Initial Responses

Although they do not show up under my new posts, I have posted my assignments under the "Professional Seminar" tabs.

Why I chose TAB...

Hola from Mexico!

Here I am on the sunny shores of La Manzanilla, Jalisco, Mexico. A small village approximately three hours south of Puerto Vallarta and an hour north of Manzanillo. This remote destination is somewhere I have been travelling since I was a small child and where my parents call home in the winter months.

Choosing to have my TAB experience here was a no brainer - warm weather, family, a familiar environment, and a second home! Sounds like the perfect vacation! 

I began to do my research and delve deeper into the real reasons behind Teaching Across Borders and the impact it could have on my life and the lives of the children in this town. I found La Catalina Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides English classes to the Elementary and Junior High School students free-of-charge. It is operated solely by volunteers who plan and teach all grades and after school programs. When I discovered the foundation it was like a match made in heaven! My priority shifted from a tropical vacation to giving back to this community that has always been so welcoming to us. I know that giving them the gift of language is more valuable and sustainable than any other gift I can give to these children.

I am lucky to be familiar with my TAB destination, so the December 15th call-to-action was rushed, but not unmanageable for my December 27th departure. I got a few shots and medications for the dreaded, yet inevitable, Turistas, and packed my Spanish dictionary before I took flight. 

I will rely on my minimal Spanish to get me through the first few weeks and will perhaps pepper it with some French if need be! La Catalina will offer a two week intensive Spanish class to all their volunteers, which will begin for me a few weeks into my practicum. I am sure this will be a life saver!

Needless to say, I am nervous about many things in the schools down here - classroom culture, language barriers, discipline, resources - and I'm sure that no amount of research will prepare me for the sink or swim moments I know I will experience! For now, all I can do is cross my fingers and remember to take it all in, because I'm sure it will all be over in the blink of an eye!