April

April brings with it not only snow showers (which we’ve amassed quite a few lately) but also showers of depression among educators.  It is traditionally one of the most difficult months during the year in which students act up, wreaking havoc upon even the best laid lesson plans.  Attention spans of both teachers and students seem incredibly shortened, as well as tempers.  As an educator, I feel I have slighted my students somehow, that maybe they would have received a better education had they been in someone else’s classroom.  I have students whom I wish had been further along than they are and whom I feel powerless to keep from falling further behind.  And it is in the midst of these struggles that I find myself wondering what it will be like in another country.  Obviously there will be weaknesses, but will they be the same as I see in America?  Do kids “fall through the cracks” like they do here?  Do teachers struggle with the same issues regarding funding and support like we do here?  I do not delude myself with thoughts of a utopian school where all my current woes and strifes will be lifted and replaced with hour-long lunches and smiling students who are desperate to learn all I have to teach.  Yet I still find myself preoccupied with hopes for a better system.

My plane ticket has been purchased—I depart from SEATAC at 6:57pm on Sunday, August 7^th.

A New Teaching Adventure

So with my decision to teach in Mexico this 2011-2012 school year, I've decided to create a blog so friends and family from around the globe (thanks to my father's international notoriety and infamy in Kenya) can be in on my shenanigans and all around tom-foolery during my exploits. 

For those of you who are just joining me on my journey, I have posted below how I came to the decision to teach in Mexico and leave the comforts I have come to know and love in Colorado Springs.  Some are excited for me, some think I’m brave, and most think I’m crazy.  While all of those reactions are apropos (especially the last one…), I have to follow God where He’s leading me, and it happens to be to Querétaro, Mexico.

Many of you are wondering why I would choose Mexico over somewhere else in the world.  It seems like the news is littered with drug lords, violence, and every horrible stereotype we hold to be true of Mexico.  Why would anyone in his/her right mind want to purposely travel to such a dangerous place?  While some of you may worry about my mental health, I can assure you I am not going into this new adventure ignorant.

The state of Querétaro is one of the safest places in Mexico; for whatever reason, there is a bubble around this area that hasn't been popped.  It is located just northwest of Mexico City, and I will be in the major city of Querétaro.  One of the first questions I asked at each of my interviews was about the safety of the areas.  Recruiters at International Fairs are a bit different from the US in that they are not trying to trick teachers to come; they are very open and honest about their schools and areas because they do not want someone to get there and freak out mid-year and leave.  I've also been explaining the "safety issue" like this to people:  Chicago and New York, and many other big cities in the US have gangs, drugs, and violence, but that doesn't mean all of those things are rampant in the US and that I shouldn't live here.  This is true in other countries.  We always hear about the horrible events in other countries, but we rarely hear about the good things.

It is true that I had my heart set on Europe or someplace exotic; Mexico was not on my radar at all.  When I arrived at the fair, I checked my folder (each teacher and school has a folder for communication purposes), and I had interview invitations from Saudi Arabia (quickly declined that one... while I'm not big on stereotypes, I do not want to test the female one in the Middle East), Bulgaria, Mexico, and Singapore.  I thought, "What the heck, I'll interview with Mexico," because I was worried about not getting any interviews. 

JFK American School had a position for 6th grade MYP Language Arts--that's what I've been teaching for three years.  Out of all of my interviews, the one with Querétaro was by far the most fun and exciting.  The principal of the middle school has a great sense of humor and we really hit it off.  I felt like they really wanted me, asked me good questions, and explained what the environment and culture were like.  They unofficially offered me the job and asked me to come back later in the day to talk about the position.  I logged that in the background because I was really excited for my interview with Bulgaria.

Three more interviews came and went, bringing me closer to my goal.  When the interview came with Bulgaria, I wasn't blown away.  The gentleman who interviewed me, while American, was tragically born without a sense of humor and did not sell Bulgaria well to me.  The environment, while I would do just fine, would be very tradition in terms of teaching styles, and I would have to live in a house with three other girls that I may or may not get along with.  The more I thought about Bulgaria, the more I realized that I would only be going because it was in Europe.

The school in Querétaro has been an IB school for many years, but only with DP (11th and 12th grade), and they are starting MYP this next year in 6th grade.  With my experience, they told me I was "the complete package" of what they were looking for.  I want to be a part of something big, and implementing MYP is big and I'll be one of the "experts" (scary I know...). 

So after much prayer in where I should go (I had three offers by that point: China, Mexico, and Nicaragua), Mexico just seems the best fit for my personality and what I have to offer as a professional teacher. 

That's the story behind my decision.  I'm continuing to research the area and learn as much as possible, but I'm super excited this opportunity.  Oh, and by the way, another school in China called to offer me a job--4/6 offers ain't bad! ;)