Welcome to Argentina!

These handsome gauchos would make anyone want to linger in this beautiful country.

As a fellow in the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) program, implemented by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) of the U.S. State Department, I traveled and taught in Argentina. For more information about this program, go to http://www.irex.org/

My two week visit was divided into two uniquely different experiences. First, I stayed in Villa Maria in the Pampas of the province of Cordoba. There, my gracious hostess, Erica Carignano, introduced me to many schools, educators, friends, family, and cultural experiences. Next, I traveled to Villa Allende, a suburb of the city of Cordoba in the hills of Cordoba Province. My hostess, Anahi Segura, showed me an Argentina that made me want to stay!

Meet Erica Carignano

Erica is a busy educator who teaches at four schools. (Biblioteca Popular Bernardino Rivadavia y sus Anexos, Instituto Secundario Manuael Belgrano, Liverpool Cursos de Ingles e Instrumentos, and the Rivendell School of English) She also serves on the Fundacion Cultural Dr. Antonio Sobral which provides funding for a poor, rural school. She is married to Pablo and is the mother of Carola, Sebastian, and Agustine. Erica enjoys close family ties that center around her father's Cafe Chesca where many family members meet over delicious meals. During my stay with Erica in Villa Maria, I was kept very busy teaching in two of her four schools, delivering a seminar at the Escuela Normal Victor Mercante and visiting the Escuela Superior Integral De Lecheria and Escuela Dr. Antonio Sobral.

Erica and her wide network of friends filled the hours between schools with cultural events that included visits to an art museum, multi-media library, city park, city center, restaurants, family homes, and shops. Erica's affection for her students was returned a thousand fold - and extended to me by their warm, friendly greetings. I was well-cared for in Villa Maria and will not forget this generous city of friends.

Meet Anahi Segura

Anahi Segura is married to Alberto and is the mother of three children, Pedro, Lucia, and Laura. The girls attend Cordoba University - the oldest university in Argentina. Anahi teaches at two schools, Instituto Paula Albarracin de Sarmiento and Insituto Juan Zorilla de San Martin. These schools are a combination of public and private. Again, I was kept very busy moving between the two schools to deliver lessons, observe and share with students in levels 1-6 (a combination of middle and high school). I also delivered a seminar to student teachers at the San Martin school one evening. Anahi arranged for me to visit a third school, Instituto Secundario The New Millenium. This is a new, private school that serves a priviledged group of students who were very sophisticated and well-traveled.

Anahi was a most attentive hostess; she found a luxurious hotel for me to stay in, near her home and her schools. She was travel guide, hostess, interpreter, chauffeur, and friend. I enjoyed meals in her home with her wonderful family, and several "field trips". Her family took me into the countryside for a day trip to Estancia Santa Catalina (1622) - a Jesuit church and settlement and Estancia De Caroya (1616) - another Jesuit mission that served as a hostel for travelers. We toured the University of Cordoba and many historic buildings in the center of this vibrant city. The hospitality I enjoyed in Argentina was incredible, and my two hosts made me as comfortable and as welcomed as I could be.

The Schools

I visited eleven schools while in Argentina. (Biblioteca Popular Bernardino rivadavia y sus Anexos, Instituto Secundario Manuael Belgrano, Escuela Superior Integral De Lecheria, Escuela Normal Victor Mercante, Instituto Dr. Antonio Sobral, Instituto Paula Albarracin de Sarmiento, Instituto General San Martin,Liverpool Cursos de Ingles e Instrumentos, Rivendell School of English,Instituto Secundario The New Millenium, and Instituto Juan Zorrilla)

It is common for teachers, such as my hosts, to work at more than one school. The government limits teachers to thirty hours/week of instruction; teachers are paid only for the time spent in front of students and they are paid by the government. Many schools are too small to support a foreign language teacher for thirty hours of instruction, so teachers find classes in as many schools as necessary to "fill up their week's quota". It is also common for teachers to be paid for specific private classes - a sort of group tutoring arrangement.

Most schools tend to be a combination of public and private. The state pays the salaries (average $4,000 US dollars a year) and the students pay to maintain the school facility. Students wear uniforms and pay a small tuition. There are private and public schools as well. Administration of the schools is frequently run as a collective. The teachers run, own, and operate the school and perform many of the administrative tasks under the direction of a principal (who earns about $9,000 US dollars a year). Monitors (counselors and disciplinarians) take attendance, attend to personal needs, and serve as a liason between home and school.

There are no extra-curricular activities. If you play a sport or perform an art, then you belong to a community league or club. Schools do, however, have themes. Some schools specialize in music, manufacturing, business, dance, sports, etc. The secondary schools have six levels and roughly approximate a combination of our middle and high schools. Most of the schools I visited were small; the students belonged to either a morning shift (7-1) or an afternoon shift (1-7). Also, special education is not well developed. Special needs students are accomodated as much as possible by the combined efforts of monitors and teachers on an individual basis.

