I need to begin by saying I loved teaching in Southern California for three years. I made friendships with colleagues and students that will no doubt last a lifetime. I improved as a teacher while I was there. And I would do it all again without hesitation.

However, I knew all along that the school system in California did not value the education of the children. Nor did it value the working environment for its teacher or administrators or staff. Michael Moore recently made a film about the inequities and injustices of the US health care system. I wish he would do the same for education.

The fact of the matter is, if we truly valued the learning environment of our children, we would do things differently. We would have more schools, more rooms, more teachers, more counselors, more administrators, and fewer students per school. Never has this been more evident to me than it is now, because I’m at a new school.

And so I want to point out the differences between what I experienced in California, to what I’m experiencing here in Guatemala.

• Teacher to Student Ratio:
  • California: 60 teachers for 1500 students
  • Guatemala: 200 teachers for 1450 students
• Class size:
  • California: 32 students per class on average
  • Guatemala: 22 students per class on average
• Teaching load:
  • California: I taught 25 periods per week and got 5 periods off
  • Guatemala: I now teach 14 periods per week with 10 periods off
• Custodial Services:
  • California: Three custodians at one time, who take out the trash every night, but only vacuum twice a week.
  • Guatemala: More than 20-30 custodians at one time, who dust the entire room, mop the floor, and even wipe down desks EVERY DAY.
• Collaboration:
  • California: Collaboration was supposed to take place among team members during the one free period we had each day.
  • Guatemala: Collaboration takes place at a designated time every week during the school day and does not interfere with free periods.
• Administration:
  • California: Three administrators for 1500 students
  • Guatemala: Six administrators for 1450 students
• Extra-curricular Activities:
  • California: We had basketball, soccer, video productions, anime, tutoringand a bible study group. Most of the teachers who did these activities were either volunteers or were paid by an outside organization.
  • Guatemala: We have basketball, soccer, swimming, track, cheer leading, tutoring, homework help, for elementary, middle school, and high school boys and girls. And the coaches or tutors are ALWAYS paid. I’m sure I’m forgetting quite a few activities we have as well.
• Curriculum:
  • California: Standards based with a ton of testing and the elimination of arts for some students, and technology or music for others.
  • Guatemala: Skills based with opportunities to do projects. Students also take art, a THIRD language, life skills, AND technology! Notice I didn’t say OR.

One of the main reasons I decided to teach overseas was exactly so that I could see a different education system. I wanted to be able to compare my first experiences with something else. All along I knew that the school system in America was unjust, but I needed to have something to compare it to.

The argument can easily be made that this is a private school, and my other school was public. At the same time though, if we truly valued education the way we say we do, then we would find the money and the resources to create more schools, hire more teachers and staff, and eliminate the overwhelming stupidity of standardized tests. If we can suddenly uncover a gold mine for a war in Iraq, then we should be quite capable of uncovering one for education.

Today was the beginning of my fourth year teaching, and even after four years I was still filled with a bit of anxiety and a lot of excitement.  Beginning the year as a brand new teacher in Guatemala probably didn’t help any.  Nor did the fact that I’m teaching at one of the top schools in Guatemala.  Nor did the fact that I am still living in a hotel, I have none of the supplies I shipped from the U.S.  Nor did the fact that I’ve gotten very little sleep over the last few days.

But honestly, I loved every minute of it.  These students have so much personality and they’re completely full of life.  And the energy they give off is contagious.  Nothing is more motivating than a 13-year-old student giving you a high five, or shaking your hand and saying thank you in a genuine way.  Even their laughter is energizing.

Don’t get me wrong though, I miss my students from last year and the years before immensely.  But kids are kids no matter where you’re at in the world, and I’m just excited to be back in the classroom doing what I love.

On a daily basis we are lured by temptation. Tempted to say something we know we should not. Tempted to eat unhealthily. Tempted to lie around instead of be active. Tempted to be with someone simply for the thrill, rather than for any deeper purpose.

To make matters even worse, our culture seems to applaud and promote succumbing to temptation. Think about all the advertisements tempting us to buy a certain product so we’ll feel a certain way. All of the movies where a man is tempted and seduced by a beautiful woman. How often does he turn her down? And if, by some motion-picture miracle, he does look into her seductive eyes and say, “No, I have a family,” how often is this seen as a sign of strength?

As someone who in the past used to give in to temptation frequently, I do know this: I feel far more powerful and in control of my life every time I push temptations away.

It’s about SACRIFICE, and sacrificing something temporarily pleasurable for something more permanent and purposeful. Why not eat the two brownies, the donut, the bag of chips or the candy bar? Because you’re sacrificing that temporary taste for better overall health. Why not spend just one night with the girl from the bar? Because if you’re dating someone else or even married you’re sacrificing lust for love.

However, it seems that sacrificing anything of ourselves these days for the greater good is unpopular because we so rarely see it done. So instead, I create my own images of how I want to see the world and myself. I picture a man walking with his wife and children, his conscience clear because he knows that everything he has sacrificed has led to this point. And I picture him being healthy, his body clear of alcoholism, drugs, and fast food.

