Rachel Wickland's Blog Post

This is a very difficult blog for me to write.  It deals with many issues in the personal lives of my students that are extremely culturally sensitive. I hope all of the readers will give the same precaution in drawing their own conclusions from this entry.

In my last blog, I mentioned how I had spoken to the mothers of my students, advising them that some of their daughters in the 6^th grade were maintaining relationships with young men in the 8^th grade, and how this troubled me because of the gap in their ages, and undoubtedly their mentalities. Bearing this situation fresh in our minds, Katherine and I started noticing our male students from the Secundaria coming into the Primaria (elementary school) and loitering, presumably waiting for their girlfriends.  In light of the worry that the mothers had expressed in the teachers’ meetings, Katherine and I thought it prudent to put a stop to permitting the young men onto school grounds unless they had a legitimate reason to be there.  Little by little, the young men have dwindled off.  However, Katherine and I then began to notice young men of 17 to 20 years old waiting outside the Secundaria on the steps of an abandoned house, and leaning on the outside of the Primaria gate. This is very troublesome for me, as one of my students recently dropped out because she got married to a young man who I assume, used to wait for her in front of the very same abandoned house. 

The other day, I simply could not stay silent, refusing to get involved in my students’ personal lives, when nearly all of my afternoon 6^th graders were at the Primaria’s fence, flirting with the 17 year old young men standing outside. Katherine approached the young men and asked them who they were waiting for.  “Our sisters,” they responded.  A student of mine told Katherine, “No, they are waiting for their girlfriends.”  After a few more questions, Katherine scared them off.  As a teacher it is my responsibility to ensure the education of my students, and their security when they are on school grounds.  I have been very troubled by my students’ relationships interfering with their education.  I realize in ranchito such as Ziquitaro one of the highest aspirations of a woman’s life is to get married.  Katherine and I are constantly asked if we are married, and whenever we learn how to cook something new, or learn a new skill, are told, “Now you can get married,” followed by a list of available men. However, I do not believe that because a woman gets married, at whatever age, it necessitates her ending her educational career.  Katherine and I intend to have another parents meeting regarding this situation, and we hope that it will serve the worries of the mothers of our community as well as our own.

Another troubling issue we have recently encountered is the issue of drugs in the community.  The other night at dinner, we received an urgent call from the parents of one of my students.  Apparently, their son had been suspended from school that day for alleged possession of marijuana.  There was no proof, but nonetheless he was sent home. The rumor spread, marring his and his family’s reputation.  We became involved because the Director of the school had falsely cited Katherine and me as the ones who had pointed out the student as possessing the drug.  I had never even hinted at the fact that the student may have been involved in drugs, and Katherine did not even know who the student was.  We addressed the Director the following day, with the student’s parents, and he had a lengthy run-around, avoiding taking any responsibility for the circumstances, or naming the true informant.  Undoubtedly, drugs are a huge issue in our community, as the majority of the young men who have been deported from the US back to Ziquitaro are drug abusers.  Falsely accusing my students of drug use, however, is not acceptable grounds for suspension.  Katherine and I both stood very firm in the meeting that a person is innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around, and that proof is needed for an accusation rather than an assumption. 

Always one to try and shed some light in the midst of darkness, we have had some wonderful events happening as well.  Last Thursday, a speaker from a University in Mexico City came to speak with all the students and mothers of my 9^th grade class.  I was so thrilled that they were getting exposed to a level of higher education that for many, seems intangible.  Many of my students listened intently, and considered the possibilities of a University education.  Even that spark of an idea can mean the difference in the future of my students.  Also, I am overjoyed to let our readers know, that Alejo will be returning to high school here in Penjamillo on Monday.  After hard work and a trip to Morelia, he has received his transcripts from his school in Sutter County, California. 

To everyone out there reading this, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.  In Mexico it is called El Dia de Amor y Amistad, and I simply cannot express my continued gratitude for the love and friendship of all who support us, near and far. I send my love to all of you, too.

 

 

Gratitude

By Katherine Ferry

I am happy to report that this week that I had the opportunity to discuss the English classes with many of my students’ family members and was pleased (and, honestly, a bit surprised) by their interest.  This week I held group parents’ meetings for each of my public school classes while continuing to hold individual meetings with difficult students and their teachers and families.  In spite of regrettably low attendance by parents, I was still very pleased with the conversations I was able to have with the parents who did show up, and with the parents’ desire to be involved with their children’s education. 

My best meetings were with the parents of my two fifth grade classes at the elementary school.  In the afternoon class, a mother of one of my star students boasted that her daughter was telling her family about her pets in puro ingles (just English).  Another mom, whose daughter is very quiet but a conscientious student, reported that her daughter gives regular English classes to her younger siblings, posting a list of vocabulary words on the wall for them to study.  In the morning class (which is made up of thirty-five students – by far my largest) I was delighted when the classroom nearly filled with mothers, fathers, and adult siblings.  I talked awhile about the structure of the class, demonstrating the book and video (provided by school) that we use in class.  When I finished talking I asked if there were any questions or comments.  A mom in the front row said, “All I have to say, and I think I speak for everyone, is how grateful I am that you’ve come to teach our children English.”  I think prior to my meetings I sometimes felt like I was just part of the scenery to the parents I saw in town, that they walk by me without realizing how important their children are to me and how hard I work for them.  I’m very glad that both Rachel and I were able to hold meetings with our students’ parents because we now have relationships with the families, and it gave many of them a chance to say that they are appreciative of our work and concerned for their children’s education.       

