Friday, September 19, 2008

Euphoria

I'm not sure what has changed for me. As in my last post, I feel like I'm floating on a cloud right now. I have the kids completely into their routine. We have been able to get through all academic periods without a hitch. They have smiles on their faces, and they are trying their best. You could have literally heard a pin drop in the room today when I was doing some oral storytelling about a small moment and when it was their turn to tell their partner a special time in their lives, the room came alive with stories about birthday parties, falling down and getting hurt, when they got their chihuahua puppy, when their grandmother died, and when they got lost in the supermarket. It's like the weight has been lifted somehow. Maybe it's the fact that this is my fourth year teaching in the system and teaching first grade and I've mastered the classroom management piece and the curriculum. I have all my systems up and running. I had a great week with my students and at school in general. Curriculum night was great. Although I was competing with the sound of small children and babies all around, I had so many parents show up it was truly heartwarming. The indigenous Mexican moms spent some time afterwards asking about the progress of their children. I could see the pride in their faces when I told them how their children were progressing. I had about 17 parents last night and another 10 this morning for our Friday morning visits. I am thrilled with their involvement. Although I know that for many kids, it is a long road ahead, I am excited for this year. I am in love with my class and my school (can you believe it?). One thing that I am so grateful for is that all of the parents were positive. From the indigenous Mexican moms who had little formal education to the college professor parents of two of my students, everyone was positive. And, to top it all off.... THE COPIER WORKS!!!! I made all of my copies for next week after school today.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi. I was amazed to read that you have Triqui children in your class there in NYC. Do you know which of the three Triqui groups they are from (Copala, Itunyoso, or Chicahuaxtla)? If they are Copala Triquis you might want to check out www.triquicopala.com. It's moslty in Spanish, but it includes videos and lots of photos, including aerial photos of the their native communities. If you follow the resource (recursos) link you can even find a free downloadable pictorial dictionary in PDF in Triqui that the kids would enjoy. If they are from Chicahuaxtla there is a whole series of blogs about this culture.

Ms. Peace said...

Thank you. It's always a good thing to have knowledge of your students' cultural background. I would prefer not to specify where exactly they are from in an effort to remain anonymous, but I will check out some of those websites.

tinujei said...

Hey there in NYC from California -

I am passionate about Oaxacan Culture and am part of a grant project with the Centro Binacional del Desarrollo Indigena Oaxaqueno (CBDIO). We hold monthly workshops with the Triqui community and present a variety of information in a culturally and linguistically manner. I, like Allan, would be interested in speaking or emailing to compare notes - I'm sure we could give each other information and experiences that could help better services and community development. If you are concerned about privacy there are several teachers/social worker who can vouch for me - please email me at adan.tinujei@yahoomail.com - I have visited triquis in Albany, but did not know there was a community in NYC -

Ms. Peace said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ms. Peace said...

Hi tinejei. I really appreciate your concern for the Triqui community. I had no intention of misleading you or Allan, but I will say (as per the disclaimer I have added) that certain details have been slightly changed on my blog in order to maintain the anonymity of my students and my school. What I can tell you is that my indigenous Mexican students and their families have access to native language interpreters and advocacy organizations. They have also networked among themselves (hence their large presence at a single school). I can also tell you that academic researchers are carrying out studies of this particular community in New York City. Again, thanks and I am sorry to have mislead you. This blog was intended to be an account of a public school teacher's experience.