Teacher Discussion Forums

[Senorita Daniels]

Since most of you are from Texas, I thought that you might have some ideas that could help me with a Mexican student. He is from a bad part of Mexico, and has been disrespectful from day one. I'm the tutor/ translator, and he tells me to shut up in class. One day, when he pretended to read something without my help (because he doesn't need it), I asked him to tell me what it was about. He told me "to read it yourself, if you want to know what I read." He has even been in fights at recess, and all of the teachers are hoping that it doesn't spread to more of the students. Does anyone have any ideas?

[joshua2004]

Teaching in Mexico, I have seen that the educational system is a lot more authoritative than schools in the US. Learning to handle the responsibility of behaving well without that strong authority looming over is difficult for people coming from this type of environment. (this is all assuming it is not something at home causing the problem) But here, there are consequences for disrespecting the teacher and the schools follow through. But, there is also many "opportunities" given to students when they falter. It's an ambiguous situation where teachers have a lot of leeway to be very strict but yet have to tolerate a lot of bad behavior.

It really takes a lot of ongoing consequences and opportunities to try again. Don´t think that one stiff penalty will solve your problem. Don`t give up! You're the student's only hope!

[Senorita Daniels]

Thank you. I've been doing that. Is there anything else you could tell me about shcools in Mexico? This student has told me that they don't ask anything of him in his old school, and the teachers give the answers. I think that this kid might also have some sort of LD also. When he looked at an almanac to find the Mexican flag, he pointed to Bulgaria's first (same colors, different order, and horizontal instead of vertical). After 5 wrong guesses, he finally found it. Then he showed it to a classmate, who said "Jamaica?" He also doesn't have his basic math facts down, which makes it difficult to solve for the variable (the first math concept that the 6th graders learned this year).

[joshua2004]

When students here tell me something like "the teachers at my last school didn't ask anything of me" I know he/she is trying to do what we here in Mexico call "negotiating." Its nothing personal, strictly business. He's trying to negotiate with you on how much work he will have to be doing when he is at your school. You, in all sincerity and honesty, need to tell him too bad, we have high expectations for you here. End of transaction.

[Senorita Daniels]

"Negotiating" how much homework in Mexico makes American schools more authoritative. Is there a difference on how male and female teachers are treated? Yesterday, in reading class with me and another female teacher, he growled like a two year old who wasn't getting their way when he put the bingo chip on the wring word and we corrected him. He doesn't behave like this when there is a male teacher around.

[joshua2004]

Women in Mexico have a much lower status than men compared to the US. Physical abuse is also much more of a problem here since there isn't a lot a woman can do about it except leave. But most women are home moms with no career to go to. The good news is that things are changing, but slowly.

Did you know that in Mexico, the wife is traditionally not allowed to question her husband? What he says is "the law" as a traditional song here goes: "Y mi palabra es la ley."

I am sure if I had your student I would probably ALSO be asking "what should I do?" if you know what I mean.

[Senorita Daniels]

Do students in Mexico do any arts or crafts in classes? The younger brother of the student I origionally wrote about just came here, and when his class made bags for their valentines, he didn't know how to make paper hearts. I also heard from my new student that they only have math for two years. I find that hard to believe. What about "special education"? I think that one for sure has some learning problems. The other, I'm not sure about yet.

[joshua2004]

Its hard for me to comment on public school in Mexico, but what I imagine is a scenario not unlike the US in where the teachers try to do everything and anything they can to expose their students to all facets of education and enrich their students with art and "culture."

However, also imagine that you have a fraction of the resources and dealing with the stifling effects of poverty. I have a coworker here that is a principle at an elementary school which is very poor. He said it is not uncommon for teachers to come home with lice. And that many students live in cardboard houses that sometimes all go up in flames and he has to bring clothes, blankets, etc, for them. I live in a desert town which can support something like cardboard houses. I don't want people to get the impression that that is Mexico, but that is what "poor" Mexico is like. I live in upper middle class Mexico, which is not unlike the US as well. In fact, I have many first class amenities which I could never afford living in the US, like a maid.

At the school I am at, they have art, drama, dance, band, computers, the list goes on and on. Its not unlike the US. You will find many poor schools in the US which have cut all of their arts as well as you can find poor schools in Mexico, which have done the same. Its not a curricular decision, but more a money issue.

On the special education topic, things like ADHD labels and the like are rearing their heads here. I am seeing more kids on meds, but not overly excessive amounts. There are special schools separate for special education. Again, I don't know what the situation is like in the public schools. I work in a private institution and we accept anyone who can pass the entrance exams, and believe me, we have a couple students who are definitely needing an IEP right about now.

[!!aa]

great

[Senorita Daniels]

The little brother of my problem student is here now, came in Jan. He wants to learn (YEAH!!!!!) He has problems with writing. He can write, but he never had to put his own thoughts down on paper, which is important here. I've proof read some of his journaling entries (we let him do this in Spanish), and he misspells words, puts spaces between syllables, and doesn't use some of the basic structures like capitalization (98% like Eng. rules), punctuation at the end of a sentence (80% like Eng.- only difference is ¡ and ¿). He can't read maps, doesn't know the basic directions on maps, doesn't have to really remember anything about what was read in or for class.

[Senorita Daniels]

He understands English well now. School just started for his second year here, and his Language Arts teacher (no longer me because he wouldn't do any work for me) told him that she didn't want to see him without his school supplies the next day. So he played hookey. Wonderful child, isn't he? Now we just need to get him to be willing to learn to read, speak English, and actually do his homework.

[vcautin]

What about his family? Maybe his family is not being supportive enough. Here in Chile, most kids that do badly at school have unsupportive families as well.

[Senorita Daniels]

His mother isn't here- thank God. She kicked him out of the house when he was little. He was on the streets for at least five years. He's with his grandma, who would have brought him with her if she had known what would happen. His brother is here now, and he said he wants to be a teacher. The pain-in-my-neck is now on the 7th grade basketball team, which has been a good motivation for him.

[aprillove20]

Well, I think his family is not being supportive enough.