Thinking and Reading

When asked about my experience here in Mexico, I find myself gushing not about anything specifically connected to Mexico (although, don´t get me wrong – I LOVE chilaquiles, tamales, sweet bread and hot chocolate…), but rather about the luxury of a more relaxed lifestyle. Luxuries like:

1) An occasional leisurely breakfast – on a WEEKDAY – with This American Life or RadioAmbulante and multiple cups of coffee.

2) Gym classes down the street.

3) Walking commutes to schools and my university. In walking one or two or more hours a day from place to place, I am truly able to think about the things I am seeing and doing. (I also reflect on my grocery list and whether or not I should drop off my laundry.) It sounds hokey, but the fresh air and exercise really do help me to reflect on questions I have during school visits. Why are there so few fights at recess with so little adult supervision? How do kids learn to read and write when it seems like so little instructional time is spent on literacy? How could my school in the US become more environmentally conscious, like many of the schools here?

4) Reading. I read so much more here in Mexico! I read for class. I read for my project. I read for pleasure.

In my “Literacy and Culture” class, we have finally set aside tedious theoretical texts by Barthes, Foucault, etc. on the mysteries of “How does otherness determine identity? Is there such a thing as culture?” Now we are reading somewhat more contemporary, practical texts by authors like Emilia Ferreiro, who discusses current desire for literacy to be a social act. She writes about the increasing popularity of book fairs in a country where fewer and fewer people are reading books. Attendees want to take pictures with authors and post them on Facebook to prove they were there. And haven´t I attended the National Book Fair in part because I wanted the cute poster that would prove I was there…?

I´m currently reading Americanah. (Who isn´t reading Americanah?) Each time Ifemelu encounters into judgment because of her accent or compliments for her lack thereof, I think about my project and ideas about oral language. What grammatical structures are acceptable and in what contexts, and who sets the standard, and how do they learn to talk that way, and…?

In googling research about oral language teaching, I came across this article: “Action Research Supporting Students’ Oral Language inNorthern Canadian Schools: A Professional Development Initiative.” I found it interesting less for the work with oral language and more for how they used action research as professional development. The author refers to research (Furlong & Salisbury, 2005) showing that “Action research also fosters teachers’ confidence in their practice, a stronger sense of professionalism, and a greater depth of knowledge.” Confidence? Professionalism? As a teacher who has developed a self-diagnosed inferiority complex from this profession, it sounds fantastic. As delicious as a bowl of chilaquiles. More action research, I say!