UABIC (Unidad Academica, Interview 3)
Recently, I was able to sit down with four psychologists (school counselors) in the UABIC schools (please see earlier posts to learn about this very special school!)
We discussed the service project and the uniqueness of the school and the participating students. Here is what they said:
The teachers’ experience working in the school ranged from 6 years (at the inception of the school) to six months.
Diana- it’s going to be six years soon, I’m a tutor, I give tutoring and counseling at the unit, and I teach subjects that correspond to the area.
Claudia- I’ve been working here about four years in the unit, 4 years and 3 months, like Diana I’m a tutor and counselor of certain groups and I also teach the three grades, first, second and third, we provide an academic follow up, on how they are doing, according to the teacher’s reports, we check if they had been skipping classes, then parents are contacted, the student is contacted so we can avoid having a greater level of desertion, meaning dropping school.
Karen- I’ve been working here around 4 years, and I’m also in the tutoring and counseling area, I also teach first and second grade (corresponds to sophomore and junior year at PHS) and provide a follow up.
Alejandra- I’ve been working here for 6 months and it’s the same area, tutoring.
I asked about the surrounding community and the students attending the school and the role that they played as counselors. Their responses sounded very familiar.
Diana- In which way does the school help the students? Here in the unit our service has the accompaniment function with them along the high school, or in other words, to check in which level they arrive, how are they doing, also in the personal, if we have some commentary from the teachers, if we notice something, because each one of us is a tutor of a certain amount of students, so we have to pay attention on how the student is doing.
Claudia- We are also watching over the academic part, whether they are failing or not, if we notice a very low performance, to be in touch with the student, with his parents and to find a way in which we can help him with his performance, either making use of tutoring or also being aware if the student fails, organize with him to which special examination will he sign for, to see what’s going on with the subjects that he is failing. On a more personal level we offer psychological advice, either because they ask for it or because we become aware on our own, we are psychologists, the four of us, so that allow us to have a clearer vision on this part or because a teacher points a red flag to us. So basically in this sense our area is providing this support in general and if they happen to have a more complicated issue that may require more specialized attention, we could channel him to the corresponding institutions that could offer this specialized attention.
Karen- As for the students who are here, well said students come from a very low socio-economic level, with low resources, this poverty. So practically what we do with them is to try to enter their lives a little bit in order to be able to support them and here in several occasions they give you the chance to opening up themselves or to tell you a bit more about them and that allows you to get deeper in the issue and work with the family, to give them a hand.
Alejandra- Actually here in the unit, one of the criteria to enter is that you come from a low socio-economic level, and besides this to see how you do in the admission test, but it is important that you fulfill this requirement of having this need, and so the school is always looking the way to make it that the it’s students don’t have to pay as many things so they can stay and finish.
Another important support is that in high school number one and two, they have a different kind of population, here we have a low resource population that is doing well academically the sign up is for free, it’s paperwork as in the other high schools but no fee is charged, even if the student for some personal or academic reason is failing or owes a subject, the special examination’s cost differs from the other schools, so in this way the school is helping this type of population with low resources.
I asked more about the student body, both their strengths and weaknesses.
Diana- Among their strengths I think most of them really want to improve, move forward, this motivation to stay exists and impulses them in many occasions that their families have low resources, it’s a motivation that can make them finish.
Some weakness in some moments can be in terms of what academic level they come from in secondary school, sometimes what is demanded here in an academic level is quite elevated, and if they haven’t had a good support in secondary school, a demand elevated to a certain point, then they will arrive here at the school, it’s important to offer them tutoring so they can be a little bit more in tune with what the school is asking for, because the approach is more of time, dedication, to be working online, uploading activities, homework, it’s a bit heavy. The student comes in early, when he is out he has communitarian projects that Karen mentioned, so he has a lot of activities, which require they can organize themselves and sometimes this organization in our students is a bit complicated.
And that is where we have to be, to see that they accomplish this that they go to everything that they make it because it is quite different as to how they were in secondary school, the schedule, the homework, so this part can be from time to time a weakness for them, that they don’t deliver, must be more organized.
