Blog Assignment: Getting to Know Your International Contacts
This week I was able to learn a little
more about my International Contact Ms. Vargas. She is an exchange teacher from
Columbia South America. School is over so she will return back to her country
.She received the opportunity to come to the United States to work in the
public school system as a Spanish teacher.
When discussing
with Ms. Vargas regarding quality and early childhood professionals she stated
that she would like to see all children attend school. Ms. Vargas stated that
some parents keep their children home and do not send them to school. Ms.
Vargas also stated that there are 40 students to a classroom; there is a great
need for more school. According to Ms. Vargas there is not a shortage of
teachers there is a shortage of schools. There is also a great need for
technology in public schools
.
Ms. Vargas
greatest opportunity was to come to the United States as an exchange teacher to
teach Spanish.
Ms. Vargas goals
in life are to receive her Master’s Degree in Translation. She would like to be
able to teach college level. Her hope is to return back home and be allowed the
opportunity to go back and forth between her country and the United States. Ms.
Vargas Dream is to be able to pay for education and continue to gain in the
professional field. When asked what are her challenges Ms. Vargas stated that
the language barrier has been her biggest challenge. There are times when she
cannot understand the English language and there are times when people cannot
understand what she is saying.
Ms. Vargas stated
that at first she just wanted to come to the United States and go home but now
she is beginning to like it here and is having mixed feelings about staying and
leaving.
What a fabulous opportunity to work as a exchange teacher! I think that takes a great deal of courage - especially because of the language barrier. I'd love to do that some time. So glad she enjoyed her stay. Thanks for sharing a part of Ms. Vargas' story.
ReplyDeleteI would think that being a exchange teacher would require a lot of courage and personal satifaction. I think that it would be a advanture but not one that i would chose as a career. bu then again
ReplyDeleteRosemary,
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how it must be having 40 children in a classroom. What is the teacher/child ratio? Your story reminded me of the website that I researched. Professionals from other countries come to the United States to learn our strategies, techniques, and policies when working in the early childhood field and then incorporate the things that they learned into their facilities. It does take courage to go into a strange country where no one can communicate with you. I only wish that I could have made a connection with someone. Thanks for sharing.
What an awesome experience to go overseas and work as a translator. I wish I would have studied abroad in my undergrad studies or gone overseas right after college because I don't think I could do it now. There were a couple postings on your blog that showed up just as x's....were those pictures?
ReplyDeleteRosemary,
ReplyDeleteDid Ms. Vargas mention why parents keep their children home from school? I wonder what the children do all day if they are not in school. I have seen 40+ children in a classroom and it is a sad sight. We had 40+ 4th graders in a class this past school year. The board would not provide us with another 4th grade teacher so we had to create a combination class of 4th and 5th graders. Teaching that combo class was the most draining teaching experience I have had. There was no set curriculum so everyday was a challenge.
If they do not have a shortage of teachers, how come they cannot come together and form learning groups within their communities? Having a school building is not necessary to teach children. I am sure there would be a lot of resistance and difficulty to get that started though. It was just a thought.