BajaNomad - I got a real job !!!

I got a real job !!!

BajaBlanca - 12-2-2011 at 09:51 PM

and so it is .....drum roll...... I have started teaching English at the local high school .... boy, talk about a challenge LOL I am so spoiled as I have ALWAYS taught at posh private English as a Second Language schools ...WHAT A CHALLENGE THIS IS .... I actually had to kick 2 students OUT of class...30 years of teaching and this is a first

so, I have some huge LA BOCANA xmas stocking requests:

first: some of you have already helped me with this - I need ideas for my classes - how to make them dynamic and fun and since I have NO books (new gvt has not issued anything that is even close to being viable to use - very vague vague vague instructions), if you have anything you used and loved. Please share with me. Thanks muchossssssssssssss

second: the school desperately needs decent boards to write on - the ones we have are so scratched that half the board is useless. maybe one of you has access to big white classroom sized boards ?? And I have used up almost all my copy paper reserve, white board markers .... so I could use some of these. And also, the walls are bare - anyone have a world map they can spare ?????? Map of Mexico ??? there are 4 classrooms in the high school and it is my dream to paint them and decorate them so they are BE U TEE FULL. So, paint, any light color for 4 classrooms is also a cool thing. I already got 3 clocks that a Mexican dentist donated. (I had to buy a watch cause there were no clocks til this week).

today I dropped off 3 volleyballs to one of the classes and they all jumped up and started clapping and yelling thanks thanks thanks. it was such a spontaneous and loud reaction that I was kinda taken aback....teens have soooooooooooo much energy - I wish they would run a mile and THEN come to class ... so yeah, anything sports related is high on my wishlist too LOL

:lol:

Anything and I mean anything you have that is even remotely school related is welcome, and oh so appreciated (think pens, think pencils, think notebooks) and can be dropped off at the restaurant called ARMIDA'S at the exit to Punta Abreojos - right on highway 1. Put my name on it ....Armida has been a great help with drop offs. If you are hungry - the food is good and inexpensive there as well ....

Merry Christmas (early) from this teacher who will donate every penny she makes to the students/school/scholarship fund (and some plants for herself every so often).

Tomorrow i will post some pics of the students .. THANKS IN ADVANCE amigos.

edit for spelling - can u believe it ?

[Edited on 12-3-2011 by BajaBlanca]

Mulegena - 12-3-2011 at 06:06 AM

Could you use the ESL curriculum that is used stateside?

I think I have one up north-- could probably have someone find it and mail it.

acadist - 12-3-2011 at 07:00 AM

Congrats! Paint for chalkboards is called.....chalkboard paint. They make a special paint for whiteboards too, but you may want to try the hardest glossiest white you can find and try it on a small area first. Do not use latex as it will be too soft.

volcano - 12-3-2011 at 07:57 AM

we are coming down the main route last week in Jan, and could bring to a drop off point a large set of National Geographic magazines..........there are many large fold out maps of everything imaginable, and great photos for wall art/labeling with words/names. Do you want these?

mcfez - 12-3-2011 at 08:13 AM

BajaBlanca
It is my wife's dream to teach in Baja. She teaches UC Davis. Glad to see your dream come your way! And good for you!

Maps

bajaguy - 12-3-2011 at 08:41 AM

Any Nomads headed south that are also AAA members, pick up a handful of maps, then drop them off to Blanca. As you know, maps are free to AAA members.

shari - 12-3-2011 at 08:48 AM

that is great news Blanca....it is so great they will have an english teacher who actually speaks english!!!! I used flash cards alot with my kids...first they learned the name of the object and then they had to say a sentance using it...like...bike...the bike is red or I like bikes..etc.

Also little walks pointing out things along the way was great. And I always invited gringos to class so the students could talk to them...greet them. I taught them small conversations for when they met people...where are you from....do you like mexico...do you like fishing....do you like lobster etc. It makes them proud to talk to people and gets them using their english in real life interactions.

felizidades amiga...this will be such a wonderful thing for everyone!