Claudia- I think that a very important weakness for them is the economic matter, because well, sometimes they can’t afford the material that they are being required to bring, they don’t have Internet at home and many tasks are asked online ,and how do you do it? Go to a PC rental place, the student can’t afford this either, sometimes they can’t even afford to come to school, so that is what I think is the most important weakness they have.
Karen- Also within this social context there’s the value that’s given to the education, maybe at home, many times their parents didn’t even finish elementary school, so it’s not seen as a necessity, it’s like “I need your support now, you’re old enough” that money is coming to the house, so instead of going to school, you better work.
So then many times this part is a weakness as are social problems that exist in this context where they live, in many occasions it’s alcoholism, drugs, and as strengths well, there are lots of talent here, some kids have artistic abilities that are very good, also sport skills, the will to improve, so that’s the most valuable we have to work with them.
Alejandra- Likewise another important strength is that many students went to study, sometimes we ask in first grade in high school “Does anyone here know someone from secondary school?” and they raise hands, maybe this friendship context is a protection factor and that is very important. I agree with Alejandra who said that parents who didn’t study or had a certain academic degree sometimes they either don’t support their kid or they want to but lack the resources, this could be a latent weakness.
I was curious about their own educative experiences at the school.
Diana- Well I think that being here has allowed me to get to know in a deeper way some of the obstacles that a high school student may face, and above all because here in the unit there’s a very different approach than in the other two high schools, said approach demands a lot from the student, we are talking about more hours invested in the school and this has also let us notice that since there’s not much economic income sometimes all these hours spent in classes become an obstacle for the students, sometimes they and also us as teachers have to sail against the current, to all the time see that there are certain limitations. That the student must be saved, we must see how to help him, it can be the case that he came to school without having breakfast, and it’s necessary to see what to do, give him a place and time when he can go out, eat, do stuff.
Claudia- Also another part, at least in tutoring is to be pending on if the students have a problem, something they may be experiencing and continue on, to check with the other teachers the way to allow the students to improve and move forward. This has allowed me to become aware that the nature of the problems can be of many ways, it may only be money issues, maybe they have a problem at home, maybe they just don’t feel like it, the maturity level of our students, sometimes they are not committed, so it is like that, these problems have to be detected and we must learn to intervene with them. This has also been a very enriching experience because it has allowed me to get to know the different hardships, to try to help them in all we can, that’s our mission as tutors but what I really feel is that, by today the students have more this idea of finishing high school, it has raised, we see how the amount of students that come with us and finish has raised.
So it’s very nice to see how you started with a very small amount, and today we are speaking about 9 classrooms, when at a given point we were so few, there were 5 classrooms and today we have 9 first year classrooms, so it’s on the raise. The area is getting to know you, they come, they want to study here, to finish and even better to continue with careers, that’s also great to see , that the student starts, finishes and then you see them in a career, even now we have seen students from the first generation who are here , teaching, these students are helping us out and it is very gratifying at the job we have, to realize that things are being done, we are on the right way, and you see this.
Karen- Well in my experience it has helped me to realize that maybe due to the nature of the career we chose, which is psychology, that in the educative area environment we must not only look at the educational part but also at the personal side of the student, and as we have previously commented, the school has a department in which we are, it’s student services and somehow to offer them the tools to insert themselves on the professional area, which is the career because if we only look at the educative side then unsolved problems come along.
I think that given our area we can get the most gratifying part but also it’s a little sad because you can notice and try by all means to help a student but sometimes you can’t, you don’t succeed in making them move forward, but also you can get many that you lend a hand to, either with their families and teachers and they do improve. A student can stand out and everything and that is a very gratifying part, I think we are in an area when we can get much gratification because we get to see more of the personal than the academic.
Alejandra- I have been here for a little while, barely six months, but in these six months what has been more gratifying for me is to see how we can impact or have the means to help, support and leave something important in people’s life, what is clear to me is that some way we can have an impact on their life and to really make it something meaningful, I still haven’t got to see the part in where the semester is going to be over and to see students that you invested in and put your hopes on them and I don’t know, the part that Karen mentions, the negative part of seeing that even when you really couldn’t support all of them even if you were on their backs all the time, at the end it’s their own decision to move forward or not, not yours. But it is satisfying to be able to feel that we are doing something.