To put it simply: I want to continue SACRIFICING myself for something more meaningful and longer lasting, no matter what that might be. I want to continue to tame my temptations.

Facts, factoids, and just plain observations about Guatemala:

1. The money used in Guatemala is the quetzal. Two or more of them are quetzales.

2. Most of the things you buy have two prices. One is the local, Guatemalan price. The other is the gringo price. I think you can figure out which one is higher.

3. If you have 7.5 quetzales, that is equivalent to one dollar. If you have 800 quetzales at one time, or $100.00 that is equivalent to stupidity.

4. Guatemalans love blonde-haired people.

5. Many Guatemalans speak English, yet they are always happy to help others with their Spanish.

6. For all the negative media Guatemala gets, I´ve loved almost all of the ones I have met.

7. With that said, there are only a few zonas in Guatemala City which are safe to walk in alone. Luckily I will be living in one of them. Phew.

8. The water is not safe to drink, but it seems to be all right if you want to brush your teeth with it.

9. $650 for an apartment goes a long, long ways.

10. If you want to say Sexy in Spanish, you just say Sexy.

11. Smog checks haven´t really taken effect quite yet.

12. I feel tall here, and I´m only 5´10 or 5´11 depending on the shoes I´m wearing. The people are vertically challenged.

13. Gallo is a far more popular beer here than Budweiser is in America.

14. There is an Applebee´s, a TGIFriday´s, a Holiday Inn, and a McDonald´s not far from the hotel I´m in. Naturally, I´ve stayed away from all four.

15. If you are from Guatemala, and you´ve lived here your whole life, you are referred to as a Puro Chapin.

16.  There are fountains with women carved carefully into them, and water is pouring out of their chests.  (Remember, this is just an observation…oh, and the picture above provides proof.)

17. I´m sure there will be more to come.

Lyrics:

Well I walked over the bridge
Into the city where I live,
And I saw my old landlord.
Well we both said hello,
There was nowhere else to go,
‘cuz his rent I couldn’t afford.

Well relationships change,
Oh I think it’s kinda strange,
How money makes a man grow.
Some people they claim,
If you get enough fame,
You live over the rainbow.
Over the rainbow.

But the people on the street,
Out on buses or on feet,
We all got the same blood flow.
Oh, in society,
Every dollar got a deed,
We all need a place so we can go,
And feel over the rainbow.

But sometimes,
We forget what we got,
Who we are.
Oh who are are not.
I think we gotta chance,
To make it right.
Keep it loose,
Keep it tight.
Keep it tight.

I’m in love with a girl,
Who’s in love with the world,
Though I can’t help but follow.
Though I know some day,
She is bound to go away,
And stay over the rainbow.
Gotta learn how to let her go.
Over the rainbow.

Sometimes we forget who we got,
Who they are.
Oh, who they are not.
There is so much more in love,
Than black and white.
Keep it loose child,
Gotta keep it tight.
Keep it loose child,
Keep it tight.

Message:

There is definitely more than one message in this song, and what draws me to it is how much different it begins than ends.  Amos Lee starts by describing people in general…who we are, what makes us similar. Then in the last verse he’s describing a woman he must let go of.  When the song is broken down though, it’s easier to grasp some of the messages. Here are some lyrics I can relate to.

• “But the people on the street, out on buses or on feet, we all got the same blood flow.”

  • Now that I’m in Guatemala and clearly a foreigner in this country, I’m reminded of how I’m different daily. My hair, my skin, my gringo use of the language. Yet it helps to remind myself that I do have things in common with Guatemalans and that people all over the world are more similar than we think.

• “We all need a place where we can go, and feel over the rainbow.”

  • It’s difficult right now because I don’t have this place. Well, at least not a physical place anyway, so I’ve had to turn to writing to make me feel more comfortable and at ease. Music helps a lot too if I just need to relax. And of course conversations with people I’m close to make me feel more at home.

• “Sometimes we forget what we got. Who we are, and who we are not.”

  • Taking things for granted and losing perspective. These should both be added to the seven deadly sins. It’s easy to forget this sometimes in a completely different culture.

• “I’m in love with a girl who’s in love with the world.”

  • Well…not in love exactly…but I haven’t felt this way for someone in a long time.

• “There is so much more in love than black and white.”

  • Enough said.

I’m convinced that one of the most difficult things to do in life is learn a second language, especially once you’re over the age of…oh…about 14. Not because we can’t do it, but because we’re so afraid of doing it. More than anything, we’re afraid of making mistakes and seeming unintelligent as we get older. We all have this idea about who we are, and I guarantee that very few us envision ourselves as blubbering idiots trying to conjugate an easy verb like “querer” into its different forms.

