Colombians are very expressive people and they love to dance! We were told there is a multitude of festivals throughout the year, and for each one, they crown a different beauty queen. We were astounded by the immense number of plastic surgery businesses scattered throughout the city of Bogota. The cost of beauty enhancements here is relatively inexpensive ranging from $2,00-$5,000 and many women from all over the world come here for services. Although we felt very safe during our time in Colombia, the potential for unrest prohibited us from attending large group celebrations and demonstrations and from riding public transportation. We were disappointed we couldn't attend the Colombian Independence Day parade, but our in country consultant, Yanallis, brought the celebration to our hotel! Students at a public elementary school performed traditional dances for our group of TGC teachers. After the performance, they were so excited to take our hands and pull us onto the dance floor. For Colombians, dancing is a natural aspect of their culture and there is no awkwardness like in the US when boys and girls are asked to hold hands with each other.
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As a developing country, I was surprised the progressive nature of Colombia's public education system. 21st century skills and project based learning are embedded into the curriculum. Primary school requirements include peace, ethics, English and entrepreneurship in addition to the core subjects of reading, math, science and social studies. In the classes we visited, we witnessed a priority being placed on creativity and problem solving. That being said, Colombian education has its challenges as well. The status of Colombian teachers is not high. A first year teacher makes the equivalent of $600 USD per month. The cost of living is lower than in the US, but it is still a meager wage in the country. Many teachers can not afford cars, choosing to drive motorcycles instead. In households where a teacher's spouse also works, the two of them may share a single car. Teachers are responsible for purchasing their own supplies, and secondary teachers take those few supplies with them as they travel from classroom to classroom. All students are required to wear uniforms which are purchased by their families. Families are also required to purchase their school books and class materials. Parents in Colombia seem to respect teachers, but in some areas, there is still a poor awareness of why education is important. With our host teacher and Armenia's secretary of education, we were fortunate to visit several rural schools. In this two room schoolhouse, primary students met in one room (left picture) and secondary students met in the other (right picture). Students from several grades were in each class. In rural areas, many migrant families move often to harvest various crops, so students do not attend school on a regular basis. These multi-age classrooms allow students to attend school during the times their families are not traveling or working.
At the Colegio Aquileo Parra School, there was a focus on learning assertiveness and conflict resolution skills. Students in conflict took it upon themselves to find one of several "clouds" painted around the school. Each "cloud" was actually a compilation of five clouds, each one a different color. One student would act as mediator, three students would act as witnesses and the two students in conflict would work through the steps of the clouds. They would begin on the red cloud and address what bothered them. Then they would advance to the blue cloud where they would each acknowledge their mistake and/or part in the conflict. On the green cloud, they would develop a compromise that was fair to both parties and would agree not to engage in the conflict again. Then they would stand on the white cloud, apologize and express forgiveness. In the situation we watched, the two boys then hugged and shook hands. The other peaceful practice we witnessed was called "the turtle." Students who were angry and felt like they were loosing control were encouraged to go outside the classroom, "hide" under their shells and count to twenty. Once they felt calm and in control, they could come back into the classroom. Students studied peace activists from all over the world, and we saw posters they had created describing the peaceful practices of Martin Luther King, Jr. hanging in the hallways. The teachers and principal impressed the fact that friendship is more important than conflict. Students enjoyed learning about life in the United States. They were curious as to our holiday traditions, the music we listened to, "taboo" behaviors and what we thought about President Obama and President Trump. Professional development was optional, yet many teachers came out to listen to presentations and improve their craft. During the Bilingual Education program, "Meaningful Experiences," the teachers spoke in Spanish and I learned new techniques for teaching task based learning projects in my own classroom. Colombian teachers were interested in the TGC program and to learn about various websites for teaching English to their bilingual students. At each school we visited, students were excited to learn about US culture and share Colombian culture with us. In one 5th grade classroom, my partner teacher and I were asked to sing them a song. We decided to sing "The Wheels on the Bus." We felt fairly proud of ourselves for singing in public, until they shared a song with us. They sang "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas in perfect English. We were very impressed with their musical talent! To share her culture, this young lady cooked us a traditional Colombian meal, complete with Chicharrónes - my favorite Colombian dish! The girl in the purple GAP sweatshirt decided to join in the picture. Teenagers in Colombia love selfies as much as teenagers in the USA! There were a few things that surprised us about Colombian schools.
In secondary, students remain in the same classroom all day. Teachers move from classroom to classroom, bringing their laptops, projectors and other supplies with them. During recess, there was absolutely no supervision at any of the schools. Students were expected to behave responsibly and teachers remained in the classroom. Where in US classrooms, students are expected to remain seated and quiet during instruction, Colombian students frequently moved about the room, talked or checked their phones. Public displays of affection were not frowned upon either. Girls frequently sat on the laps of boys and girls and boys openly hugged each other in class and on the playground. During lunch, students of all ages walked to small shops next to the campus to purchase chips, sodas or other items for lunch. And one day, after school, our host teacher invited several students to walk to a nearby museum with us. Permission slips were not required. This freedom was a foreign idea, but students managed it well and demonstrated personal responsibility. It gave me something to think about in the way we treat students in the United States. The Colombian people are some of the most friendly, welcoming people I have ever met in all my travels. They exhibit a deep love for their country and a ubiquitous, palatable happiness. When making large purchases, store owners frequently offered small, additional gifts from their shops. When blending juices, they would serve what fit in the cup and then serve the leftovers after you'd sipped it down and made room for more. Our host teachers, embassy officials and school leaders told us we were a part of their family and invited us to come back and visit if we made our way back to Colombia. Although we heard members of the older generation encouraging children to leave Colombia because of the violence and corruption they had experienced in the past several decades, the younger generations voiced hope for a peaceful future. Students wanted to know about life in the United States, but also wanted to share their stories about life in Colombia. They expressed interest in becoming engineers, veterinarians, doctors and teachers. They were interested in traveling to the US, UK, France and Spain to attend university, but planned to return to Colombia and make their homes there. I was impressed by their vision and commitment to make Colombia a safe, peaceful, economically competitive, environmentally responsible country. Automobiles are too expensive for most Colombians to purchase, so instead they ride motorcycles as their mode of transportation. It was unusual for us, as North American teachers, to see a teachers' parking lot filled with only motorcycles.
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AuthorMichelle Van Sant is a National Board Certified Teacher who has been educating children for over twenty years. ArchivesCategories |