There is more, dear readers in part III
Recently, I was able to sit down with four psychologists (school counselors) in the UABIC schools (please see earlier posts to learn about this very special school!)
We discussed the service project and the uniqueness of the school and the participating students. Here is what they said:
The teachers’ experience working in the school ranged from 6 years (at the inception of the school) to six months.
Diana- it’s going to be six years soon, I’m a tutor, I give tutoring and counseling at the unit, and I teach subjects that correspond to the area.
Claudia- I’ve been working here about four years in the unit, 4 years and 3 months, like Diana I’m a tutor and counselor of certain groups and I also teach the three grades, first, second and third, we provide an academic follow up, on how they are doing, according to the teacher’s reports, we check if they had been skipping classes, then parents are contacted, the student is contacted so we can avoid having a greater level of desertion, meaning dropping school.
Karen- I’ve been working here around 4 years, and I’m also in the tutoring and counseling area, I also teach first and second grade (corresponds to sophomore and junior year at PHS) and provide a follow up.
Alejandra- I’ve been working here for 6 months and it’s the same area, tutoring.
I asked about the surrounding community and the students attending the school and the role that they played as counselors. Their responses sounded very familiar.
Diana- In which way does the school help the students? Here in the unit our service has the accompaniment function with them along the high school, or in other words, to check in which level they arrive, how are they doing, also in the personal, if we have some commentary from the teachers, if we notice something, because each one of us is a tutor of a certain amount of students, so we have to pay attention on how the student is doing.
Claudia- We are also watching over the academic part, whether they are failing or not, if we notice a very low performance, to be in touch with the student, with his parents and to find a way in which we can help him with his performance, either making use of tutoring or also being aware if the student fails, organize with him to which special examination will he sign for, to see what’s going on with the subjects that he is failing. On a more personal level we offer psychological advice, either because they ask for it or because we become aware on our own, we are psychologists, the four of us, so that allow us to have a clearer vision on this part or because a teacher points a red flag to us. So basically in this sense our area is providing this support in general and if they happen to have a more complicated issue that may require more specialized attention, we could channel him to the corresponding institutions that could offer this specialized attention.
Karen- As for the students who are here, well said students come from a very low socio-economic level, with low resources, this poverty. So practically what we do with them is to try to enter their lives a little bit in order to be able to support them and here in several occasions they give you the chance to opening up themselves or to tell you a bit more about them and that allows you to get deeper in the issue and work with the family, to give them a hand.
Alejandra- Actually here in the unit, one of the criteria to enter is that you come from a low socio-economic level, and besides this to see how you do in the admission test, but it is important that you fulfill this requirement of having this need, and so the school is always looking the way to make it that the it’s students don’t have to pay as many things so they can stay and finish.
Another important support is that in high school number one and two, they have a different kind of population, here we have a low resource population that is doing well academically the sign up is for free, it’s paperwork as in the other high schools but no fee is charged, even if the student for some personal or academic reason is failing or owes a subject, the special examination’s cost differs from the other schools, so in this way the school is helping this type of population with low resources.
I asked more about the student body, both their strengths and weaknesses.
Diana- Among their strengths I think most of them really want to improve, move forward, this motivation to stay exists and impulses them in many occasions that their families have low resources, it’s a motivation that can make them finish.
Some weakness in some moments can be in terms of what academic level they come from in secondary school, sometimes what is demanded here in an academic level is quite elevated, and if they haven’t had a good support in secondary school, a demand elevated to a certain point, then they will arrive here at the school, it’s important to offer them tutoring so they can be a little bit more in tune with what the school is asking for, because the approach is more of time, dedication, to be working online, uploading activities, homework, it’s a bit heavy. The student comes in early, when he is out he has communitarian projects that Karen mentioned, so he has a lot of activities, which require they can organize themselves and sometimes this organization in our students is a bit complicated.
And that is where we have to be, to see that they accomplish this that they go to everything that they make it because it is quite different as to how they were in secondary school, the schedule, the homework, so this part can be from time to time a weakness for them, that they don’t deliver, must be more organized.
