Closing Out the School Year
(Originally posted June 2016)
What an interesting ride this school year has been! This week, I complete my first year of teaching at the American School Foundation of Guadalajara. Yes, I survived all the changes from my previous post and I’ll be returning for another year in August.
At ASFG, the fourth grade has been extremely occupied with Folklorama and their graduation from elementary school. Folklorama is a long-standing tradition and a rite of passage at the school. Each class studied government, religion, geography, history, and culture and then focused on their country. My class studied Japan. Students made online portfolios, turned the classroom into a living museum and created independent research projects. Aside from the academics, the students participated in professional lessons to learn two choreographed dances typical to their region. They performed several shows for younger students, grandparents and families. Overall it was exhausting but we learned a great deal and had fun along the way.
Fourth grade is the last year of the elementary section and students participated in a promotion ceremony to middle school. The students sang the national anthems and gave speeches. One of my students, Caro, wrote a speech about me. According to her, my teaching is strict but fun and she’s ready for middle school because she learned responsibility, respect and independence. Lastly she added that she’ll always love me, even if I’m a Packer fan. Afterwards, we teachers were invited to the extravagant party that the moms prepared. It was more elegant that most weddings I’ve attended. The kids ran around playing games, jumping in the bouncy house and on the ride. Waiters served drinks to the guests at their seats and people dined on fancy salads, fresh carne asada tacos, spiral potatoes and a huge dessert bar. Drivers and bodyguards waited outside by the cars. After the festivities, I hugged my kids and their families good-bye. They’re off for summer vacations around the world!
Outside of school, teachers are packing up and saying goodbyes. Ale already moved to Ensenada and others are packing boxes and suitcases to jet off to other countries or return to the US. Everyone is full of summer plans for visiting family, traveling the world and relaxing at home, here or there. I’ll be back in Madison, Minneapolis and then off to a month long adventure in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.
In the last weeks, I’ve continued to enjoy my time at the FM4 Paso Libre, both the time volunteering with the migrants and the social life afterward. The family of volunteers at the FM4 continues to be a warm, welcoming and fun team to be a part of. Every shift, I learn more, from working the registration system on the computer to fragments of the experiences from the migrants. Along with the students at ASFG, we collected backpacks to donate as the school year ended. They learned about migration through their country and developed compassion for the needs of others. Students discovered that by the time migrants reach Guadalajara, many need a replacement for bags that have been lost, stolen or are falling apart.
I feel like the school year has just flown by! I’ve relished in all the adventure of exploring the new city, making new friends, and traveling around the region. It’s crazy that it’s been a year here already; sometimes I think I just got here. From back home, I’ve missed my former school, students and colleagues. I missed my friendships from back home, both Madison and Minneapolis. Although, I don’t mind that I missed the cold winter months. I look forward to another year in Guadalajara come August.