The Centro Educativo Privado Experimental William C. Botnan school is unique to the Ixil triangle area of Guatemala. Remember, in this part of the country the primary language spoken is Ixil, not Spanish (the official language of Guatemala). Although Ixil is the main language spoken here, the public schools (run by the government) do not teach in Ixil; they are 100% in Spanish. The teachers at the Botnan school have established a program to promote bilingual literacy. Their goal is to begin instruction primarily (90%) in Ixil in Kindergarten (Pre-Primaria) and 10% in Spanish. Each year a bit more of the curriculum is taught in Spanish, so that by the time students are in Grade 6 (the highest grade at the school), instruction is conducted 90% in Spanish and 10% in Ixil. Throughout the week I was in Santa Avalina, I spent the majority of my time in the Pre-Primaria and Primer Grado (First Grade) classes. I spent the week observing their amazing instruction, sharing best practices in reading and writing instruction, coaching the teachers as they implemented new strategies, helping them plan their instruction, and just getting to know them and their wonderful students. I was also able to teach in both classes, which was the highlight of my time there! Here are just a few photos I took while there. |
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