Welcome to Music!

My music classroom for this year!

I’ve realized that in my two years here in Santiago, Chile I haven’t blogged much, if at all, about my job.  And now that I’m about to leave the country in December (yes, I’ve submitted my resignation letter) I thought that there’s no better time to talk about it than now.  For two years, I’ve been working as the Infant House music teacher in The Grange School, a British-Chilean private preparatory school which is literally a 7 minute walk from my apartment.  The school is located next to a country club, has a big campus with the Andes mountains in its background, and with students from pre-kinder to 4th medio (the equivalent of grade 12 in Ontario).  I teach in the Infant House building, which has six kinder classes and six pre-kinder classes of 24 students each.  I see these children three times a week, twice in during their music lessons and once during the choir period.  Though each class has a teacher and teaching assistant, I am a subject teacher which means I teach these classes alone.  Admittedly, my first year was rather difficult (what with, at the time, being a recent grad therefore first year teacher in a new country learning a new language with children in their first years of school therefore not knowing any school rules and speaking only Spanish).  I’ve since learned the ropes, including the many behaviour management and motivation tactics, the games and songs, and the language.  And you know what?  I’m loving it!   Teaching is a never-ending learning experience, and I know that it can only get better in the years ahead.

This year, I’ve been given a large classroom in the Infant House building which is a big improvement from my first year (when I taught in a separate building).  Being in the same building as the students and teachers has allowed them to know me better and vice versa.  It’s also made me closer to resources, the office (and principal), the staff room (where the tea’s stashed!), and most importantly, the washrooms (NOT to be mistaken as the laundry room as so many people here seem to confuse that word with.  I was baffled when, during my first day at work, they told me that there were no washrooms here.  People here use the words “bathroom” or “toilet” instead).

Haven’t seen my colourful music class?  Well, check it out!

The front of my music class.

In my first year, I was given a music classroom in a separate building from the Infant House, underneath the chapel.  It had a big space, comfortable carpet flooring and risers for children to sit on when singing (for proper posture).  Unfortunately,  it also had a few disadvantages: a) it was far from the Infant House building and which meant leaving me literally alone with 24 students and no one near me to ask for help when needed, and b) there were no bathroom facilities nearby (a necessity for 4-6 year olds).  Check out the difference from this year’s classroom to last year’s (below).

My first music classroom.

Related Articles

• Decorating the Elementary Music Room (brighthub.com)

69-700-33: The untold stories of the rescued Chilean miners

Once again Chile‘s made international news, this time with the amazing rescue story of the 33 trapped miners who survived living in the refuge 700 metres underground for 69 days.  This amazing rescue story has been covered worldwide.  In fact, all the classrooms in our building had the live news broadcasting on their interactive whiteboards during the day.  But, what you might not know are some of the other stories related to the rescue of the miners which, I suspect, are stories only known by those who watched the local Santiago news.  Or in my case, heard over lunch at work.

Rescue plans story: The rescue capsule that transported the miners one by one to the surface was based on a NASA design with specific body size and weight in mind.  It was a concern that one of the miners were too large to fit into the capsule (although, after being underground for 69 days with a temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius, he had a good chance of losing the excess weight).  If not, the proposed solution?  Dislocate both arms to fit into the capsule.  The disadvantage?  It takes the capsule about 30 minutes to make it to the surface.  (Luckily, I did not hear of this happening, so I am assuming that this gentleman made it safely with his shoulders in tack.)

Unfortunate young’un story:  The youngest person who was trapped underground wasn’t actually a miner.  He, in his early 20s and the youngest of the 33, was a truck driver who was sent to deliver some supplies to the miners.

Love story:  After the initial successful contact with the miners, both videos and letters were sent back and forth between those who were above ground and the miners.  Many of these letters were for their loved ones.  For one miner, he decided to propose to his long-term girlfriend when he came out of the capsule (whom he’d been living with for about ten years).  But, I must go back and emphasize the “s” in the words “loved ones” because another miner had not only an ex-wife who came to the mine to watch his rescue but also his lover.  It was said that he told his ex-wife that he’ll continue to pay alimony but he’s going to move in with his lover.