Rumrunner - 12-3-2011 at 10:11 AM

Congrats Blanca! I can help out with the copy paper and the paint. I have a couple of gallons of off white and grey. Not sure when I'll be down next. Maybe I can send it with Scott. He's coming up this month. Dave

Mengano - 12-3-2011 at 10:12 AM

ASL and Mexican sign language (LSM) are entirely different.

Curt63 - 12-3-2011 at 10:56 AM

Congratulations!

The school I teach at has been recognized as a model ESL school.

At a minimum, I can put you in contact with some experts that can recommend resources and strategies. I will keep my eyes peeled for your other requests. We throw away a lot of outdated, but useful stuff.

As a way to decrease paper and printer ink, consider the document cam and have students supply the paper. The process of note taking is a powerful learning method. I give my students extra credit for complete, legible, organized notebooks.

Also, most schools are now using both sides of the paper, so maybe your friends can save their trash/recycle for you.

As you well know, teaching is a demanding, challenging and very rewarding endeavor. Your students are lucky to have you.

Check your U2U.

Cheers, Curt

toneart - 12-3-2011 at 12:21 PM

Congratulations, Blanca!

I know that you have had the very best ESL training and and many years of teaching experience in San Diego. Those skills will surely transfer to your new teaching gig in La Bocana. Your students are very lucky to have you! :light:

bajafam - 12-3-2011 at 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lencho

Quote:

Originally posted by Mengano
ASL and Mexican sign language (LSM) are entirely different.

Wow. How do you happen to know that? You have direct experience with ASL/LSM?

Thanks.

while Mengano is correct in the two are different languages, there is a strong possibility that your ASL would be useful in Mexico, especially if you are in the Northern states, or in the frontera. From what I have seen, LSM is used more widely on the mainland. As a fallback, you could always finger spell the words as I believe the letters are the same.

Here is a site that may be helpful...http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/hearing/communication/

and congrats Blanca!!

Iflyfish - 12-3-2011 at 09:35 PM

This is wonderful news for both you and your students. Lucky kids! You will sort this out over time, you have great relationships with kids. I won't be down till next Oct/Nov so can't help now but will inquire before we come down. Good for you!!

Iflyfish

grace59 - 12-4-2011 at 08:53 AM

Congrats, Blanca! I am excited for you and your students. As a teacher here in the states, I also dream about the time that I can "retire" from my job here in the states, move down to Mexico and work with the students there. I would love the chance to teach English while improving my Spanish! Best of luck to you!!

BajaBlanca - 12-4-2011 at 02:47 PM

lencho - we have whitebords and I haven't seen a chalkboard in forever.

ohh rumrunner Dave: you have no idea how happy that will make me

))) Please bring it whenever you can if Scott cannot bring it when they return...

curt - I have them taking notes and indeed am including the nbook as part of their grade - that was one idea my old high school teacher gave and it is a good one. Definitely keep an eye out for outdated material - I CAN USE IT ALL. esp from a model school. the idea of having people donate paper they have used one side of is nothing but ingenious. truly ingenious and I will ask UCSD, where I started college to save me some, if they happen too have some

))))

thank you Tony !!! volcano: you are on ! check your U2U shari: LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of small conversations with Americans... what a neat idea - thanks. Mulegena - anything you can get a hold of wd be VERY appreciated.

grace - my Spanish was good to start with but it is improving by leaps and bounds now .... my tongue is dog- tired at the end of the day LOL

Hi iflyfish ... see you in Oct/Nov !!

Thanks all .... may you be blessed over and over.

[Edited on 12-5-2011 by BajaBlanca]

bajafam - 12-4-2011 at 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lencho

Quote:

Originally posted by bajafam
...From what I have seen, LSM is used more widely on the mainland.