On a personal note, I would like to recognize and thank everyone who made my birthday this week an especially good one.  Most of all thank you Rachel, my “familia adoptada”, and other honored guests (Alejo) for the great parties; thank you to Maestro Marte and the first-year Telesecundaria class for the birthday wishes over the loudspeaker and to all the Telesecundaria teachers for the barbeque party; and thanks to many more who made sure to wish me a happy birthday.  

Update from Rachel Wickland

Katherine and I are definitely back in the swing of things here in Ziquitaro.  Life is back to normal after all the festivities, and we are enjoying the quiet serenity of our small town.  This week, I would like to share some varied recent experiences of mine.  And I hope by this point in our blog posts that all of our readers have grown to appreciate that it is not just Katherine and I who are giving a voluntary social service, but that we are learning just as much as we are teaching, and that we are daily inspired by the people in our town and the experiences we have.  In short, we are both teachers and students here in Ziquitaro, and I embrace the two roles wholeheartedly.

The very fist assignment I gave this semester was a short theme entitled, “What will I do in 5 years?”  My intention was to start some sort of thought process on the future.  Most of my students will be ending their education as of May (9^th grade level). This is due to the fact that there is no high school in Ziquitaro, and any students wishing to attend the high school in Penjamillo, the next town over, incur fees for uniforms, books, bus fare, and daily lunch at the minimum.  Many families in Ziquitaro simply cannot cover the cost of continuing their child’s education.  Some of my “shining stars” as I call them, will simply begin to work in the fields, leave for the US, or help their families with household duties come summer.  Even in the face of this impending situation, I received a wide variety of imaginative answers from “In five years I will build a time machine” or “In five years I will have a car of the current year” to “In five years I will find the woman of my dreams.”  However, my breath was taken away by the following response:

My name is Berenice and I will be a very important doctor and I will travel throughout the whole world, and I am going to write a book about my life.  I will go to Japan to see their inventions.  I will live in Spain, or India.  I will help my family to move forward.  I will go to a place to climb mountains.  And if I can, I will continue studying in order to achieve all of my dreams. 

Berenice is one of my best students by far.  Most likely, she will not continue her education after May.  She is a casualty of a broken system of education, and a town that continues to be trapped in a cycle of poverty.  After I read Berenice’s theme, I gave her a journal. I told her that even if she can’t continue her education, she should never stop dreaming.  The world is a place full of opportunities and hope, and the one thing that is truly ours is our dreams.  I hope she writes all her dreams in the journal I gave her, because dreams are the one thing that no one can take away from us.  

Staring a new semester it became abundantly clear to Katherine and me that if we were to move forward and stifle our growing disciplinary issues, we needed the support of parents.  To this end, I set up parents meetings as soon as possible.  I invited all of the parents of my students in the Secundaria and the Primaria to attend our class, so that they could see what we are learning, my teaching style, and how their children behave in class.  I also needed to inform them that Katherine and I have also set up our attendance system so that it directly affects the Progresa program, which at its most basic understanding means children get paid to go to school.  I am thrilled to say that all of the meetings went extremely well.  I was especially pleased with how the meetings at the Primary school went.  I had noticed that many of the girls in my sixth grade classes were dating young men in my ninth grade classes.  This was very worrying for me.  I was very conflicted in approaching the parents about this issue, as I realize it is a very culturally charged situation.  However, feeling that it was in the best interest of my students and their safety, I told the parents exactly what was happening.  Much to my relief, the mothers were adamant that if anything like this were to happen in the future, that I would come to them immediately.  In both schools, the parents more or less demanded that if their child is a disciplinary issue that I come to them directly to resolve the problem.  I am so grateful and pleasantly surprised that I have the support of the parents who I had previously seen as quiet people who sometimes uttered a small “hello” on the street, transformed into forces to be reckoned with.

To close this blog, I would like to give a follow up on the situation of my friend Alejo. In the time that I spent in California for the Christmas holidays, I met with an attorney regarding Alejo’s situation.  After reviewing all the information, we concluded that because Alejo has already exited the United States, there are no avenues for us to help him at this point.  Therefore, his options are A) somehow come up with enough money to pay for his entire education in the United States are apply for a student visa, B) wait until his younger sister who is a US citizen is 18 (she is currently 8) and apply for his citizenship through her, C) cross back to the US illegally, leave his family, and try to seek legal help, or D) stay in Ziquitaro.  Obviously none of these options are ideal.  The idea of presenting this information to Alejo was overwhelming.  However, when the time came, and with tears in my eyes I told him the cold, hard truth, he put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes and said, “The important thing is that you tried, and that means the most to me.” I was amazed by the maturity and composure that resounded from this 16-year-old young man, who had everything in life taken away from him.

Alejo is still here in Ziquitaro, however, he is no longer in school.  He has been informed that he may not attend the high school in Penjamillo until they receive transcripts from his old school in the United States.  Though it may seem like a small feat, for a person who does not have a phone or regular access to the Internet, the request can take months.  The last time I saw him, Alejo’s skin was tanned and his hands we blistered from working out in the fields.