In January I was able to meet with two of the founding teachers of the UABIC school (see earlier posts for more information on this amazing school!) .
Elvia Marisol Coyoc Camal and Martin Sánchez Uk - both who have been working at UABIC for six years. Marisol is responsible of the social projects area since 2010 and both collaborates and supervises the other teachers in the service projects. Martin is a subject teacher who works directly with the students as a sort of coaching or “accompaniment” in social projects. I had a lot of questions for these two teachers. I bought some time with them by bringing delicious pastries from town :)
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Marisol - It’s my vocation, I am actually a graduate in education, I’ve been wanting to work in the educational area all my life, precisely as a teacher however at the beginning of the academic community a new perspective came out, I always visualized myself as a teacher in the area of social sciences or literature, however the academic community offered an area of communitarian projects, so by a variety of circumstances I ended up in this area.
Martin - In my case, it’s a passion, vocation, to develop cognitive processes in the students and in particular at the academic unit because of its social approach that it has on its communitarian approach.
I asked them to tell more about the student population (see my earlier posts for important demographical information).
Marisol - Well the academic unit since its creation, since its origin had a different approach than those of its sisters schools or rather to say an aggregated value. Prepa ( high school ) #1 and #2 are the two high schools that precede this school (the other two high schools sponsored by the university), and this (school) was created to yield an offer of middle high education but with the possibility that the student develops as an agent of change, that has such an alternative to contribute socially to improve their environment and community, that’s why many of the formative programs that are offered have precisely that goal, in that orientation.
Martin - The academic unit was created inside an axis of social responsibility of the UADY, they made an analysis and thought the south (of Merida) was the most vulnerable part, in this sense they had two sectors, the east part where the high school #1 is, the west part where the high school #2 is , the north part is where the private schools are located so the south part was pending, where it is considered that the social impact is a priority for formative educational attention of development and more, so this is our population , it’s students whose parents work in a very long workday, whose parents' academic level goes up to high school at most. Many of our students are children of divorced moms, of parents with all sorts of problems, this is the population that we work with.
What are some observations you have made about these students. What are some strengths and weaknesses?
Marisol - Well in the case of our school, most of the students, speaking in terms of economic or social conditions, are the same, same needs, however we also noticed a prevalent characteristic. When the kids have the possibility of realizing they have other options, other alternatives that can help them progress, that’s a motivating factor for them. Sometimes we’ve heard a very distinct belief, that the kids are from the south, and they are poor and they must be helped etc., but in the end they have aspirations as any other kid that age, and said aspirations are what helps them to move forward, there are some needs too or some opportunities or lack therefore of, that may limit their formative process.
Maybe comparing a little bit with high school #1 and #2 the students of those schools may have a brother at home who is a professional, or their parents are or the parents can afford academic consulting or the kids have other kind of resources. In the case of our students in the academic unit, these resources are more limited, so in some way, sometimes that stops them from having the performance we wish they had, however this intention part and the help from the teachers, classmates, that’s also a very important factor for them and for their development.
Nonetheless, not for being a vulnerable group, the academic level is less in comparison to other institutions, the demands for homework, activities, commitment, participation in different programs, working days and so on is exactly the same for the 3 high schools, not because they are poor there is a program for the poor, it’s the same level, the same academic demand.
Strengths and also areas of opportunity, that we had realized, exactly because it’s a small educative community there is more chance for the professors to give a closer follow up to the students, to this process, for us they are not a number, they are students that we know by face, name, last name and when we identify some educative need we can be more consistent as professors. For them that symbolizes an area of opportunity because we don’t leave them on their own, as Martin said in the beginning, we are in this process of coaching the education of our students, another element that also takes part in this is the attention from many of the parents. Although in the beginning we find some parents who are apathetic towards the formative process of their children, once they realize the commitment that it implies that they get involved to help their kids, they do it, they come to parental meetings, they support us and are attentive to the needs and that allows that the student develops a greater commitment towards his/her educative process as well.
