presence

Last night, I had a wonderful conversation with my host mom. Among the plethora of topics, we discussed the vicious cycle of poverty and the power of education. We shared ideas on ways that we can promote active learning and parent involvement, as well as ways that we can incorporate technology into the classrooms at our school. We agreed that it would be difficult to implement in the beginning, but as soon as a system is in place, it would be easy to use. I've decided that I want to push this at our liceo. We must embrace modern technology and use it constructively, or be doomed to fall behind in an ever-progressing society...

Then my host mom asked me if I was sad...I explained to her how I sometimes get discouraged when I can't express myself clearly to others because of the language barrier. This is especially true in the sala de profesores at the liceo, when there is an overwhelming amount of conversations taking place at the same time.  I told her that I think most of the teachers at the liceo find my disposition pleasant, but that there is so much more to my personality that no one knows yet, because I can't communicate all of my ideas. She then told me that there are teachers who have been at the liceo for years, who don't participate and don't enjoy the coffee breaks with everyone. She said that my presence is more known, sitting quietly among the group, than that of the teachers who hide in their rooms. She assured me that I am getting better and that I understand a lot. It just takes time to get to know people and I have not been here for long.

These words, coming from her, meant so much. She is an honest soul and a woman who has experienced a great deal in her lifetime. Knowing that I have her genuine support encourages me to speak my mind and to continue trying my best to overcome these small barriers that I am faced with. I feel truly blessed to be here and times like this remind me that everything happens for a reason. We are living together, helping one another, in more ways than either one of us will ever know.