Astounding! I can't recall seeing anybody signing ever in Mexico... how did you happen on this experience?

Actually, my statement's not true-- I remember a deaf campesino many years ago in rural Oaxaca that communicated with his family with what I *think* was his own personal sign language understood only within his family circle and close friends, but I doubt he'd ever had outside contact with LSM.

I used the term "seen" rather loosely. I actually meant in the research I did to help answer your question, it appears that LSM is used more widely in the mainland, urban areas. My personal experience with sign language is the little bit I learned as a Red Cross Youth Volunteer, and when teaching both my kids to sign before they could speak.

BajaBlanca - 12-5-2011 at 05:38 AM

last week we did a special class on NON VIOLENCE TOWARDS WOMEN ... here is a chance for you to see the sad state of the white board :

BajaBlanca - 12-5-2011 at 06:17 AM

and these are the clocks my wonderful Mexican dentists donated to our classrooms:

[Edited on 12-5-2011 by BajaBlanca]

Mulegena - 12-5-2011 at 07:59 AM

Great to see your kids' smiling faces, Blanca. So much energy!

May you have a classroom of stellar students whose lives are changed from this experience.
A couple of them appear delightfully confident and focused.

Are they aware of the successes of Emy, the medical student from Mulege?
She's an inspiration to all of us. Vision and personal determination can make magic happen.

btw, I'll write to a friend and ask him to look for my ESL teacher's manual and pop it in the mail.

shari - 12-5-2011 at 08:31 AM

as Mulegena mentions...you are opening a portal to a new world for these kids...go for it. I think it's great they havent given you a curriculum...that way you hve the freedom to present relative, important ideas through your daily themes...like you have done here..instead of a class on the train station (which is irrelevant in their lives)...you get them thinking about social issues.

Keeping it live...alive...and fun is the key to not only learning but remembering phrases in english which is why it's important to bring gringos to class...so they can USE what they learn. Repetition is good, keep it simple so it isnt overwhelming. I gave homework sometimes that they had to find a gringo and interview him/her...prepare 5 questions or 10...whatever...and they can choose a theme like....find out about their family, town, house, pets, fishing, car...etc. This way they slowly overcome their shyness/fear of communicating with extranjeros.

Once they have opened that door, they will find they begin learning on their own..using sign language to communicate and learn new words. I didnt speak a word of spanish before coming here and I learned just by talking to people...writing words in the sand...como se dice goes a long way!

My immersion kids who visit every year camp out with a group of kids here and man, they sure learn alot playing on the beach, sports, games and relating one on one. Maybe you can interest some class somewhere in the states to come and spend a week with you and join your students!

Heather - 12-5-2011 at 08:48 AM

Just sitting here in my classroom getting the day started...I love my classroom because of the beauty of it! As I look around, I don't see a space of white wall! Sure, some of it has posters I've collected over the years, but the majority is covered in student work, posters, drawings, etc.

Have them make a collage/poster about themselves and some of their favorite things, they can use magazine cut-outs or draw. I also have mobiles hanging from the ceiling. I teach Chemistry so these pertain to information they gathered about particular Chemical Elements, but they can be about anything. I've also seen students make a family shield or crest with their information. As soon as they do it, put it up on the wall, and before you know it, the walls will be covered!

If they write anything, put it up on the wall...they like to see themselves in print!

Our big thing this year are: word walls, lists of vocabulary words that are used repeatedly that are posted on the wall. Our entire campus does this and color codes: red = nouns, orange = adjective, green = verbs.

I also have pictures from old calendars around the wall, as well as photos of myself, family and my travels. Also take some pictures of your kids and put them up, they love to look at themselves!

In terms of whiteboards, try a hardware store. We used to go to Home Depot and buy the boards that are used for showers or something like that (my colleague actually bought them), but see if there is something like that a a hardware store.