Which are the needs or weak points, one of the strongest ones is the economical part, most of times our students can’t continue because they have the necessity to work, it’s those kids with little brothers, and they have to help, to give something to the family. The educative program of high school has the same demand as the teacher pointed out, so the schedule or the load is broad, they are here from 7 am to 5 pm and that prevents them to have part time job in the afternoon, so in many cases they are drop outs.
Martin - If I speak about weakness, these factors are not under their control, which could be the limitations or weakness of our students? Academic lag, since there is no modelling at home. Dad doesn’t have academic studies, therefore there is no follow up, however parents do like it that their children study and they motivate them to keep doing it so, so this weakness : academic strength, there is not much, there is academic weakness. Now what is under their control is the commitment on the side of the student, the motivation to continue the studies on a superior level, the fact of adapting to an academic model, to an approach where different activities are being made in comparison to the other schools, once the student is in the academic unit absorbs the way of working , becomes committed and the proof resides in that when they manage to reach a superior level, they are immediately identified as students of this academic unit because their formation is much wider, then they can level off and make progress. This is what happens.
I asked both what they would change. Interestingly enough I have heard some of the same wishes in our own school.
What would I change…(Marisol)
I’d change the organization, as to us professors being more communicated so we don’t overload our students with activities, precisely that model implies autonomy from the student, to deliver reports, hand in documentation and it’s accumulating. Each professor makes different activities and one day the student has to deliver 10 exercises in one day, it’s an academic load too big for a single student, so I would change that.
Martin - I would change the perspective that the system has in general, (in terms of the short amount of time for vast requirements) the system, and it involves both of us also as students of superior middle education, sometimes the demands for high school 1 and 2 regarding times are the same as for the academic unit. However we must consider that the approach of the unit gives that added value that we previously mentioned, the possibility that the student not only develops in an academic way, but that he also develops competencies for life. So it allows the student to develop many other things, based off the work that is given with the teachers and that sometimes requires a little bit more time.
Last but not least, I asked about the service projects.
Marisol - So when the development of the study curriculum for the academic unit started, we thought about several possibilities of how to link the student with his community, because they gave us the study curriculum and said “Ok the job is that your part is to link the student and his community, in which way can competencies be developed”
Then from a collaborative work that we’ve developed in the area, we’ve look for three ways or means to promote social responsibility in the student. We know that this doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. We receive students who are not used to perceive themselves as agents of change, they don’t know either or better say they are unaware of what communitarian work means. So along the transit of the students in high school, which are six semesters, we generate activities that allow them to get involved little by little with the community. We do that through the formative programs, the students also work in socio-communitarian activities and in social projects too.
How does this link up? In the first semester they have a program that in this case with the new model it’s called “universitary social responsibility”, they have the possibility to identify characteristics of their community, also of analyzing which are the closer problematics and above all, those problems where they can also intervene. In second and third semester in a manner of scheme or modeling we work with socio-communitarian activities which are programs through which the students can integrate and identify the characteristics of a communitarian program themselves, how it affects within their community. We currently carry six socio-communitarian activities, when the students enter second semester they choose which socio-communitarian activity they wish to participate in, according to their abilities, interests, possibilities and their schedules. And for a whole year, they develop competences in this socio-communitarian activity. Why to involve such activities? Because when they reach fourth semester they must make a proposal based on a social diagnose and the fact of taking part in the socio-communitarian gives them a broader approach of that is required to work with the community. In fifth semester they implement the program they design in the fourth semester, and in sixth they evaluate it. So it’s a whole process of accompaniment with the students.
It’s a project that can take up to 40 students, but each one of them has a relevant role on the development of it, and this project is not only developed with them, it also has a direct impact on the community. For example we have a program called “little communitarian school”: our high school students are in charge of aiding elementary kids in the subjects of Spanish, sciences and math. They come on Saturdays, our students prepare themselves, there is a group of monitors, of teachers who are working with them and are in charge of approaching thematics, even on how to handle children, group dynamics, stages of development so that when they welcome the children, they have all this formative process, even when it’s short but it’s necessary that they see to it.
