Taguatinga - lots of stores and shopping here!
The teachers I spoke to are all dedicated teachers who only want to see their students excel. Many teachers expressed some of the same concerns we have - school funding, technology (integration & working up to date technology), time in class, teacher salaries, parents, and student motivation. So nice to hear that we are not alone. The foreign language teachers I spoke to from public schools only see their students once or twice a week for 50 minutes or one 90 minute class. Many commented it is so difficult for students to learn a new language with these time constraints. Think of how many students we would all see at Toby Johnson if we only had them one time per week? WOW! The students do take math and Portuguese daily for 50 minutes.
I have been asked by students if they are different than my American students, and the answer is "no". The students are interested in music, sports, friends, some in school - others not so much, politics (the older ones), etc. The students seem to be similar that as I spoke to some, I was reminded of many of my own students in the last few years. I feel as if the Brazilian students I encountered moved into my school district, some may struggle with the language, but would not socially!
Students who read the letters my students wrote, and they wrote for my next year students to read.)
On Wednesday, Brazil was playing in a soccer game at 4pm, and there was discussion as to whether school would be cancelled that day, shortened or no afternoon session. Students do need to attend school for 200 days a year, so if schools decided to cancel school completely that day would need to be made up. Schools do not count minutes as we do in California, from what I can understand, so some schools did a shortened day. Many students will not attend if Brazil is playing.
A major difference I noticed between elementary campuses here and at home is there does not seem to be grass fields for recess or to play games. One school students were running around and playing games on concrete, another school on tiled outside area. Some schools here students stay in the classroom, and the teachers move from room to room. At a private school, students were required to have a computer with special software installed which allowed the teacher to know what the student was working on, and have communication (I think) with the student. The parents purchase this over a 3 year time period if needed. As I walked around the school students had them out on their desks.
Here is this school's recess/break area. They do have a chess/checker board. A staff member had taught the students how to play.
Students normally wear a school uniform which consists of just a t-shirt. The shirt has their school name and seems to be white. Even though they have this, I did notice many students altering the shirt or wearing a shirt or sweatshirt over it. I was not able to tell if staff enforced any other dress code. Teachers did tell me that students will wear other clothes to school, then change, and try and get away with as much as possible. Sound familiar to anyone?
I did give a presentation on reading strategies to the CIL teachers, and teachers are the same. As giving the presentation, some teachers were engaged, some were texting, and then others were grading papers. It made me think of some many of the staff development meetings I've participated in throughout the years. Of course I was giving some items away, school t-shirts, school note pads, Jelly Belly's, Ghirardelli chocolates, etc so everyone was involved as names were being drawn.
These teachers were engaged!
All of the teachers who attended the reading strategies presentation. Of all the presentations, this one made me the most nervous!
Yara (pronounced Ya ta), the coordinator of CIL Brasilia, who allowed me to present on campus. I gave her a TJMS AVID shirt.
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