Teaching in Detroit
It was difficult making the transition from South American traveler to full time Spanish teacher in an urban charter middle school. Teaching in Detroit was a different kind of culture shock that was unlike moving to another country. I approached my new position with an open mind and a positive attitude. When embracing another culture in forces you to dig deep within yourself and question the prejudices and stereotypes that you grow up with. When you experience the beauty and ugliness of a culture first hand you learn to see the beauty of things by not comparing cultures. You learn to appreciate new music, languages, traditions and ways of doing things when you approach them with an open mind. I made a lot of personal growth while working at Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse of Detroit. I was able to adjust my teaching style to serve the needs of younger learners from diverse backgrounds. I had many rewarding experiences that I shared with staff and students like an overnight trip to camp and a day long canoe trip. I still use many discipline and instructional strategies that I learned while teaching at Nataki. At the end of that school year my wife and I decided to move to California where I got a job teaching Spanish at Ygnacio Valley High School.