After several sessions they work with these kids, they help them to do their homework, clarify their questions, and reinforce subjects that are being worked by the students in elementary school. In such a way that these children in the future may also be likely students of us level off since elementary school. So it’s two, one is self-commitment, the commitment of the student with his formation and also the impact of the work he does towards a community in this case an age group which are children.
Martin - If we speak about the model and the approach, it is: academic unity, linking with the community, which can be in several ways. One is when the project is already running, this can be internal and external, there are students who take part in the activities that the teacher mentioned, but those are already elaborated and the student chooses in which one. But there are also other external ones where the student can willingly participate in them, but it also has a methodology of research-participative action, where the students make a diagnosis and based on that they make a social work and it’s a collaborative work because in commissions they show this diagnose: design, implementation and evaluation. So this is the way in how the students are linked to the community. And suddenly some students with initiative design some activities that they propose to us of how they could do some things for the community and they are supported to the extent in which we can support those students.
The teachers were working on formulating a new group service project and I asked about their goals for the year.
Marisol - My goals for this year? Well as a social project area group we are focusing on strengthen a program which is called “Linking and education about small species”, this project is also a socio-communitarian activity. Those who are working in a direct way in this activity have as a goal to work with the local community to promote the responsible tenure of pets. So in some way each one of the socio-communitarian activities, according to their goals can have much wider reach. If we look at it in a general way and as an area that is one of the goals we have established to work in this year.
Martin - All of us teachers have a work plan, but it’s not individually designed, it’s coming up from the necessities of the area, in this case the teacher Marisol, who is the coordinator, split us, which are our functions and responsibilities along the year. So we have decency functions, linking functions, accompaniment, extra ordinaries and so on. So the goal is to fulfill each one of the activities that are charged to us. But if I speak in a personal manner, the most important goal is that our students keep understanding from first to third, the model that the academic unit has, which is their responsibility within the society and that has to start from a modeling among the teachers, we should, and we do, getting involved in some supportive social situations, not only for people but also even for animals. Animals that, for example, puppies that have been hurt or violated and need attention, well so the teacher formed a group of volunteers for the animals, and this is how we are integrating it, in different things. Because it is important that the student sees the teacher acting, and not only that the teacher tells them in class “This is how it must be done” and how do you do it?
When I asked if they had questions for me. I learned a bit more of what they want and thought the students needed. The teacher inquired about setting up a formal or informal language exchange. Martin said:
It would be important, I don’t know, in this way that maybe when the analysis is done of what is being done and how it is being done, to put up some opportunity of linking between your students and ours, it’d be fabulous, excellent. That you could come or that they could go and do some social labor and get to know the methodology.
In a general fashion, on a national level we are in a transition process from a system that used to rule over us and now it’s been denominated “national high school system” so what is sought in some way is to have a series of competencies that the student must develop and these are valid nationwide. In this process of decision making, of changes because it implies also the development of competencies as we had previously commented, competences for life, what teacher Martin says is very important, we have also linked with the New Jersey university (Rutgers) and some of your students have come to work with us in several projects, and the ideas is that in some given moment we could also send some student for some kind of project.
With the teacher, the purpose is precisely in this year to conform a project that could be working simultaneously, each department based on its possibilities of time and resources, to generate and strengthen this proposal so it will be a benefit for the community.
Maybe in this way the linking could be existing.
And above all, speaking of academic weakness, it’s the English language, the kids don’t have a formation on it, the level is purely grammatical, they cannot express themselves in English, and so any interaction that could be in this language would strengthen and create a modeling in our students. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be something formal, it can be a simple conversation.
I look forward to meeting them again with more questions. There are so many similarities between our countries in terms of changing federal requirements and the widening achievement gap but I feel that their approach is a bit different and I hope to observe some classes and some projects in the upcoming month.
