Arrival in the US
I arrived here in Washington DC a few days ago and things seem to be rolling. The Fulbright meeting has just started. The vibe is over positive, but I sometimes find it difficult. Everything seems to be so well, too well, too wonderful, you look awesome, you are the hero of the day, the teacher of the year, better than this or than that, I am not used to this and it feel artificial, when it gets over the top, I hop for a drink to the next door cafe and treat myself with an Odwalla juice, my favorite and I dive in the pool or read in the sun next to it.
All of us (teachers from all over the planet are going on an exchange in this wonderful country)go from one workshop to another where we learn how to teach and behave when facing the "homo americanus". The American government has edicted a new law, « no child left
behind » and despite the constant augmentation of students in the classes (over 30 in some classes)the teacher has to develop a differenciated pedagogy so that his/her students succeed otherwise the school ratings will drop and it won't get any money from the government for the next academic year or it might even close.
The workshops are great and the facilitators have a great sense of humor which makes it really interesting.
Besides all this, each of us is busy sorting out the last few problems, the extermination of rats in the South Carolina property, the cost of snow clearance in Illinois, the cost of installation of a new cable in Oklahoma and what more the cost of a car in California.
Others came loaded with suitcases full of books and exchange these as if they were rare goods with a lot of seriousness.
In my case I spend most of my time looking for Brenda who still hasn't got a place to stay in Geneva (after we had to cancel the housing agreement because she neither gave me an address, nor pictures of the place in Oakland), has no plane ticket to go from Frankfurt to Geneva and who still hasn't enrolled her daughter in a school in Geneva, and who... I was about to forget, doesn't speak a word of French.
One more day with these charming collegues and I will be off to San Francisco and California.
I feel happy and I am excited by this new adventure. I love walking the streets, observing people, I relish every single minute of my stay here.
All of us (teachers from all over the planet are going on an exchange in this wonderful country)go from one workshop to another where we learn how to teach and behave when facing the "homo americanus". The American government has edicted a new law, « no child left
behind » and despite the constant augmentation of students in the classes (over 30 in some classes)the teacher has to develop a differenciated pedagogy so that his/her students succeed otherwise the school ratings will drop and it won't get any money from the government for the next academic year or it might even close.
The workshops are great and the facilitators have a great sense of humor which makes it really interesting.
Besides all this, each of us is busy sorting out the last few problems, the extermination of rats in the South Carolina property, the cost of snow clearance in Illinois, the cost of installation of a new cable in Oklahoma and what more the cost of a car in California.
Others came loaded with suitcases full of books and exchange these as if they were rare goods with a lot of seriousness.
In my case I spend most of my time looking for Brenda who still hasn't got a place to stay in Geneva (after we had to cancel the housing agreement because she neither gave me an address, nor pictures of the place in Oakland), has no plane ticket to go from Frankfurt to Geneva and who still hasn't enrolled her daughter in a school in Geneva, and who... I was about to forget, doesn't speak a word of French.
One more day with these charming collegues and I will be off to San Francisco and California.
I feel happy and I am excited by this new adventure. I love walking the streets, observing people, I relish every single minute of my stay here.
posted by nat at 3:11 PM
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