To briefly summarize the story of the 33 miners:  It started back in late July when the mining company in Mina San José, Copiapo (in the northern desert region of Chile) was directed to shut down due to the lack of safety measures being taken.  Then, in August 5, 2010, the mine collapses and the 33 miners were trapped 700m underground: 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian.  17 days later (August 22), the first contact with the miners was finally made with a mere note saying: “We are good in the refuge the 33.”  Then, at 00:12 of October 13, 69 days later, the first of the thirty-three miners was rescued via the capsule.  A few of the strongest and healthiest were rescued first, followed by the weakest and most ill, and ending with the healthiest including the captain of the miners.

Video #1:  First video contact with the trapped miners after being underground without fresh supplies for 17 days.

Video #2:  Rescue of the second miner as he emerges from the space-shuttle-like capsule.

 

Chile's President Piñera holding miner's note: "We are good in the refuge the 33."

Photo credit: La Razon

Video still of trapped Chilean miners.

Photo credit:  Los Angeles Times

Rescue capsule lowered to rescue trapped miners.

More on this:

“First miners emerge from underground”,  Santiago Times (October 13, 2010)  The English newspaper of Santiago.

“Reencuentro de Florencio Ávalos con su familia dio inicio al rescate de los 33″, El Mercurio (October 13, 2010)  A detailed article from the perspective of the father of the first miner rescued.

Cartoon sent to me from a friend

Unhooked and Unsettled: Scared of Marriage (via Reactionary Century)

So, I logged on today to actually post about my trip to Bolivia’s salt flats when this blogger’s post (and purple “My Little Pony” looking unicorn) caught my eye. Read it. Identified with some if it. Liked it. Personally, I’m beginning to wonder if marriage is in the cards for me … whether I actually in fact want it or it is the pressure of culture/family/friends/religion that make me think that I might. I’m pretty sure many people out (t)here think the same, (at least) once in their lives. I’m just not sure if “being scared” is my reason for thinking these thoughts though … I think on my end, it’s more of a lack of trust.  Then again, living in the capital of a country (Santiago, Chile) where people don’t usually get married until their late thirties or forties (because apparently you’re not an adult until you’ve reached the big 3-0), where men think that the women are divas and call marriage “matri-suicidio” and the women think the men are clueless and immature, where foreigners live here temporarily (from mere months to a few years), many of whom are lone wolves seeking change and adventure … for these reasons it’s hard for me to think that marriage is at all necessary.  That is, until one wants to have children and raise a family.  And at this point in life, teaching music to three hundred 4-6 year olds is enough kids for now.

By Nicolle This week, in a conversation about engagements, a regular blog reader commented to me, “You hate that stuff.” By “stuff,” he meant marriages, engagements, bachelorette parties, wedding showers, wedding ceremonies, receptions and diamond rings. I responded defensively and got slightly upset that he’d think such a (in my mind) false thing. “You write a blog about it,” he continued. “About hating that stuff.” Let me take this opportunity … Read More

via Reactionary Century

Running + yoga = my new found loves

Nike Running Team (Santiago, Chile) Can you spot me?

Since August, I’ve been training with the Nike Running Team in Santiago.  Three words:  Peace. Abs. Thrill.  Running has been a surprisingly great time to de-clutter my mind and to think more clearly (e.g. about decisions to be made).  Abs – well, now I actually have some.  Definitely one of the first noticeable changes to my body.  And the thrill that comes with running in city races while team members, friends, and even policemen redirecting traffic cheers you on as you run past them is simply exhilarating.  So far, I’ve ran a couple of races:  5K (29 mins) and 9K (57 mins).  Speed isn’t my main priority at the moment.  My main goal is to build endurance, to do the distance, and never stop.  We train under captains who runs for Chile and we meet together four times a week in two different locations.  I love it!  (Anyone know of any similar running teams/clubs in the Toronto area?)

I’m sure that you’ve probably heard a few similar stories to hers.  But for me, at that campsite after (at least) 8 hours of trekking up and down the mountain and hearing her share a personal story about her willpower to change herself for the better really hit a chord in me.  And so, these people inspired me to try out running when I returned to Santiago, to experience the sport that this teacher and my friends have talked about so enthusiastically.

After our 9K race with Brooks Running Tour 2010. (Vitacura, Santiago, Chile)

And yoga, as it turns out, has been a great running companion.  I’d started yoga in July, mainly because a new yoga studio opened up right across from the school that I work at and they had offered a free trial for all teachers.  I had expected it to be … well, boring and meditative.  And … it’s soo not.  The poses are not always as simple as they may seem.  And it was amazing how inflexible and poor my posture was when I first started.  Ommmmmm!