Elvia Marisol Coyoc Camal and Martin Sánchez Uk - both who have been working at UABIC for six years. Marisol is responsible of the social projects area since 2010 and both collaborates and supervises the other teachers in the service projects. Martin is a subject teacher who works directly with the students as a sort of coaching or “accompaniment” in social projects. I had a lot of questions for these two teachers. I bought some time with them by bringing delicious pastries from town :)
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Marisol - It’s my vocation, I am actually a graduate in education, I’ve been wanting to work in the educational area all my life, precisely as a teacher however at the beginning of the academic community a new perspective came out, I always visualized myself as a teacher in the area of social sciences or literature, however the academic community offered an area of communitarian projects, so by a variety of circumstances I ended up in this area.
Martin - In my case, it’s a passion, vocation, to develop cognitive processes in the students and in particular at the academic unit because of its social approach that it has on its communitarian approach.
I asked them to tell more about the student population (see my earlier posts for important demographical information).
Marisol - Well the academic unit since its creation, since its origin had a different approach than those of its sisters schools or rather to say an aggregated value. Prepa ( high school ) #1 and #2 are the two high schools that precede this school (the other two high schools sponsored by the university), and this (school) was created to yield an offer of middle high education but with the possibility that the student develops as an agent of change, that has such an alternative to contribute socially to improve their environment and community, that’s why many of the formative programs that are offered have precisely that goal, in that orientation.
Martin - The academic unit was created inside an axis of social responsibility of the UADY, they made an analysis and thought the south (of Merida) was the most vulnerable part, in this sense they had two sectors, the east part where the high school #1 is, the west part where the high school #2 is , the north part is where the private schools are located so the south part was pending, where it is considered that the social impact is a priority for formative educational attention of development and more, so this is our population , it’s students whose parents work in a very long workday, whose parents' academic level goes up to high school at most. Many of our students are children of divorced moms, of parents with all sorts of problems, this is the population that we work with.
What are some observations you have made about these students. What are some strengths and weaknesses?
Marisol - Well in the case of our school, most of the students, speaking in terms of economic or social conditions, are the same, same needs, however we also noticed a prevalent characteristic. When the kids have the possibility of realizing they have other options, other alternatives that can help them progress, that’s a motivating factor for them. Sometimes we’ve heard a very distinct belief, that the kids are from the south, and they are poor and they must be helped etc., but in the end they have aspirations as any other kid that age, and said aspirations are what helps them to move forward, there are some needs too or some opportunities or lack therefore of, that may limit their formative process.
Maybe comparing a little bit with high school #1 and #2 the students of those schools may have a brother at home who is a professional, or their parents are or the parents can afford academic consulting or the kids have other kind of resources. In the case of our students in the academic unit, these resources are more limited, so in some way, sometimes that stops them from having the performance we wish they had, however this intention part and the help from the teachers, classmates, that’s also a very important factor for them and for their development.
Nonetheless, not for being a vulnerable group, the academic level is less in comparison to other institutions, the demands for homework, activities, commitment, participation in different programs, working days and so on is exactly the same for the 3 high schools, not because they are poor there is a program for the poor, it’s the same level, the same academic demand.
Strengths and also areas of opportunity, that we had realized, exactly because it’s a small educative community there is more chance for the professors to give a closer follow up to the students, to this process, for us they are not a number, they are students that we know by face, name, last name and when we identify some educative need we can be more consistent as professors. For them that symbolizes an area of opportunity because we don’t leave them on their own, as Martin said in the beginning, we are in this process of coaching the education of our students, another element that also takes part in this is the attention from many of the parents. Although in the beginning we find some parents who are apathetic towards the formative process of their children, once they realize the commitment that it implies that they get involved to help their kids, they do it, they come to parental meetings, they support us and are attentive to the needs and that allows that the student develops a greater commitment towards his/her educative process as well.