To graduate, a student must pass all six levels. Students take between 15 to 18 courses each year. Their schedules are fixed and pre-determined. There are assignments and grades, but no final exams for passing students. If students fail a course, they will "sit for an exam". If they pass the exam, they may move on to the next year and the next level. If they fail the exam, they can take it again - multiple times if necessary - until the next year is upon them. If they continue to fail the exam, they must repeat all 18 courses at last year's level and repeat the year. (This is rare.) When it's time for the university, there's no need to apply for scholarships - it's free!

My Argentinian friends were intrigued by our college application process. They don't have anything like it there. No scholarships, financial aid applications, essays, or references. They do, however, take an entrance exam for most colleges, and it is difficult. For example, to get into the School of Medicine at the University of Cordoba there are only 550 seats for the 3000 applicants who want in. Because there is no tuition, some universities have the problem of the "perma student" who lingers for years on campus at the government's expense.

Although the hectic schedules of my hosts nearly exhausted me (going to school until seven pm - whew!), I found the schools to be very interesting. The students were incredibly welcoming and very proficient in English. I was made to feel very welcome - even a little like a celebrity - during my visits and lessons with the students, and I enjoyed seeing my profession through this Argentinian lense.

A Cultural Experience

It's impossible to count the kisses on the cheeks of the hundreds of students and colleagues I met during my visit. This traditional greeting came naturally after just a few days, although I continued to extend my hand out of habit. These details didn't matter to the friendly people I met, and greetings became a source of laughter and connection. I found the people in this country to be open and generous. Both of my hosts directed me to some cultural experiences as well as welcoming me into their families for a peak at domestic life in Argentina.

Erica's family cafe became the epi-center of our daily life. The whole family worked there at some point. Now, father, Jorge, runs the restaurant and mother, Norma, oversees the food preparation. I met Erica's sister and niece at the restaurant, and Jorge and I enjoyed the struggles of conversing in only our native languages - and managed to communicate! Good thing we can draw. Many of Erica's friends and family extended invitations to their homes or restaurants, and I enjoyed meeting their families and eating delicious food. Villa Maria is in the middle of the Pampas - a Nebraska/Kansas scape of ranches and flat soy bean fields. Beef and dairy products abound, and most meals feature beef.

I also visited the city center of Villa Maria for some shopping and a walking tour of stores, the train station (a colonial gift from the British), a winery, and a multi-media library. The town has a distinctly Italian flavor - well mixed with Spanish influences. The tall french doors, tile floors, wrought iron gates, and stucco walls reminded me of Europe. I was also treated to a museum exhibit featuring the controversial photograph of Marcos Lopez (Asado en Mendiolaza).

A word about the dogs. There were stray dogs everywhere - all shapes and sizes. I must say they looked better than any of the street dogs I've seen elsewhere. I didn't see ribs or scabs or mange. When I went downtown, I discovered why. People fed them scraps from their lunches or cafe tables! They often stopped to give a dog a friendly scratch behind the ears or say a kind word or two. Erica explained that Argentinians often adopt a street dog, and I noticed that several dogs became the pets or mascots of schools and businesses. But this is not the most interesting thing about the dogs. I found them to be extraordinarily street wise. They crossed busy streets with a skill I came to envy. In fact, Argentinian traffic (worthy of its own blog) is precarious, so I found myself following the dogs across the streets. They were very useful and I'm indebted to them.

In Villa Allende, I found myself in golf country. Popular sports - after soccer, of course - are golf, rugby, and handball. My hotel was actually a guest house - a roomy house converted to paying guests with beautiful grounds on a world class golf course. Anahi took me to Cordoba, Argentina's second largest city, many times. There we toured a cathedral, the university (the oldest in Argentina), city squares, a convent, and a traditional art market. At Anahi's home, I was treated to asado - Argentinian barbeque. If you eat meat, this is the country for you. Everywhere, there is a wood fire burning and meat roasting. (Even the schools had BBQ pits!)The smell permeates the air, and I found it intoxicating. I was in a state of permanent salivation. Anahi's family also took me for a day trip into the hills where we visited a Jesuit monastery (1622), a hostel (1616) and a large reservoir that marks the center of Argentina. This man made lake reminds visitors of The Disappeared. These are the 30,000 people who disappeard during the military takeover during the late 1970's. It is believed many of their bones lie at the bottom of this lake.

I found Argentina complex. It is both rugged and sophisticated. It's European chic is often challenged by a rough, country spirit that keeps pretentiousness at bay. This is a genuine place, filled with genuine people who gave me two weeks of insight and pleasure.

Pen Pals

Students in Villa Maria, Villa Allende, and Greenville (Villa Verde?) are talking to each other! We don't have Skype, yet, but email, snailmail, and facebook are humming with excitement. Students get excited when contacted, and daily I hear, "Hey! My pen pal from Argentina wrote!" They will read the broken English, we laugh with affection, and I remind them that a Spanish reply would be courteous. Our Spanish teachers are coming on-board, too, for the obvious benefits for their students. Erica and Anahi and I are old hats at this, and our exchanges continue. What fun to be in correspondance with another hemisphere!

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