Te amo, Villavo!

Day 6

The morning of Day 6 was joining a Spanish literature class in which the students were going to report on their book projects. Students had created beautiful representations of the books they had chosen and used the representations to explain the themes and characters in the books to their small groups. The students were assigned to evaluate each other as they presented their projects. The evaluator also asked clarifying questions, then gave feedback on the spot. I was blown away by their candor, their depth, and how detailed they were in their evaluation and questioning of one another. I was also so impressed by the books they had chosen to read and report on; many were on heavy topics like prostitution, drug trafficking and addiction, gang violence, eating disorders, corruption, and family abuse. After the presentations, I asked the students why they decided to read those books. One student said it was because the book she chose reflected her neighborhood. Another student said it was because he was interested in finding solutions, and perhaps the books had ideas for him. The students then started talking about the issues their communities faced, and what they hope for their communities in the future. I was so proud of their civic consciousness! I felt privileged to witness such a thoughtful and critical dialogue among the students that was borne out of their book reports. Students making connections outside and inside the classroom…what we all strive for as teachers!

*My small group. The dollhouse in the back is one of the projects.*

I felt like a sponge the last 5 days; learning from conversations, observations, and school visits. Day 6 was a chance for me to see how “American strategies” would be received by the students. Vickie, Blade, and I each planned a solo lesson to deliver. I took one of my short and sweet STEM lessons in which students had to work in groups to create a paper chain in 3 minutes that met the given criteria and constraints. The objective was for students to employ a growth mindset to complete the activity. The students seemed to enjoy the dynamism of the lesson and the many opportunities for movement, productive talk, and reflection after each round. During the reflection part of the lesson, the students shared about the challenges they encountered during the first round, and what they changed were able to improve their designs after the second round. Students mentioned things like strategizing time, delegating roles, and refining their designs. They seemed proud of their accomplishments, and so was I!

*Round 1 results. We have chains, braids, and ropes. Oops!*

After the class, the teachers gathered for lunch for a debrief. What I realized and shared was that “American Strategies” and “Colombian Strategies” were not that much different. Colombian teachers employed instructional strategies that I did as well such as small group sharing, turn and talks, think-pair-shares, and more. It made me think that good teaching is good teaching no matter where in the world you are.

What did stand out to me over the last 5 days were the relationships teachers had with their students. The entire school felt like a family. Students were so comfortable approaching their teachers to engage them in discussions inside and outside the classrooms. Teachers and students ate lunch together and continued discussions from the classrooms. All adults (not just teachers but also custodians, food clerks, etc.) knew all the students’ names, and there was a familial quality to all interactions. The respect between students and teachers was palpable. It wasn’t just at FPS either; I had noticed this also in the schools we visited in Bogota. I thought about the behavioral issues at my own school and wondered what the “secret sauce” was.

After work, some of the faculty members took us out to dinner at the top of a mountain (I wish I could remember the name!) By this time, we had all become fast friends. I was already starting to miss them!!!

*Mountaintop dinner overlooking a shimmering Villavicencio*

Day 7

Our time at Villavicencio was coming to an end. By now we had visited many schools, spoken to different faculties and staff, and had come to really appreciate the attitudes and mindsets of the educators we met. Our last day was still as busy as ever. We visited 2 more schools, met the secretary of education, then had a memorable send-off dinner where beautiful speeches were made that brought tears to some eyes (...definitely MY eyes!).

*With the faculty and staff at Colegio Nueva Generacion (private)*

*At the rural school we visited that received generous funding from a petrol company (public)*

*The students who welcomed us into their computer science class (SENA, public)*

*With the students at the Fontana school (private)*

*Photo Op with the Education Secretary, Team Diversos, our host teacher Alex,* *and some of the students at FPS.*

*Casa Del Joropo for our goodbye dinner*

*With my gifs from the faculty and staff at FPS and Alex’s family*

The next morning Alex and his wife Sandra took us to the airport. We exchanged tearful goodbyes…it’s hard to say goodbye to people who have touched your heart so much! As Team Villavicencio made our way back to Bogota, I couldn’t help but feel sentimental about the week I spent with Alex, his family, the folks at FPS, and of course…Vickie and Blade! I knew that we were getting closer and closer to returning to “real life”.

My brain started making a montage, like in one of those indie films, and played it over and over. I felt #blessed to have had such a wonderful experience with amazing humans who also happened to be exemplary educators!

It’s a Wrap!

Bienvenidos a Villavicencio!