Which are the needs or weak points, one of the strongest ones is the economical part, most of times our students can’t continue because they have the necessity to work, it’s those kids with little brothers, and they have to help, to give something to the family. The educative program of high school has the same demand as the teacher pointed out, so the schedule or the load is broad, they are here from 7 am to 5 pm and that prevents them to have part time job in the afternoon, so in many cases they are drop outs.
Martin - If I speak about weakness, these factors are not under their control, which could be the limitations or weakness of our students? Academic lag, since there is no modelling at home. Dad doesn’t have academic studies, therefore there is no follow up, however parents do like it that their children study and they motivate them to keep doing it so, so this weakness : academic strength, there is not much, there is academic weakness. Now what is under their control is the commitment on the side of the student, the motivation to continue the studies on a superior level, the fact of adapting to an academic model, to an approach where different activities are being made in comparison to the other schools, once the student is in the academic unit absorbs the way of working , becomes committed and the proof resides in that when they manage to reach a superior level, they are immediately identified as students of this academic unit because their formation is much wider, then they can level off and make progress. This is what happens.
I asked both what they would change. Interestingly enough I have heard some of the same wishes in our own school.
What would I change…(Marisol)
I’d change the organization, as to us professors being more communicated so we don’t overload our students with activities, precisely that model implies autonomy from the student, to deliver reports, hand in documentation and it’s accumulating. Each professor makes different activities and one day the student has to deliver 10 exercises in one day, it’s an academic load too big for a single student, so I would change that.
Martin - I would change the perspective that the system has in general, (in terms of the short amount of time for vast requirements) the system, and it involves both of us also as students of superior middle education, sometimes the demands for high school 1 and 2 regarding times are the same as for the academic unit. However we must consider that the approach of the unit gives that added value that we previously mentioned, the possibility that the student not only develops in an academic way, but that he also develops competencies for life. So it allows the student to develop many other things, based off the work that is given with the teachers and that sometimes requires a little bit more time.
Last but not least, I asked about the service projects.
Marisol - So when the development of the study curriculum for the academic unit started, we thought about several possibilities of how to link the student with his community, because they gave us the study curriculum and said “Ok the job is that your part is to link the student and his community, in which way can competencies be developed”
Then from a collaborative work that we’ve developed in the area, we’ve look for three ways or means to promote social responsibility in the student. We know that this doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. We receive students who are not used to perceive themselves as agents of change, they don’t know either or better say they are unaware of what communitarian work means. So along the transit of the students in high school, which are six semesters, we generate activities that allow them to get involved little by little with the community. We do that through the formative programs, the students also work in socio-communitarian activities and in social projects too.
How does this link up? In the first semester they have a program that in this case with the new model it’s called “universitary social responsibility”, they have the possibility to identify characteristics of their community, also of analyzing which are the closer problematics and above all, those problems where they can also intervene. In second and third semester in a manner of scheme or modeling we work with socio-communitarian activities which are programs through which the students can integrate and identify the characteristics of a communitarian program themselves, how it affects within their community. We currently carry six socio-communitarian activities, when the students enter second semester they choose which socio-communitarian activity they wish to participate in, according to their abilities, interests, possibilities and their schedules. And for a whole year, they develop competences in this socio-communitarian activity. Why to involve such activities? Because when they reach fourth semester they must make a proposal based on a social diagnose and the fact of taking part in the socio-communitarian gives them a broader approach of that is required to work with the community. In fifth semester they implement the program they design in the fourth semester, and in sixth they evaluate it. So it’s a whole process of accompaniment with the students.
It’s a project that can take up to 40 students, but each one of them has a relevant role on the development of it, and this project is not only developed with them, it also has a direct impact on the community. For example we have a program called “little communitarian school”: our high school students are in charge of aiding elementary kids in the subjects of Spanish, sciences and math. They come on Saturdays, our students prepare themselves, there is a group of monitors, of teachers who are working with them and are in charge of approaching thematics, even on how to handle children, group dynamics, stages of development so that when they welcome the children, they have all this formative process, even when it’s short but it’s necessary that they see to it.
