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<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> I
have taught-observed various groups of younger kids, but have met my main
group, the high-school seniors at Instituto Zamora Carrion, only once. Their
level is much lower than I had hoped, so my lovely ideas are out the window. But
we'll see. Ruby Rigby, the regular teacher from Bluefields on the Atlantic
Coast, and I are splitting the class, which has 62 students(!!), in half, and
each taking one half for 45 minutes, then switching.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> I
am to visit all seven of the big schools, which go from <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>pre'escolar</span></i> to <i><span style='font-style:
italic'>secundaria</span></i>, while I am here, as well as some of the <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>satelitos</span></i>, which are primary only and
often only one room. Yesterday I visited the school of which Mario is
principal. I was greeted like a <i><span style='font-style:italic'>presidente</span></i>,
or <i><span style='font-style:italic'>caudillo</span></i> [leader], we walked
between two lines of students, many boys with drums and many girls in their <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>gimnasium</span></i> costumes--quite like
cheerleaders, with similar routines. Mario and I then sat down on a platform
and two pairs of dancers did Nica dances. Then the drummers drummed and the
girls danced, with one boy playing a vertical kind of vibes-chimes instrument, including
“John Brown's Body” --don-t know why this is an important tune, but
I also heard it at a school ceremony (Alba-s school) Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> This
is my 2nd attempt to write these notes. My Hotmail crashed earlier. I am in
the computer room of Instituto Gustavo Carrion Zamora [IGCZ], in the center of
the pueblo Villa El Carmen. I cannot stop: on the wall it says: <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Mientras todo no este hecho, no hay derecho a descansar.
'Clase 7C</span></i> [while not all is done, one doesn't have a right to rest].
They learned English numbers last year in 6th. This is -- Feb 5-- their
second day of year <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Septimo</span></i>. They
can recite in a group their numbers but falter around 11. They can recite the
alphabet but falter around J and K. They can SING the alphabet and falter only
with the words: NOW I KNOW MY A B Cs, WON´T YOU COME AND . . . . An idea for <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City></st1:place>’s Sister City
Association [MSCA]: Buy dictionaries! Though many have their own paperbacks. Or
buy for the schools. At IGCZ the library has 8 copies, some very worn. At the
other school I visited last week, Instituto Martha Susannah Gutierrez, Henry
the teacher has at least 15. They both use dictionaries in classes. Ruby says
there are other English books in the library, but when I was there I didn´t see
any. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Primaria</span></i> meets 7:30 to noon, <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>secundaria</span></i> 12:30 to 5:15. IGCZ has some
450 students in <i><span style='font-style:italic'>secundaria</span></i>, which
is grades 7-11; IMSG has probably 300, is more rural, more <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>tranquilo</span></i> by far [much less noisy]. Here
noise is a huge problem. The <i><span style='font-style:italic'>aulas</span></i>
[classrooms] are built in rows, about 20 feet wide and 35 long. The long walls
are open, so all noise from outside comes in, including from the adjoining <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>aulas</span></i>. Students outside can look in from
the open sides, and some generally are lingering around, and sometimes they are
a distraction. Ruby frequently has students come to the front of the class to
recite, and -- at least when I am there --their voices are very soft, and there
is no way students in the back can hear. Sometimes from ten feet away I can´t
hear, and my hearing´s not THAT bad. After a VERY loud wedding reception
Saturday night, four hours of Latin (and some American) dance music at full
blast, I wonder about the hearing of Nicas generally. But they seem OK. I
also wonder about vision problems. There is one whiteboard at the front of the
room, and students have to copy a lot from it. But Ruby writes fairly small,
and it must be hard to see from the back. In any given class of 40-50 students,
there may be one student with glasses. Uniforms: white shirts, dark trousers
or skirts. I did see a few older girls with pants. They are all very neat and
clean. The Ortega government has promised to make the schools truly free so
that parents don´t have to pay for uniforms or school supplies – a major
cause of students not attending school.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> Last
week, after observing-participating in Ruby´s younger classes, I met the
seniors in <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Quinto</span></i> for the first
time on Thursday. The class has 62 students! Ruby had the brilliant idea of
splitting the group, with her taking half and me half, for 45 min of the 90 min
period, in different <i><span style='font-style:italic'>aulas</span></i>. I
gave my students an index card and asked them to write their first names and
where they live, and then write anything at all in Englishi. Here are some
samples:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> My friend work in the
hospital. I am girl happy, and mother is happy.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> My family and I is unite
and I is happy for is with they.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> your is a goob teacher
thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> The shool is bseautiful!
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Hello I´m Mario a me I
live my shool.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> I have a father and have
a mother and a family.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> I´m student of the
shool, and I´m learning English, tankiu for that is a good theacher. I´m you
frieng.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> I am happy to have with
we. thanks by tocome.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> I have a mother very
beatiful end witch a smile large inside the I love much. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Welcome to class. And
one wrote, 'The nomber is Deybi.' I think that means: his name is David.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:
.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:-.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> Students
address Ruby as Teacher. I found it very difficult to get the students to
speak in English, and not much easier in Spanish. Ruby said they are all
terrified of me, but if so they show it with smiles. I got more aggressive in
asking questions in the second group, and it got better. I decided over the
weekend to try to find a few students who WANT to and CAN converse a little in
English, and meet with them in the mornings, an hour before class. If I can
get three, or six, I´ll be happy because I think that is the best way to make a
difference and help them to a sense that they can succeed in English. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> My
most extraordinary school experience last week, except for the ceremony at IMSG
with boys with drums and student pairs demonstrating dances and <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>gimnasia</span></i> girls with cheerleader-like
costumes and routines, was Henry´s <i><span style='font-style:italic'>quinto</span></i>
class, where there was one girl in particular who was at ease with English and
asked me many questions. Then she was persuaded to sing a song, and she had a
great voice, I thought. This was the song with which, with a partner, she had
won prizes last year in a song-in-English national contest. They won locally
and regionally and so competed nationally -- didn´t win but the school is
filled with pride, and two framed certificates hang in the principal´s office. Reminded
me of my son Steve, when he was teaching English in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Hiroshima</st1:City></st1:place> in 1992, and his student won a
speech-in-English contest.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'> If
one thing is predictable around here, it is that the schedules change
constantly. <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Por ejemplo</span></i>: my <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>quinto</span></i> class will meet Tuesday and
Thursday. Today I was to get up at 8, after Ana, who leaves before 5am, and
Aura their niece, who leaves at 7:30, and Mario had all had a chance to have
their shower. But Mario woke me at 7 to say that I was meeting my class today,
and it was starting at 7:30 because for some reason the <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>primarias</span></i> were not meeting today. So I
rushed, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>sin ducha</span></i> [without
showering], and made it on time, only to learn that although the <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>secundaria</span></i> students are here today in the
morning, MY class still meets tomorrow. That´s why I´m here happily typing
away and hoping this one will go.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:150%'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:Arial'>Dave
[from Villa El Carmen]<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR>
No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG Free Edition.<BR>
Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.18.2/692 - Release Date: 2/18/2007 4:35 PM<BR>
</FONT> </P>