That’s exactly what happens though with a second language. We make mistakes, we feel foolish, and really…who wants that? Very few people are brave enough to make mistake after mistake after mistake and still keep going. Very few people have enough courage to continue trying something after being laughed at and ridiculed.

With that said, there is one thing I absolutely love about learning a second language.

I love how the struggle of learning reveals so much about my character. Am I able to keep trying to speak Spanish even though I make mistakes virtually every time I open my mouth? Or do I get so embarrassed that I stay silent? Do I laugh at my errors and learn from them? Or do I become angry and frustrated?

I’m forced to answer questions like these about myself and it helps me reflect so much. Doing things that are simple and basic reveal nothing about my own character or anyone else’s for that matter. Yet learning a language opens the door wide open.

Quiero aprender mas!

Angtigua, Guatemala es una ciudad piqueño mas o menos 45 minutos fuera de la capital. Hay dos volcanes grandes y uno se llama Pacaya. Los dos volcanes son activados. La ciudas es muy bonita y tranquila y hay muchos extranjeros que estudiar español en este lugar. Hay las escuelas maravillosas a través de la ciudad.

Tengo fotos abajo.

After only two days as a teacher at the American School of Guatemala (Colegio Americano de Guatemala) I have begun taking pictures. I by no means captured everything. I haven’t yet gotten up the courage to take pictures of the three guards who stand at the front gate of the school. And I haven’t had time to take detailed pictures of my classroom or of the campus’s subtleties. But with the few photos below, I have tried to capture some of the natural beauty and landscaping of the school. This is easily one of the most beautiful school environments I’ve ever seen. In every way, it reminds me of a college campus.

This is one of the entrances to the school which leads to the library. Everything is completely wide open which allows nature to flood into the classrooms and the courtyards.

Teachers playing frisbie in the courtyard during one of our breaks. Open spaces like this are common throughout the campus.

This picture was taken from the top of the library and some of the elementary classrooms are on the right.

This is the back of the library.

One of the many long walks along the campus.

I will be disappointed with myself if at any point in the next two years I take any of this for granted. This is exactly the type of environment I was looking for. Natural, open, green, and well kept. There is such a level of respect for the school and I hope the students have this same amount of respect for it once they arrive.

My goal has always been to write at least one thing a day, no matter how long or deep or interesting. In college I was able to maintain this. Sometimes I wrote in the morning before going to class, sometimes I wrote after drinking a bit too much, and sometimes I stopped in the middle of a long day and just released my thoughts through writing.

The reason is simple: the more frequently I write, the more detail I’ll end up capturing. And the opposite is true: if my writing is sporadic then so much gets lost.

That’s what’s happening now. Since I last wrote anything, back on August 3rd, I’ve become much more intimate with someone, I’ve moved to Guatemala, worked for a day at my new school here, and met some amazing people from all over the world. But the details are getting lost now. The little things like kicking my sandals off and playing a little basketball on the courts at my new school fade away into one large overstatement like, “The school I’ll be teaching at for the next two years is more beautiful and breathtaking than I could’ve imagined.” I make blanket statements rather than focusing in on the details.

And I think we all do this. We want the BIG MOMENTS like traveling to a new country, but forget the little ones like hearing a song on the radio that reminds us of an old friend. The new romance in our lives gets far more attention than the drink of water we take after being a little dehydrated.

Yet the small details of our lives are so important, and if we don’t slow down to recognize them and APPRECIATE them, then they race on by just like the days and the weeks and the months.

So one reason I write is to remind myself to focus in on certain aspects of life which might otherwise elude me.  And I need to make a pact with myself that I will write each day and at least capture one moment, no matter how significant, no matter how unimportant.  The objective will be to simply FOCUS IN ON THE DETAILS AND THE NUANCES OF LIFE.

Yesterday, August 2nd, 2007, was my mom’s birthday. She is now 57 and I can guarantee that when she was my age she never envisioned her life turning out like this.  Unable to walk, unable to feed herself, unable to live in her own home.  The reality though, is that none of us foresee this for ourselves. But suffering happens, it’s natural in a variety of ways, and it’s how we deal with this suffering that eventually makes us who we are.

For my mom’s birthday, I have made her a video. It’s not much, but I hope it captures the moment in some small way.

Lyrics:

Oh my love for the first time in my life,
My eyes are wide open,
Oh my lover for the first time in my life,
My eyes can see,

I see the wind,
Oh I see the trees,
Everything is clear in my heart,
I see the clouds,
Oh I see the sky,
Everything is clear in our world,

Oh my love for the first time in my life,
My mind is wide open,
oh my lover for the first time in my life,
My mind can feel,

I feel the sorrow,
Oh I feel dreams,
Everything is clear in my heart,
Everything is clear in our world,
I feel the life,
Oh I feel love.

Message:

Love brings clarity and opens us up. It makes us vulnerable and forces us to look at things differently. Not just romantic love, but love for people in general, love for a profession, love for a hobby. Love forces us to FEEL life and to experience it more fully rather than sitting around like a zombie, unaffected by emotion.