West Allis Teacher Reflects On Her Experience In Colombia
West Allis teacher Sarah Allen is working in Colombia this school year through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Read about her initial reaction to her experience below.
Sarah Allen is spending the school year teaching in Colombia, as part of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Photo Gallery |
What was your first impression upon arriving in Colombia?
My first impression of Colombia was how warm and welcoming the people were. People on the coast are so happy, relaxed and alive. They are known to be the friendliest, most affectionate people in the whole country. I have had many invitations to people's homes or for seeing the sights. For a country that has a reputation of violence with the drug cartels, paramilitary and guerrilla groups, you would never guess any of that happens here because of how well I have been treated.
In my first weeks I was very excited because everything was completely new and different. However I was also overwhelmed with trying to learn how to live and work in a new country. But, I never feel lost or alone. People work together in this collective society, and share and help with everything. This is something I've never experienced before and although things are slower paced and more disorganized, they get done. For instance, one day I walked into my classroom and found five teachers decorating my room for me. I am also so fortunate because my exchange teacher's wife Tatiana and her family, who did not go to the U.S., are here, helping me with everything. They treat me like I am part of their family.
I also feel as though I am an ambassador to the U.S. In two months time, I have seen only two expatriates in Barranquilla (my city). People are very interested in meeting and talking with me. For some, I am the only American they have ever met and may ever encounter. For this reason, I feel that I want to make the best impression possible with every person I meet.
Describe your classroom:
I am teaching English to four different groups of 3rd graders at a parochial Jesuit school K-11th grade. There are approximately 25 students in each class, and I have many boys, as it used to be an all-boy's school. The students wear uniforms. They are very talkative, which is typical of the coast, and are very affectionate and caring. They are at a very beginning level of English, so we are starting with the basics. The educational system is much different and I am used to teaching small groups of students, so this has been a challenge. Although this is my 10th year teaching, I feel like it is my first because everything is so different and I am learning everything. The experience has renewed my passion for teaching because I am learning so much and working so hard to help my students learn as much English is possible this year I am with them.
I have learned that many of the methods and activities I am used to using in the U.S. may not work well with these students. Rather than trying to change them to be more like the U.S. students, I find it more effective to learn and adapt to their system. One thing I have learned that works well is singing and dancing because it is such an important part of their culture.
What has been your most memorable experience so far?
I cannot narrow it down to one. There are many.
Here's a couple:
- The dancing and music. There are about 11 traditional dances from the coast, and there is a strong Afro-Carribean influence here, so it ranges from typical Latin dances such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, to African dances such as mapale. One evening I met the queen of the famous Carnival which happens ever year in Barranquilla. She was at a discotec with a comparza, a large dance group. And everyone there danced with her and the comparza, and I saw all the typical dances. Words cannot describe the happiness and passion of the people when they were dancing. I have never seen people that alive and happy. I really believe if everyone danced like this every day, maybe we would have no war, because everyone would always be happy.
- An arroyo. These are like flash floods. Because they do not have a proper drainage system, during the rainy season the streets may flood after a short downpour. It is very dangerous and I witnessed one just a few days after arriving here. After about a 30 minute downpour, the streets were flooded about three feet high and cars and people could not cross. It was like a raging river. Some streets are so bad they can carry away buses, cars and houses. I have never seen anything like this and feel that what I recorded on my digital camera would be good material for The Weather Channel!
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Posted December 15, 2007