Maldonado and Punto del Este- Saturday June 8, 2024

Today was a very special day because our cohort of four presented about ourselves and our schools to the teachers at schools 50 and 95. There were about 20 teachers in attendance. The pressure was on! These dedicated professionals meet once per month on a Saturday to plan and collaborate. They have no time during the school day to plan. I was sure to wear my CTU Chicago Teachers Union t-shirt. UNION STRONG!! We all used the knowledge we had gained about their schools to provide interesting and pertinent presentations. There is no such thing as art class in Uruguayan schools, although some teachers incorporate artist studies into their other subjects. I incorporated a few critique techniques to promote self assessment and metacognition and I hope it was helpful and interesting. I'm really here to learn and share, and that is what I did. At the end of our presentations we were able to visit with teachers and exchange gifts, including a surprise bottle of sparkling wine from the family vineyard of a teacher.

Next we were off to see the sights of Punto del Este with our esteemed hosts. We went to the marina where we enjoyed the sight of fishmongers cleaning their catch of the day and feeding the gigantic Sea Lions that lolled and rolled about in the water begging for scraps and receiving plenty. After that was Gelato and a trip to el sitio mas famoso in Maldonado, a sculpture entitled Hombre emergiendo a la vida. Believe it or not, at the writing of this blog post, it's not yet time for dinner. We are now eating around 9:00 pm, quite an adjustment but here it just feels right. Salud!