Claudia- I think that a very important weakness for them is the economic matter, because well, sometimes they can’t afford the material that they are being required to bring, they don’t have Internet at home and many tasks are asked online ,and how do you do it? Go to a PC rental place, the student can’t afford this either, sometimes they can’t even afford to come to school, so that is what I think is the most important weakness they have.
Karen- Also within this social context there’s the value that’s given to the education, maybe at home, many times their parents didn’t even finish elementary school, so it’s not seen as a necessity, it’s like “I need your support now, you’re old enough” that money is coming to the house, so instead of going to school, you better work.
So then many times this part is a weakness as are social problems that exist in this context where they live, in many occasions it’s alcoholism, drugs, and as strengths well, there are lots of talent here, some kids have artistic abilities that are very good, also sport skills, the will to improve, so that’s the most valuable we have to work with them.
Alejandra- Likewise another important strength is that many students went to study, sometimes we ask in first grade in high school “Does anyone here know someone from secondary school?” and they raise hands, maybe this friendship context is a protection factor and that is very important. I agree with Alejandra who said that parents who didn’t study or had a certain academic degree sometimes they either don’t support their kid or they want to but lack the resources, this could be a latent weakness.
I was curious about their own educative experiences at the school.
Diana- Well I think that being here has allowed me to get to know in a deeper way some of the obstacles that a high school student may face, and above all because here in the unit there’s a very different approach than in the other two high schools, said approach demands a lot from the student, we are talking about more hours invested in the school and this has also let us notice that since there’s not much economic income sometimes all these hours spent in classes become an obstacle for the students, sometimes they and also us as teachers have to sail against the current, to all the time see that there are certain limitations. That the student must be saved, we must see how to help him, it can be the case that he came to school without having breakfast, and it’s necessary to see what to do, give him a place and time when he can go out, eat, do stuff.
Claudia- Also another part, at least in tutoring is to be pending on if the students have a problem, something they may be experiencing and continue on, to check with the other teachers the way to allow the students to improve and move forward. This has allowed me to become aware that the nature of the problems can be of many ways, it may only be money issues, maybe they have a problem at home, maybe they just don’t feel like it, the maturity level of our students, sometimes they are not committed, so it is like that, these problems have to be detected and we must learn to intervene with them. This has also been a very enriching experience because it has allowed me to get to know the different hardships, to try to help them in all we can, that’s our mission as tutors but what I really feel is that, by today the students have more this idea of finishing high school, it has raised, we see how the amount of students that come with us and finish has raised.
So it’s very nice to see how you started with a very small amount, and today we are speaking about 9 classrooms, when at a given point we were so few, there were 5 classrooms and today we have 9 first year classrooms, so it’s on the raise. The area is getting to know you, they come, they want to study here, to finish and even better to continue with careers, that’s also great to see , that the student starts, finishes and then you see them in a career, even now we have seen students from the first generation who are here , teaching, these students are helping us out and it is very gratifying at the job we have, to realize that things are being done, we are on the right way, and you see this.
Karen- Well in my experience it has helped me to realize that maybe due to the nature of the career we chose, which is psychology, that in the educative area environment we must not only look at the educational part but also at the personal side of the student, and as we have previously commented, the school has a department in which we are, it’s student services and somehow to offer them the tools to insert themselves on the professional area, which is the career because if we only look at the educative side then unsolved problems come along.
I think that given our area we can get the most gratifying part but also it’s a little sad because you can notice and try by all means to help a student but sometimes you can’t, you don’t succeed in making them move forward, but also you can get many that you lend a hand to, either with their families and teachers and they do improve. A student can stand out and everything and that is a very gratifying part, I think we are in an area when we can get much gratification because we get to see more of the personal than the academic.
Alejandra- I have been here for a little while, barely six months, but in these six months what has been more gratifying for me is to see how we can impact or have the means to help, support and leave something important in people’s life, what is clear to me is that some way we can have an impact on their life and to really make it something meaningful, I still haven’t got to see the part in where the semester is going to be over and to see students that you invested in and put your hopes on them and I don’t know, the part that Karen mentions, the negative part of seeing that even when you really couldn’t support all of them even if you were on their backs all the time, at the end it’s their own decision to move forward or not, not yours. But it is satisfying to be able to feel that we are doing something.
There is more, dear readers in part III