Relax!!!!

Remember that last post I wrote about all of my frustrations regarding the stressors around the internet and the computer programs and the daily struggles PRECE faces? Well, this post is going to have a different tone. The cosmos, God and the Brasilians are all telling me one thing, and it sounds a little like this… RELAX! Put away your A-type personality that needs constant organization and structure. Put away your 5 year strategic plan. Put away your charts and your color coded “to do” list. Put it all aside, take a deep breath and listen to us. Learn from us. Let us show you what we know and how we do things. It might not be the same as you, but it is just as good.
Okay, you caught my attention and I am listening. Saturday morning when I arrived at Cipó I had the pleasure of speaking with Norma who is helping to coordinate the computer room at Cipó. She and I originally met to talk about the English class they have asked me to begin teaching (as soon as I buy a car/secure reliable transportation) at Cipó on Saturday mornings. But, our conversation quickly turned to the English courses she had already been leading and the computer software the students were already using twice a week. Every Saturday morning she leads an English conversation class using her knowledge of the language and then every week she monitors the students as they use the Rosetta Stone program to practice their English. She even has a spreadsheet to monitor their work!!!! This is my type of girl!

For a while I had the privilege of sitting with 6 year old Aline as she worked through the Rosetta Stone program- reading the phrases, picking the picture that correctly matched the words and then repeating the words out loud. Aline’s English was flawless!! Obviously, what they have established in regards to English courses and using technology to enhance their learning is working! And, they don't need me to change anything. They simply need me to walk with them through the joys and frustrations of their journey and support them in anyway I can.

There is still so much work to be done. For example, even though the computers running on cable in the computer lab have access to the internet, the wind has blown the wireless antenna down the road and that needs work (obviously!). So, Norma and I shared ideas about how we can increase the use of technology for teaching and learning. She shared some of her concerns and, since I am learning a valuable lesson, I listened. Things might not always look the way I would imagine and they might not move at the pace I am accustomed to, but I am taking a deep breath and learning that there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, there are lots of things that are healthy about that! And, together we are walking this rocky road.