After several sessions they work with these kids, they help them to do their homework, clarify their questions, and reinforce subjects that are being worked by the students in elementary school. In such a way that these children in the future may also be likely students of us level off since elementary school. So it’s two, one is self-commitment, the commitment of the student with his formation and also the impact of the work he does towards a community in this case an age group which are children.
Martin - If we speak about the model and the approach, it is: academic unity, linking with the community, which can be in several ways. One is when the project is already running, this can be internal and external, there are students who take part in the activities that the teacher mentioned, but those are already elaborated and the student chooses in which one. But there are also other external ones where the student can willingly participate in them, but it also has a methodology of research-participative action, where the students make a diagnosis and based on that they make a social work and it’s a collaborative work because in commissions they show this diagnose: design, implementation and evaluation. So this is the way in how the students are linked to the community. And suddenly some students with initiative design some activities that they propose to us of how they could do some things for the community and they are supported to the extent in which we can support those students.
The teachers were working on formulating a new group service project and I asked about their goals for the year.
Marisol - My goals for this year? Well as a social project area group we are focusing on strengthen a program which is called “Linking and education about small species”, this project is also a socio-communitarian activity. Those who are working in a direct way in this activity have as a goal to work with the local community to promote the responsible tenure of pets. So in some way each one of the socio-communitarian activities, according to their goals can have much wider reach. If we look at it in a general way and as an area that is one of the goals we have established to work in this year.
Martin - All of us teachers have a work plan, but it’s not individually designed, it’s coming up from the necessities of the area, in this case the teacher Marisol, who is the coordinator, split us, which are our functions and responsibilities along the year. So we have decency functions, linking functions, accompaniment, extra ordinaries and so on. So the goal is to fulfill each one of the activities that are charged to us. But if I speak in a personal manner, the most important goal is that our students keep understanding from first to third, the model that the academic unit has, which is their responsibility within the society and that has to start from a modeling among the teachers, we should, and we do, getting involved in some supportive social situations, not only for people but also even for animals. Animals that, for example, puppies that have been hurt or violated and need attention, well so the teacher formed a group of volunteers for the animals, and this is how we are integrating it, in different things. Because it is important that the student sees the teacher acting, and not only that the teacher tells them in class “This is how it must be done” and how do you do it?
When I asked if they had questions for me. I learned a bit more of what they want and thought the students needed. The teacher inquired about setting up a formal or informal language exchange. Martin said:
It would be important, I don’t know, in this way that maybe when the analysis is done of what is being done and how it is being done, to put up some opportunity of linking between your students and ours, it’d be fabulous, excellent. That you could come or that they could go and do some social labor and get to know the methodology.
In a general fashion, on a national level we are in a transition process from a system that used to rule over us and now it’s been denominated “national high school system” so what is sought in some way is to have a series of competencies that the student must develop and these are valid nationwide. In this process of decision making, of changes because it implies also the development of competencies as we had previously commented, competences for life, what teacher Martin says is very important, we have also linked with the New Jersey university (Rutgers) and some of your students have come to work with us in several projects, and the ideas is that in some given moment we could also send some student for some kind of project.
With the teacher, the purpose is precisely in this year to conform a project that could be working simultaneously, each department based on its possibilities of time and resources, to generate and strengthen this proposal so it will be a benefit for the community.
Maybe in this way the linking could be existing.
And above all, speaking of academic weakness, it’s the English language, the kids don’t have a formation on it, the level is purely grammatical, they cannot express themselves in English, and so any interaction that could be in this language would strengthen and create a modeling in our students. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be something formal, it can be a simple conversation.
I look forward to meeting them again with more questions. There are so many similarities between our countries in terms of changing federal requirements and the widening achievement gap but I feel that their approach is a bit different and I hope to observe some classes and some projects in the upcoming month.