Classroom Observations

OUT of the 6 schools in Calle Larga, we must've visited most of them.

We went to what may be our schools that we’re teaching at. Melissa and I ended up at the same one, Maria Isabel School. This was a very small school with probably only 130 students (1st-8th) with a play group (3-year-olds). We were introduced during the 6th and 7th grade English classes and the students were very interested in what music we liked, what national dance do Americans dance (they all know cueca in Chile) but they learned that we don’t have on, what types of iPhones do we use, if we knew about a program in the US that generates earthquakes for research, where have we traveled, and if we have found Spanish to be difficult to learn in Chile. We found out that they like various music and dances (i.e. reggaton like Daddy Yankee, reggae, salsa, romantic music, Bon Jovi, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Hannah Montana, Lady Gaga).
They also love Harry Potter and Twilight (one 5th grader exclaimed that she liked Edward Cullin).


We also went to another school, La Pampilla, which is the largest and newest school in Calle Larga with the most funding and has the most programs not just for the students, but the community too. This Friday, they have BINGO for the students and the families after school.



The students have been SOOO sweet! One 7th grade student asked the teacher how to say "I have a present for you" and gave me an orange after class. Another came up to me with a beautifully drawn picture of a pink tulip and gave me a beso before class even started. Of course, there were a few class clowns in each class by talking out loud, passing notes, drawing instead of doing their work, but some of them were also the most motivated to repeat our words in English and with great pronunciation too!


Because we must've introduced ourselves to 4 classrooms and were formally introduced during a mass assembly at both schools, I must've said that I would like to learn cueca and play soccer about 6 times. Therefore, the students have asked at recess if I would like to play soccer. And so I did. I pulled Roman to play too. Unfortunately, it was a lopsided game having 6 girls versus 15 boys. Score: Girls 0- Boys 6 Oh well, maybe next time.


I played soccer here on the concrete court which was SUPER slippery. Many of the schools don't appear to have an indoor gymnasium for sports so they do most of their physical education and dance classes outside which can be quite loud to the students and teachers in the classrooms as the courts are often in the middle of the school.

(Director Lydia of La Pampilla, Roman, Melissa, and our favorite Calle Larga teacher Maria Isabel)

UPDATE: We broke the news to Fernanda that we would have to leave Calle Larga, but she wasn't made. She understood that we had a difficult housing situation. We were glad that we could still remain friends with her and that we would get to see her sometime soon as she visits Vina Del Mar often.

Eating our last dinner in Los Andes at "Dondel El Guaton". The parillada was delicious, but a little pricey for most parilladas. The salad buffet was great considering Chilean restaurants don't usually offer much of a variety for vegetable eaters.

We said a tearful goodbye to our favorite English teacher in Calle Larga, Maria Isabel, at the feria in Los Andes. She almost bought us stuffed animals at the feria as a goodbye present but we really had no more room left in our overstuffed luggages. We hope to see her again and hopefully meet her son who she talked about quite often.