Today we transitioned from Cancun to our first school visit. We attended CECYTE, a technical school near Cancun that trains students in electronics, English and tourism, computers, and biology. Down the road from the hotel that we stayed at last night, the school is in the middle of a community lacking in resources. We toured the school, shared a meal and conversation, and watched a performance by the students.
What did I observe?
Hospitality: The students welcomed us with their smiles and openness to conversation - their developing English and my less developed Spanish.
They led us through their classrooms and to the open courtyard where they had prepared a meal of cochinilla and tomales. Then, we sat back and watched them perform contemporary songs, followed by traditional folkloric dances. They were dressed in traditional clothing. The girls wore bright colors while the young men looked sharp in their white shirts and black pants. The entire group smiled as they smoothly moved from one formation to the next.
What connections did I make?
Roger, an electronics teacher caught my attention as he explained his daily experiences as a teacher at CECYTE. I couldn’t help but become a little emotional when I realized the problems that the school faces and the similarities between the problems here and the problems that I encounter in my own school. CECYTE has much larger class sizes and less resources than my own school. In addition, they struggle with some of the same problems that many schools in America face but to a greater degree. Roger explained that his goal is to keep kids in school and off of the streets. Sixty percent of the students that start at CECYTE finish the program. That means that forty percent are pulled into a life on the street and the dangers that come with that choice. In my own district, the number of dropouts, particularly male Latino dropouts, is too high. In both cases, the struggle is to make education seem more relevant than the other choices for students.
On a different note, talking to the students and teachers reminded me of one of the things that I love about teaching: I look forward to hearing my students’ stories, and today I enjoyed every moment of connecting with students and their stories here.
After some follow-up conversation our group left the school. We loaded our bus and made our way to Valladolid. It was a calm evening of strolling through the streets and eating tacos.
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| Students at CECYTE |
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| Chairs made for two at the park in Valladolid |
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