Suerte and as someone mentioned, have fun! Heather

Heather - 12-5-2011 at 08:59 AM

Looking at your pictures, they look pretty much the same as the faces I'm looking out at here at Chula Vista High school (or Chula Juana, as it is affectionately referred to!)!

Inspiration for some budding photo-journalists

Mulegena - 12-5-2011 at 09:17 AM

You've spoken of having a museum in La Bocana.
How 'bout getting the kids involved by writing bi-lingual captions
for pictures and displays which they can help create.

How about a weekly bi-lingual newspaper written and published in-classroom.

Ricardo - 12-5-2011 at 09:23 AM

Blanca, To touch up your white board, clean with WD-40 , makes a nice clean surface, doesn't damage the board and really excellent for writing on.

BajaBlanca - 12-5-2011 at 04:13 PM

WD40 ???????????????????? I will give it a try ............. who woulda thunk

great ideas folks, great ideas

these kids have SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much energy. and half of them are not too excited about learning .... so today i am feeling a bit deflated and definitely need a boost of ideas

will the walls they use on showers work as a white board ???? It would be absolutely wonderful if this is true. Last time I bought a white board for the classes I teach here at the house from STAPLES, it was quite expensive. Since I want real big ones and for all the rooms, I gotta figure something out.

David K - 12-5-2011 at 04:55 PM

WD40, invented in San Diego for the Atlas Rockets we built here... and made from the good by-product from the San Diego tuna industry!

windgrrl - 12-5-2011 at 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
WD40 ???????????????????? I will give it a try ............. who woulda thunk

Fabulosa works well on white boards, too!

Congratulations. You go girl,
w

Ricardo - 12-5-2011 at 05:17 PM

If you don't like the smell of WD-40 Windex will also work but doesn't do as good a job, leaves it dryer and harder to wipe off. I am a very recently retired shop teacher so I liked the smell of WD.
Rick

redmesa - 12-5-2011 at 06:28 PM

I think it is wonderful that you are involved there with educational system. After nearly 40 years of teaching the ONE thing I have learned and pass on when asked is.... drum roll please. IT is not WHAT it is WHO!!! I think you are just the who they need. I will bring down what I can when we make it in February to Asuncion and I would be happy to chat with you in English in front of you class if they have the script to read.
Again kudos to you.

BajaBlanca - 12-6-2011 at 12:38 PM

redmesa you are ON !!! If you can bring me plain white letter sized reams of paper I will be in your debt forever ....In the almost 2 months, I used up all 3 of my reams (well, I think I have half of one left) plus I was the one teacher who had the most copies made at school PLUS I had the local copy place working every week and ran out of my petty cash pretty quicky !!!. I have the kids write plenty but it turns out some of them write PAINFULLY slowly and that slows the whole class down. 45 minutes is so short anyways. I need to be able to create material for these kids - having no books makes it a challenge. Some are learning so much, I am amazed. Others can't answer How Are You ? after 2 months BUT, I am sure they will get there !!

Thanks all, first thing will be to get some shower wall lining at H Depot !! I just love that idea.

David K - 12-6-2011 at 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBlanca
redmesa you are ON !!! If you can bring me plain white letter sized reams of paper I will be in your debt forever ....In the almost 2 months, I used up all 3 of my reams (well, I think I have half of one left) plus I was the one teacher who had the most copies made at school PLUS I had the local copy place working every week and ran out of my petty cash pretty quicky !!!. I have the kids write plenty but it turns out some of them write PAINFULLY slowly and that slows the whole class down. 45 minutes is so short anyways. I need to be able to create material for these kids - having no books makes it a challenge. Some are learning so much, I am amazed. Others can't answer How Are You ? after 2 months BUT, I am sure they will get there !!

Thanks all, first thing will be to get some shower wall lining at H Depot !! I just love that idea.

Home work! The kids that are slower, give them writing projects... perhaps the only writing they have done is in school. Short stories, what they like to do, imagination (if you could be a fish, what kind would be and why ... etc.).