Northridge Staff Retreat

     One of the best things about working at NSM is conscientious, supportive co-workers. Each person here is committed one hundred percent to creating an environment where everyone is learning. The staff includes educators who have taught at public or private schools, vocational schools, and at universities. We're diverse geographically, with ex-pats from Australia, Canada, Cuba, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain and the United States supplementing our Mexican administrators and teachers. Every so often we play basketball or soccer after school, and the last Friday of each month is a staff-only development day. I consider myself very lucky to have joined this international community.

     Before the school year started in the third week of August, all of us teachers traveled about three hours by bus to a retreat center for a two day excursion. I remember upon boarding the bus that the group seemed pretty segregated, with the Spanish-speakers chatting away and the English staff mostly listening to iPods or reading quietly. I was a bit concerned, and made a note to myself to observe how willing people would be to cross the language barrier day-to-day. Using your second language continuously is difficult, and I wasn't too sure yet how this reality would pan out at NSM.

     But moving on...I'm going to take a moment to invoke stereotype, for comedy's sake. Of course we stopped along the way for tacos. A lot of tacos, complete with cilantro, onions, salsa roja, and salsa verde on the side. Our group essentially took over a roadside restaurant, leading staff to hurriedly carry over tables and chairs from every corner of the room. Eventually, we had seating for all forty or so attendees.

     The retreat center was quite the surprise, with impressive Gothic architecture and lush greenery all across the campus. There was also plenty to keep the body busy, with a soccer field, tennis court, and track. It was especially nice as a change of pace because NSM is located in a low-income suburb, meaning little to no flowers or trees to be seen and enjoyed. We were very fortunate throughout the trip to have clear, sunny skies energizing us in our activities and conversations.

     The lectures covered a lot of topics- building a school identity, developmental stages of children and effective communication to name a few. We were joined on this trip by an education professional from Spain, who delivered the talks with vigor and wisdom. In preparation for the imminent start of school, we were given the overarching theme of service to meditate on. What were some ways in which we could think of others before ourselves while on the trip? What were we willing to give up to make the most out of the experience? These thoughts guided all of us throughout the retreat.

     The evenings were best for getting to know each other. Several teachers brought their guitars with them, which allowed me to organize a spur-of-the-moment jazz trio- Michael on bass guitar, Caesar on acoustic guitar, and myself on clarinet. A few of the Mexican coordinators led some local dances; the reward for humiliating yourself was a shiny new tie. Traditional Mexican folk songs were sung, and many personal stories were shared. For those who ventured out of the main group, some gathered on the second floor balcony to talk, while others took the opportunity to reflect on their own.

     All in all, I think it was a very successful outing, particularly because there are so many new teachers at Northridge this year. A situation likes this means that time outside of work to build rapport is especially important, and I'm thankful that the administration has taken this into account. We are currently in the sixth week of school, and the NSM 2013-14 staff has so far proven to be a very cohesive and innovative team.

All About Northridge

     I've decided today to tell you a little bit about the school that I teach at- Northridge School Mexico, home of the Roosters (elementary school) and the Knights (middle school). We are a bilingual all-boys school situated in Cuajimalpa, D.F. The current enrollment is a little over two hundred fifty students in grades one through eight. A Catholic school founded in the Opus Dei tradition, Northridge (or NSM) provides formation and enrichment of spirit through the sanctification of daily life. We guide our students in living their lives as conscientious and mindful Christians. Although the kids do come from affluent families, the virtue of charity is paramount in our education system.
   

     Most likely many of you have heard of Opus Dei, but perhaps you aren't quite sure what it stands for. Opus Dei is an institution of the Catholic Church that believes every person is called to sainthood, and it is through our ordinary life that we may move closer to this eventual goal. As such, the target audience is neither monks nor priests but rather laymen. Its members live the Christian faith in their professional, and social lives, and the majority of people have families and secular careers.  Founded in Spain in 1928 by St. Josemaría Escrivá, the organization is particularly well-known and popular with the Spanish speaking community. To find more information, you might be inclined to grab Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, an engaging but nevertheless inaccurate story that features a villain from Opus Dei. But...why not go to the source? Read about "the Work" as it was meant to be practiced by reading Escrivá's The Way.

