Colegio Cardenal Jose Maria Caro, La Pintana

We just finished up our second week of teaching at Colegio Cardenal Jose Maria Caro; only two more weeks to go and I already miss it.  It's not that I have never appreciated the teaching profession, but I've never been on this side of the classroom before and even after just two weeks I have come to respect "the teacher" tremendously.  I've also come to realize that teaching can give you an instant feeling of gratification.  

Myself and a 4th grade class in the English room!

Kim and I are teaching in La Pintana, which is about 40 minutes outside of our home in Santiago Centro.  La Pintana is one of the areas of Santiago that is referred to as, the ghetto, the projects, or where the pililo, roto, or guachaca people (poor people) live.  I had a fear of the area before arriving because of what we had previously heard about it but after spending so much time there I do not feel the least bit threatened.  Nevertheless I wouldn't spend time there outside of school and I feel bad for the children who are growing up there.  The area is dirty... absolutely filthy.  Garbage everywhere and stray, dirty dogs everywhere.  But as far as we're concerned, La Pintana holds a special place in our hearts.

The two of us head out the door Monday through Friday at 7:10, hop on the metro for two stops and that is where Loreto, the Director of the school picks us up.  We were happy to have this opportunity in the morning to be forced to speak Spanish for the 35 minute car ride but unfortunately that is not the case.  We make every effort to try and speak with her but it's like pulling teeth.  I don't know if she gets frustrated with our Spanish, she gets frustrated because she doesn't speak English, or she's just not much of a talker and is simply thinking me importa un pico (I don't give a damn).

Our first class is at 8:15.  Both of us have a packed schedule from 8:15 until 3:25 with all students, K-12.  (I think I prefer  5th, 6th, 10th, and 11th grade but there is something I enjoy about all the ages.  Although 7th and 8th I could do without!)  We follow the English teachers around all day and assist them with all of their classes.  We'll sometimes teach the classes for the younger kids, going over things like the weather, days of the week, colors, months of the year, etc.  For the older classes we roam around the room and help with grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.  Well, that... and have conversations about things that have nothing to do with the assignments in spanglish...but we're both learning!

2nd grade, our favorite trouble maker, Alberto, in the center.

A bigger project we've been given is helping to get their English room together.  They are so excited and proud of this English room.  The system in the room is referred to as corners.  Even though there are four corners in a room, this one has six!  Each corner is a different activity...reading, writing, listening, video, games, and computers.  It's for the 3rd and 4th grades classes and the kids really love it.  I've been in charge of the games, I've never played so much bingo in my life.    

The students make us feel like celebrities.  Their eyes light up when either of us walks into a classroom.  Even more so when they find out we're from the U.S.  They instantly have a million very important questions: 

Do you know Justin Bieber? (or Hannah Montana, Michael Jackson, Selena Gomez)

Do you have a boyfriend?

What are you parent's names?

Are your eyes fake?

Do you have brothers and sisters?

What's your favorite place? (or color, music, sport, etc.)

Is the U.S. beautiful?

Do you know any bad words in Spanish?

Have you been to Hollywood?

Students refer to the female teachers as Tia and the male as Tio.  In the Spanish language Tia/Tio means Aunt/Uncle.  Just yesterday I asked why that is used in the schools and I was told it's because of the close relationship that students and teachers have.  Teacher, Professor, Mr., and Mrs. are too formal and form too much of a distance between the student and teacher.  The strong, friendly, honest relationship between the two is something I have noticed.  It's clear that the teachers are respected and looked up to.  One of the English teachers was telling us how he finds it difficult to really discipline the children because school is where they come to get away from their "real" lives at home.    

The kids, especially the younger ones, have so much love to give.  In Chile a kiss on the cheek is as common as a handshake in the U.S. and it's normal for students to go into class and kiss their teachers hello.  Kim and I receive hugs and kisses all day long from pre-k students to the seniors.  If a little love and caring is all I leave these children with, I'd be okay with that.  No matter how much time I've spent alone throughout my life and no matter how much distance there has been between me and my loved ones, I've never actually felt lonely because that is nearly impossible with the family and friends that I have, and that is something that I very easily take for granted.