UF Center for Latin American Studies
Elementary school educator reflects on impact of professional development travel program for teachers
January 13, 2023
This article was originally featured in the Fall 2022 Latinamericanist newsletter.
by Veronika Thiebach
In the last issue of The Latinamericanist, it was announced that in the summer, “eight teachers will be participating in a ten-day program in Campeche to further develop relationships and projects among educators.” I was one of those eight fortunate educators.
Over ten days in June, we visited significant sites including the graveyard in Pomuch and the Mayan ruins in Xtampak, met hatmakers, Mayan beekeepers, and the mayor of Campeche, and enjoyed authentic western Yucatan cuisine. But more importantly, we met teachers from, and in, federal, state and private schools as well as educators at the Instituto Campechano and the local university to gain a better understanding of what teaching looks and feels like in this part of Mexico. We found our professional experiences had much in common, such as teaching in the face of insufficient funding and grappling with the impacts of COVID-19 on our students’ learning progress. And I made some wonderful new friends, one of whom became my partner for a virtual exchange project this fall. Over the course of five Zoom meetings, Diocelina Aviles’ students at Elementary Public School ‘Joaquin Clausell’ in Campeche and the third grade magnet students at Joseph Williams Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida learned from each other about family and cultural traditions, their respective home cities, and about each other.
What an amazing and authentic way for my students to begin learning about the geography, culture and economy of Mexico – a required social studies topic for third graders in Florida! As for me, I am so much better equipped to teach about Mexico and to infuse the curriculum with global themes, such as the importance and nature of community throughout the world and our responsibilities as global citizens. The Center’s Global Leader Teacher Institute and UF’s Virtual Exchange Training programs have been both personally and professionally transformative for this public elementary school teacher and I thank Dr. Mary Risner and the Center for Latin American Studies, the Longview Foundation, and the Sister Cities of Volusia for making my participation possible. ◆
You can read more from the Fall 2022 Latinamericanist below.
