I told you there'd be more to come! I wrote this report about my experience in Paine, which will be part of a manual that EducaUC, the network of schools that Paine is a part of, asked me to write to assist future TIPS in their work experience. I threw in a little prelude, too.
Naturally as human beings, we relate new experiences to old ones. When I think of an new workplace, I draw a few real-life analogies. I relate working in a new place to joining a choir, or to joining a sports team. In both instances, you are working cooperatively with the other participants to reach a particular objective. In a choir, everyone must be in sync with one another, singing the correct notes and keeping proper rhythm, to create a pleasing musical performance for people to enjoy. On a sports team, players must also be on the same page, agreeing on strategies, encouraging each other, and trusting each player's abilities both on and off the field, so that the team might win a given match. Don't these ideas seem fitting for a successful work environment? Shouldn't all its participants be working together toward a set of outcomes? And why do people join choral ensembles, sports teams, or other groups? Finally, I ask the reader: why have you come here to work as an English teacher? Ponder these questions, and develop others to consider, as you complete your work this school year.
My experience at San Francisco de Paine
As I began my work at San Francisco de Paine, a lot of people asked me, "What are you expectations for this semester?" My reply was that I had no expectations whatsoever; whenever I try something new, whether it be working in a new place, trying new foods, or listening to a new music artist, I prefer an approach that is cleansed of any expectations, standards, or norms that I desire to be met. Perhaps my frame of mind is due to my recent exploration of Buddhist spirituality; or it might be my own way of protecting myself from disappointment (I loathe being disappointed). Either way, I wanted a clean canvas upon which I would paint my experience, and the end result was a masterpiece that I will have forever mounted in my soul's gallery.
Before I met anyone in the Franciscan community, I used one of my final days of "summer vacation" (keep in mind I had just came from the Northern Hemisphere) to visit the campus for the first time. When I arrived, nobody was there except for Nino and Carlos, the groundskeepers. So I put my signature in the teacher's book for fun, and then took a stroll around the site to get a feel of where I'd be at. As I stood in the shaded courtyard and enjoyed the pleasing aesthetic of the Andes mountains in the distance, I knew I was in a special place.
The people who work for CSFP make up an exceptional mosaic of personnel. Each person takes on responsibilities unique to their job and character. Everyone works with an objective in mind, which in turn affects the learning community, and that is paramount. But my appreciation for the teachers goes far beyond their work. Moving beyond professionalism, any teacher, administrator, or staff member who has been involved with CSFP can resonate with a sense of comraderie and friendship that livens up coffee breaks, meals, and general leisurely happenings on and outside of campus.
The actual process of teaching at CSFP was never a disappointment. Like the teachers, the students have a love for learning that made my days fly right by. I was always treated with respect by my students, and they never thought twice to give me a smile, a hug, or a bite of their snack. Working alongside David Brull and Maritza Vera, from planning, to preparation, and to execution, I always felt ready to teach classes and successful at the end of the day. The classes themselves were engaging, inspiring, and most importantly, fun. I can only hope to encounter as much success later in my career as I did in my English classes in Paine.
One friday night, around a month into the semester, David Brull, a seasoned San Francisco veteran, called me to say, "You are a part of us, Ben!" He rambled on for awhile, his lantern a tad lit, but he kept repeating that phrase, that I was a part of CSFP, and although I couldn't stop laughing at his bantering, I assured him the feeling was mutual. Later that night, by pure coincidence, but perhaps symbolically as well, my roommates and I boarded the metro, only to find David on his way home for the evening! David and I made a big scene, had a good laugh, my roommates introduced themselves, and within a few minutes we parted ways. Looking back, however, I consider that night's events a meditation that tells just how close people can be to each other, and how easily and naturally that can be accomplished when those people mean well and know what it means to make a person feel loved. I end this brief report of my experience at CSFP by expressing, once again, my gratitude to all of Paine's contributing members--faculty and staff, students, and parents--who made my semester with their community an experience I will never forget.
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