Opportunities

I always remember an excellent teacher at High school who used to say that in the process of teaching and learning, the teacher needed to be open and ready to give opportunities to their students otherwise, it will be hard for them to get the respect from the students.
During these last two years I had the opportunity to start training to become a teacher in the near future. I had students at eighth and ninth year and next year I will be teaching training in the Polimodal level. I also was working in a Catholic school as a pasante, helping a little girl who has difficulties at learning as she suffers from deficit of attention among others problems. The thing is that I was working together with the teacher of that class who was Miss Josefina, and who helped me a lot. It gave me the opportunity to practice with her class giving me suggestions and tips for the next classes I was going to give. I felt nervous but confident at the same time.
The little girl I was working with is beautiful. Her name is Paulina and the first time we met, she asked me why I was going to be only with her and not with the rest of the girls, and I said “I chose working with you because you seem to be special”, and she smiled at me.
At the beginning it was very hard to catch her attention as she did not know whom to follow, her teacher or me. The thing is that with the passing of time she started to improve in English. Having many difficulties in producing pieces of writing in her mother tongue, her psychologist suggested me to encourage the child to work with the basic contents in the second language and she seemed to enjoy doing the exercises I prepared for her.
Now that exams are over, this little child could overcome different situations, for instance, she can now produce sentences in English and she managed to pass the oral exams (which was a huge burden for her at the beginning). Through games and draws, she learnt colours, numbers and other lexical items that where necessary for her to learn to pass the subject. However, I have to say that the most important for me was that she has learnt something from me. To be honest, there were times in which I wished to run away as I didn’t know how to help her. I knew she needed me, but I didn’t know what to do. I felt weak and unable to deal with those difficulties, but Miss Josefina and some friends of mine (who are future teachers too) made me realize I could do something for this kid and thank God the results were excellent.
When I started this entry, I remembered what my favourite teacher used to say and I think he’s right. Opportunities should be given for everyone. It’s a good way to show that you as teacher or you as student can do something to learn. In my case, I am extremely pleased to have had a teacher like Miss Josefina to help me during the last three months and in the case Paulina, the last time I saw her, she shown thankful for having the opportunity to learn something it was very difficult for her at the beginning.

Graduation Party

Last week I had the pleasure to be in the graduation party of my classmates from fourth year and I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot. Perhaps I didn’t realize until that moment that I’m going to miss them a lot. I’m gonna miss the interesting points of view from Chessica, the complaints and the craziness about music from Mauricio, the tenderness that Silvita has to talk to me, the jokes from Rachel, the “ready to everything” Pato and my dear friend Barbarita, who has always been a very special friend to me. I’m really gonna miss them all, though I’m pretty sure I’ll keep on touch with some of them.
That night I realized that we(my girl friends and I), are not gonna have a group like that next year, which is supposed to be our last year and that made me feel a little bit of melancholy. I mean, I spent four years with this group. In this four years it happened a lot of things, lots of argues, laughs, triumphs (as I never thought I was going to be on stage as I was when we presented “Halloween”). We really did have a lot of fun…
Anyway, besides all these thoughts and memories that are coming to my mind right now, I want to tell you guys, and perhaps I’ve already told you this before, but I’ll say it again; I wish you the best for each one of you, be great teachers, give opportunities and believe in what you and your students do.

Big Brother Horror Show

Title: Big Brother Horror Show
Date: November 1st, 2007
Source: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?storyID=9400

Vocabulary
Conglomerate: a corporation consisting of a number of subsidiary companies or divisions in a variety of unrelated industries, usually as a result of merger or acquisition.
Undiluted: not weak.
Air: to broadcast or televise.
Drinking bout: a long period of drinking.
Copious: large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful.
Adamant: utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc./ determined or insistent.
Comatose: affected with or characterized by coma.
Chump: a stupid or foolish person; a dolt.
Footage: a shot or series of shots of a specified nature or subject.

Main Ideas
- African viewers saw a woman being assaulted by one of her housemates on Big Brother TV show.
- Viewers claimed to be concerned about this fact but TV producers say that there is no indication that she was unconcious at that time and that it appeared to exist consensual physical relationship between the housemates.
- The woman was extremely drunk after an extended drinking bout on Saturday afternoon.
- The contest is due to reach its climax on November 11 and the man who is being blamed for assault his housemate is one of the finalists.
- It is estimated that in Africa, a woman is sexually assaulted every 40 seconds.

Personal reaction

I have always thought this kind of reality show was only able to reflect the human beings´miseries but I never thought they would be able to permit (and transmit)the rape of a person even more knowing that Africa is a country in which women are being sexually assaulted with more frequency. TV producers will never admit this incident could have been avoided but apparently money is more important than a woman’s dignity. It would be great this sort of TV show be finally banned so this world is less sick.

For fourth year... there it goes...

Classes are coming to an end and coming soon my classmates of fourth year are about to graduate. Some of them will do it in December, some others in March and so on…
The point is that they are to graduate. You’re becoming teachers guys! And that’s great. I’m gonna miss you all…
When I started studying in the Lola Mora in 2004 I met great people. They were all special in certain way. I shared wonderful moments with many of them. I met interesting people there whom I really felt connected with.
Of course, conflicts were present many times…relationships are complicated, you know?...anyway, the thing is that many of us overcame it and some others are still trying…
I’m gonna miss the laughs, the jokes, the fights, the complains and some other things we’ve shared. But it’s going to be something good for you…new roads to discover. You’re finally reaching your dreams and that is good…yeah, of course it will be good. The only thing I can say (as I’m not good for the compliments or those things related to feelings), it’s that I wish the best for all of you and I hope you be wonderful teachers, teaching your students something more than a second language… teaching them to be humble and good people and to follow and fight for their dreams.