Saturday, March 19, 2011

See You Soon

Well I finished my last week at CBL - I was surprised the school threw a small going away party for me with the faculty and several students wrote me going away cards.

I spent the last two days helping Francesca, who will be replacing me, to meet the students and and getting on board with where we were in the material. Hopefully being she is fluent in English & Spanish she will have better luck with the students and thew administration than I did.

I fly home on Monday, and right now I am almost packed minus the clothes I washed today that are drying and a few toiletry essentials I'll be needing until I actually leave. So yeah... guess I'll be seeing most of you soon.

Well except for my few Colombian readers, though to you if you find yourself in the USA and near Southern Indiana just let me know and I'd love to hang out and share my hometown with you like you all have done with me.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Okay. Time to let you out of the dark.

Okay my last blog post was actually about Roberto, on the day I posted it (Februaury 24th, I believe.), he had resigned with no warning from the school. I have continued living with the Valderramas even though he left. I figured this was going to cause things to stir up a bit at the school--I was right.

The Academic Coordinator Tito, who to be honest i don't really seem to get along with has sort of stepped up to fill the principal role that Roberto left open. So I knew soon enough that he was going to try and whip things into shape--unfortunately as always--I was left a bit in the dark to this. So it seems that I may have dropped the ball on one or two things due to the fact I was failed to be properly informed.

So I was called into a meeting on the 2nd of March, I was rather quickly and in Spanish followed by broken English what was the problem and asked as to why I was not complying with several of the new changes. I addressed this with the fact that I have continually asked for memos to be emailed to me, so that I could run them through Google's online translator quicker, I also mentioned that the school had failed to find me a Spanish Teacher which had been promised to be before I took the job (over 8 months ago) which also could have aided me in the process greatly. Due to these failed responsibilities of the school I had had quite a lot issues understanding let alone comply to any changes that had been implemented.

Then they addressed that several of the parents were concerned about their students progress, my gut an honest response I blurted out was "So am I." I explained that I had been promised a Spanish teacher before I came--and that I never would have taken the job if that had not been part of the arrangement, Tito and the new head administrator looked at me like i was crazy--and said they were not aware of this. I further explained that there is simply too big of a language barrier between myself and the students. I simply cannot understand what they are trying to say to me most of the time... and when I do understand I never know what to say to try and fix it. The classroom simply doesn't function.

So it was finally decided on a recourse.

I resigned.

My Last day will be this coming Friday, March 18th.

The school has already found a replacement teacher for me she will be working with me this coming Thursday and Friday to meet my students and get a feel for where they are in class. She will then be taking over next Tuesday (Monday is some Holiday here). Though thankfully the Airport is still open that Monday (the 21st) as I will be flying home that day. A big thanks to everyone who has been reading and following this Blog, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

I hope to chronicle a bit more of my experience here (hopefully) in book form--I plan to post a few teaser chapters on here once I finish them--and there maybe another post or two before I actually leave.

Take care friends, hopefully I'll be seeing most of you again soon!

- Mitch

Thursday, February 24, 2011

hey...


So things are weird. There have been some big changes going on. Some which I am not allowed to really talk about. I am fine and healthy and am still at work down here... There had been a scare or two this week about some big changes going on... Though to all my US readers if you would like more info feel free to email me: mitch.stuart@gmail.com and I will be more than happy to fill you in on what is going on. Or if you are in regular contact with my parents or other members of my family they should be able to give you some of the details.

Most of all I think things maybe getting kind of bumpy down here and all prayers and well wishes are greatly appreciated.


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Dreams

So first off this blog update is not really about Colombia or teaching but in a weird way it is about school...

For the last three to four months I have had a recurring dream where I find out for some reason I did not officially graduate high school. Then I find myself walking the Halls of Good Ole BHS. I continually have run ins with old teachers that I used to bump heads with... and I feel like I will never finish there even though I go for only half their normal school day--I then find myself at USI in the evenings being a constant mockery to my peers at a collegiate for having to still be in High School. I keep having this same sort of dream over and over--I just can't shake it I am thousands of miles and 7 years out of High School and it is still in my nightmares... What the heck is up with that?