     I digress; let's return to everyday life at Northridge. The school day is divided up into nine forty-minute blocks, with the addition of ten minutes for morning snack and thirty minutes for lunch/recess. In elementary school, the subjects of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies are taught in English, while Knowing Your Environment, Music, Physical Education, Religion,Technology, and Visual Arts are taught in Spanish. This means that each day, the students move between their native tongue and second language fluidly, and are free to use whichever language they'd like during their breaks. As a musician, I'm proud to say that the school boasts a very successful music program. Each week, the kids attend three consecutive blocks of music, with first graders learning in the style of "general music" and the other grades in lesson groups depending on their instrument of choice. This year, the NSM ensembles will be touring China in May.

Above is our beloved elementary school mascot; his is one of the Northridge roosters. I can tell you from experience that he always crows at the same time each morning- precisely at 6:50 am. Other than his daily morning wake-up call, he leads a very simple life, just pacing around in his cage behind the administrative buildings. No doubt deep in thought about the mysteries of life in his off hours,  the rooster is but one part of our rich and close-knit school community.

Below you can see the soccer field and basketball court, used for recess and physical education.     Regarding P.E., the students are given a choice between basketball, football, soccer, and taekwondo.

The soccer field is also used for the Monday flag ceremony, bi-weekly mass, open house, and sports rallies. Each day at recess, the field is divided into two smaller soccer fields to make the most of the space. Below you can see my second grade bulletin board, complete with the best family trees made by my class.

 Lastly, I have included some of the scenery that surround the school, the pictures taken from the third  floor of the elementary school. Realize that Mexico City is even higher above sea level than Denver, CO.
     At the same time, however, the capital of Mexico is also in a valley, surrounded on all sides by tall                mountain peaks.

     That's all I've got for now. Expect the next post to be throwbacks to this year's staff retreat,                          in which I describe our enrichment courses and social time with other teachers.

     Until next time,

    Trevor

Official Welcome

     A new country, a new job, a new life. I've started this blog to keep friends and family in the loop as to what it means to be an ex-pat in a Latin American country. I live in Mexico City (also called D.F., or Districto Federal) in a metropolitan area of over 21 million people. Ready for another not-so-little piece of trivia? Mexico City is the largest city in the western hemisphere- definitely a shock to someone like me who grew up in the shadow of New York City. Turns out the "Big Apple" is not the biggest apple in the bunch!

     So, what exactly will my posts be about? I'm going to be writing about a number of different topics, but expect the bulk of what I have to say to be about lifestyle, teaching, and travel. Part of living in another country means assimilating- incorporating local customs and rules into your own life with due diligence. I eat my meals based on a Spanish schedule: a small snack when I wake up at 5:30 each day, warm breakfast around 10:30, a sandwich and chips for lunch between 2:30 and 4:30, and finally, communal dinner with my roommates at 8:30. Do you know what happens when I finish up with each meal? I have to separate any remaining food from paper waste; in Mexico, inorganic and organic trash cannot go together. That's what I mean by lifestyle.

   At the end of the day, I'm a teacher here in D.F. To be more specific, I teach second graders at an all-boys bi-cultural school called Northridge School Mexico (to distinguish from our sister school located in Chicago). I count myself very fortunate to work with children who come from stable, loving families removed from the challenges of homelessness and poverty that define the lives of many in Mexico. They've been practicing English at home from a very young age, and have the opportunity to speak both their native tongue and second language in the core subjects and specials that Northridge offers. Nevertheless, teaching ESL has its challenges and rewards wherever one might be, so you can expect me to deliver on both from time to time. That's what I mean by teaching.

    Now, I come to the fun part of living in another country. When you're picked up and plopped in the little microcosm of commuting from home to school, everything outside of this routine is fun and novel. For me, travel experiences mean any kind of visits to other places, whether within Mexico City or in surrounding states. This means that there's going to be some show-and-tell when I visit a local landmark in the city, or when I take a trip to the beaches or mountains of surrounding states. Believe me, I can't wait to take pictures and videos everywhere I go and offer some running commentary. That's what I mean by travel.

Many of you know that I went to a liberal arts college and have a degree in the humanities. Please, don't worry! I promise to keep my writing informal, with plenty of anecdotes to keep my readers engaged and entertained; hey, I might even crack a joke or two. Understand that my purpose here is to encourage others to enjoy learning about other cultures, and communicate the everyday excitement of living in another country. But...if you want to take a look at my academic writing, I'd be happy to send you a sample.

All that being said, I want to thank you for your interest and officially welcome you to my blog! This is my project outside of work to keep me grounded for the next two years, so expect to learn and grow with me in understanding Mexican culture.

Until next time,

Trevor