favorite snacks from when I was in school.

This is out in the patio, shortly before I explained the Cold War and dominated the little tykes at ping pong. Stephen and Gimena, the two teachers I worked with today, are also students I know from the IPA. They'll tell you it's the truth if you don't believe me.

Pride of Sayago

Visiting school 23 last Wednesday was another chance to get to know a place I've always passed by on the bus without ever stopping to look around. Here is Erika, who's done a magnificent job with the ciclo basico students here, reflected in their relationship and the way they work together.

My young friend doesn't actually have flags growing out of her head. Just brilliant English that cannot be contained.

And even the kids in the back of the room got to work on my illustrious biography. Such was Erika's motivational power. I think even Fabiana was impressed.

The night school

Yes, at long last the spring vacations came to an end. Thank goodness. No, I had an excellent vacation. And now that we're back, I finally got to visit some classes at liceo 62, right next door to number 9 but worlds apart. First because it is a very large school, and second because it is for the ciclo basico crowd, ie middle school. But I visited night groups with Karinna and Kristin, which made it even more different. The students tend to be more mature, many of them work during the day or otherwise have interesting life stories to tell.

 

Maybe I look tired to you, but like I always say, that's just the way my face looks.

They asked some more profound questions than I have been hearing usually, things about politics, September 11th, and Jethro Tull. The best is when they say, half-bemused, half-proud, that they understood what we were talking about in English.

Meet the American

On Wednesday, I visited one of Laura's groups at school 9 first thing in the afternoon. They had heard from Fernanda's class how I visited them the week before, and they got jealous. So justice was done. And now for some more photos from the Rural (I'm there right now as I post this, with Antel's stupendous free wi-fi).

Giant paella stirred with an oar. Yay for free food. And puppies!

Everyone always asks me if I miss my family, my friends. And I do of course. But mostly I miss my cats and dogs.

Prado visits

After many miscues, I finally met some groups at school 63 this week. Thursday and Friday I got up extra early to tell them all about my hometown and answer their many questions.

Alejandra's class today had a lot to say. And not only this side of the room (though Vittorio was especially loquacious).

Here's the other half. They combined two groups, representing Scientific and Humanities orientations . Thursday was a group from Biology. It's impressive to me that kids in Uruguay decide on their initial career orientation in what for us would be like 10th grade. At that age, I was still thinking it would be a good idea to design videogames, though I have a strong aversion actually learning how technology works. To me it's like the cartoon characters who run out into midair, over the edge of the cliff--they're fine, until they look down and realize there's nothing there. Anyway, after visiting them, I went to the famous Rural del Prado. Guess whose day it was?

And there I ran into an old friend--

Celebrity status

The students at high school 26 had everything ready for me bright and early on Friday. They had questions prepared, and then they used my answers to write a strikingly accurate report about me. Then there was coffee and snacks and time for conversation. Many thanks to Mariella and Rossina and, as always, to Fabiana for arranging everything. I was supposed to go to Florida that morning on a bus with IPA and CeRP Salto students, but I'm glad I went a little later and got to visit these guys instead.

There were many, many more photos that were taken that morning. Probably they are on facebook somewhere.

Update: more photos, courtesy of Mariella  --

What a wonderful world

His name is pronounced 'Louie' even though it is spelled with an 's'. The students were so quiet while that great, great song played. They read about the history of popular music like good sports, even though some of their favorite music is cumbia, and the English book's music history stops about the year they were born. Learning about Elvis' dance moves and how to say years in English. For example, nineteen sixty-nine, the year Woodstock changed the world, maybe just a little bit.

I still believe in peace and love and education. Particularly when I get to visit groups like Gabriela's first-year students at high school 18 in the morning.

Big things

My time here in Montevideo has been going really well. I've been having wonderful conversations with students and teachers, sharing what I can about the US and learning everything I can about Uruguay. It's becoming clear to me, though, just how little time I have left. It's practically September already, and I leave in November.

So I want to get started with some more ambitious projects. Even if I can't finish them, the important thing is that someone might be inspired to keep working with these ideas in the future.

What really interests me is the concept of doing things voluntarily rather than it being an obligation. I've already talked a good deal about literature and music in this way, trying to incorporate stories and songs so as to motivate students to want to learn. My favorite source for these kinds of ideas is Philip Pullman.

OK, so that can help people develop as individuals, but what about on a larger scale? And what about doing something more hands-on? One of my previous jobs was with City Year Boston, a non-profit organization whose motto is 'Putting Idealism to Work.' We tutored students in schools and did murals and other projects in the community.

The proximity of many ciclo basico and segundo ciclo liceos here makes me think students tutoring other students could be practical. I am still finding out how to get started, though.

So far, the best organization I know of here is Un techo para mi pais, but I'm sure there are others. And even brainstorming with students, we can come up with lots of ways to get involved.