A Very Mexican Week

Last Friday started what will remain in my mind forever as a typical Mexican week.  It unfolded through yesterday, so keep that in mind as you read the next few entries.

It started as any school day (well, as any school day should, but doesn't always start in Mexico) when Guille picked me up from in front of the IFE building.  We got to school and I piddled on the computer and made copies as need be.  My phone rang and it was the English office.  I was prepared for it to be Maribel.  She always calls from the office.  

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"Are you wearing your English polo?"

"No."

"I told Ana Luisa you probably wouldn't be since you wore it to give the test yesterday.  Guess what?"

"What?"

"We're on our way to video you."

"Okay.  What do I need to do?"

"We just need some footage of you for Rocio's video.  Your DVD didn't work."

"Okey dokey."

When I had copied the DVD at the office, I had checked it on a computer and it wouldn't pull up.  César tried it on his laptop and it worked, but it skipped.  The quality was awful.

I wasn't thrilled about the visit and video because I knew I was going to have to pull something creative out of nowhere.  Good thing I was born to teach (and have adjusted to this dog-and-pony show).

They got there around 9, I put on the English polo, and we went to my second grade class- the class that I was actually supposed to be with at 8:50 (so not too off track).  Arturo filmed off and on as much as he could and then asked me to do some things again.  He moved some kids around.  I have to give 2nd grade credit; they can be pretty wild at times.  They aren't known for their listening and they usually wait until I give them the answer and then just copy instead of engaging in independent thinking.  Still.  In May.  No, I'm not too frustrated with that!

But this day they did well.

In the middle of the filming, Rocio had called Arturo and asked to speak to me.  She thanked me again for doing this and then asked if I could do a mini interview as well.  All I needed to do was introduce myself on camera, tell why I was here, where I was from and then end with "I love Sinaloa" or something along those lines.

Done.  We left second grade and chatted about our next goal.  Theoretically, I should've gone to 3rd grade.  However, I was going to do the same game with them that I had done with second grade, so the filming would look very similar.  We decided to go to first grade, where they have the best accent.  Martha's class gathered around me by the board and we practiced, "We love English class!"  They actually did a really good job for having just learned the phrase.

We had them repeat me and then we did it over and over with the camera rolling.  Arturo is Rocio's assistant (there's another word for it, but I can already hear Mom, "Laura!") as well as the assistant for Ana Luisa (the coordinator of half of Culiacán's schools) and Zulma (the other half- Alma is an enlace for Zulma).  Anyway, to have been an assistant and neither an educator nor a camera person, he was really good at dealing with the kids (keeping the cameras rolling, knowing they would need more than one take) and also with the shooting in general.

We finished with them and went out to the cancha to discuss the interview part.  Arturo was pumped.  He had an idea.

I would enter a class, start it as usual, ask a few questions and then turn from the board or the class and start my spiel.  It was kind of hilarious just how excited he was.

We chose 5th grade.  They're used to being recorded and having to practice and perform on camera.

The plan was entry, greeting ("Good morning" "Good morning, Teacher." "How are you?"  "Fine, thanks, and you Teacher?" I didn't teach them this.  It was ingrained in them in the early pre-Laura years), ask them for the date, turn to the camera and introduce myself.

The first time was good, but they struggled with the date, so we practiced.  The second time, I died laughing after saying, "I love Sinaloa."  It should've been frustrating to Arturo that I wasn't cooperating, especially considering Rocio kept calling and fussing at him.  However, we all (kids included) found it hilarious.

They thanked me for my time and headed out once it was recreo time.  

My afternoon classes (4th and 5th) were great and motivated me to cover a lot of ground in my last five weeks.