We spent a very tired morning in classes but they were very interesting. In our Spanish class we had a really good discussion about what we are hoping to gain from this experience. Most of us in the class do not really have any speaking Spanish speaking students in our class but we know they are coming eventually and we view this as an opportunity to help prepare for when our classes do become more diverse. I think most of us in that class came here with that goal in mind, but after having been immersed in this new culture we have started to realize more possibilities and are very excited to return to the classroom. We started discussing in class how we can use this experience to help introduce our kids to different cultures. Many of our students will never even leave York county let alone have the opportunity to travel abroad. With this experience we can bring this different culture into the classroom more realistically. Introducing our students to the different cultures throughout the world will hopefully be one way that we can continue to create that tolerance and acceptance that we talked about last night. Monica and I were talking about my curriculum and we discussed this great idea about how I can incorporate another aspect of Puerto Rico into my classroom. I teach back to back units on plants and animals and we talked about how I could have my students create a rainforest in our classroom. When we study the plants, I want to have my students pick a plant from the rainforest to do a little research on and then artistically create several representations of the plant to put on the wall. The kids can report on the basic information that we learn in class but take it even further. When we switch to our unit on animals, we will do the same thing. By the end of our unit we would have an amazing recreation of the rainforest that we could share with other classes.
Salsa dancing! Our second class today was on the history of music which led right into our lessons on salsa dancing. Para el mundo Puerto Rico es"salsa" (for the world Puerto Rico is salsa). Salsa is a form of expression and it is part of the identity and soul of Puerto Ricans. When you hear good salsa music you really do find the urge to dance and start moving to the music without thinking about it. Our instructor taught us several different basic steps in salsa and it was a lot of fun. I do not like to dance but I really did enjoy salsa. I had some trouble with the turns but here is my attempt at learning to salsa.
In the evening we went to a local establishment to experience some real salsa. I hid in the corner and I don't think anything would have gotten me out on that dance floor in front of people but it was so neat to watch people who were really good. We did have some brave souls who were willing to try salsa dancing while we were out and they did such a good job. The band that was playing was really good and I am glad I went out. The big thing that hit me was how late the night life is Puerto Rico. Restaurants have been empty every night when we eat and people are not coming out until we are headed to bed. The salsa band didn't start playing until 11:30 and it was a week night and you assume that the people have to work tomorrow. I couldn't imagine staying out so late and getting up early on regular basis. I didn't notice any young kids out super late, but I would imagine the teenagers are staying out late on school nights as well. That has to impact their education. How can you function and do your best in school if you have practically no sleep.
During the day we went to visit the Museum of Art in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am not into art museums and usually feel that I just don't get art so I was not overly excited about this trip. I did really enjoy the sculpture garden. It was a really pretty area and I loved the pond with the koi swimming around. I did not realize that koi were so colorful. They almost looked like someone splattered them with paint.
I also really enjoyed the kids exhibits. There was a really neat interactive area for kids where they could learn about different types of art and then have the chance to create their own piece of art in that form. I was blown away by the room that displayed the artwork from a program set up with school students. There were canvas painting, sculptors, and tile mosaics created by third through fifth graders that were very impressive. The use of color and different techniques that the students incorporated into their art were amazing. Theses kids produced pieces of artwork that are far better than anything I could produce. It is so important to have the arts as a part of children's lives and students gain so much by having art and music opportunities in school. What a great way for some kids to express themselves!
I liked your point about students that may not be able to leave York County, so as teachers we can play a role in introducing them to other cultures. Additionally, those students who come from places beyond York County also need to learn about other cultures, as they may only be familiar with their own. Even if they are hispanic, the hispanic world is still varied and you are an important part of introducing them to the beauty of diversity. --val
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