Summer 2018 Trip
The fourth official trip of the Cotinga Foundation is complete. From June 7th until June 18th , 2018, Terry Lancaster led a team of 11 teachers and 3 support staff traveled to Cayambe, Ecuador to work at Escuela de Educacion Especializada Cap. Geovanni Calles. Of the 11 teachers, 8 of them had been to Ecuador with Cotinga before. This year we had 2 speech pathologists and 1 occupational therapy assistant. The 3 support staff were there as representatives of Genesis Church to work on the electrical problems at the school. As in the past, there were many firsts, many new experiences and enormous opportunities for connections. Many teachers were touched by the teaching that week.
Dave and Brenda Meyer are missionaries in Cayambe and are our hosts for the week. They both translate for us, arrange for all of our lodging and transportation, and host us in their home for most of our meals. They are an integral part of Cotinga Foundation because they help us navigate the culture and the education system in Ecuador. They also translate all the documents and handouts that we share with the teachers. Dave and Terry spend many hours in meetings with the Ministry of Education, the director of our main school and this year, directors and counselors from many schools. In addition to Dave and Brenda translating for us, one member of our team was a translator. We also hired two translators in country that spent the mornings with us, so that each group of two teachers had a translator. Daniel Meyer (age 14) and Luke Meyer (age 11) were able to help translate for the support staff on the electric project.
On our first day, we visited the school in the morning to greet everyone. The teachers at Geovanii Calles were anxious to show us the things that they have been doing. They all had books and things on the walls that we created last year. They greeted us with so much love and happiness. In the afternoon, we had our first teaching session. We did a team building activity, some fine motor ideas and ways to incorporate calming activities. We covered the ideas of behavior, including reasons for behavior such as trauma. We included some fun activities, plus gave some supplies and pieces of chocolate candy for incentives.
Throughout the weekend, we did some sightseeing. We also attended Iglesia Biblica Buen Pastor, Dave and Brenda’s church. The church supports Cotinga Foundation by cooking many of our meals, helping with transportation and overall encouragement. They always thank us for coming and doing the work that we do for the special needs teachers and students. Whenever possible, Cotinga hires people from the church to help us. It is such a wonderful part of the culture to worship in their church with them. During the weekend, we sorted and organized the 1260 pounds of supplies that we brought. (We brought a total of 1960 pounds of luggage, not counting our personal items.) As we organized, we planned the details of how to present our lessons. As a team, we had been meeting every two weeks since January. We spend much time creating a curriculum that will meet the teacher’s needs and ultimately the student’s needs. We were more prepared this year than in the past, but there were still details to work out and last minute translation of handouts and documents.
On Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings, we spent time in the classrooms. The team was broken into three groups of two teachers and one translator and one group of two speech pathologists and one translator that followed a schedule so that each classroom had a team visit each day. The Cotinga team presented a lesson to the students to engage them and model the process for the teachers. One day was a math activity that they made together to teach numbers sense with addition and the other two days were reading lessons where each student was given a copy of the book to take home. Those lessons taught sequencing and compare/contrast. While they were in the classrooms, the Geovanni Calles teachers were able to ask for advice on particular students or teaching questions. We were also able to give out fun things for the students to do: pipe cleaners, scratch off shapes, and wiki sticks. Each morning we had organized games during their recess time that encouraged large motor skills and practice that the students need. We took soccer balls, Frisbees, cones, blow up balls, sidewalk chalk, and pool noodles for games. We taught some modifications to the games depending on the needs of the students. It was wonderful to take time to play with the students and see their joy. They are still using some recess supplies that we brought several years ago.
On Monday afternoon, we held a seminar on math concepts. This year we focused on number sense using simple addition, ten frames and hundred number charts. We shared many hand strengthening ideas and gave out supplies for those. Calm classroom, team building, handing out math supplies and random fun prizes rounded out the afternoon.
On Thursday afternoon, we were supposed to hold a reading seminar, but the teachers of Geovanni Calles were playing in a championship basketball game! We all went to the game to cheer them on. They asked if we could hold a double seminar on Friday afternoon, so it covered a LOT of information. Our main emphasis in reading this year involved two books that we provided for each teacher: 100 Spanish words and 1000 Spanish words. Their law has changed and is requiring teaching of socials studies and science, so we knew that these would be invaluable. We modeled how to the use the books using questions and comprehension sheets, then broke up into two groups. Using the books, one group gave ideas on how to teach reading and the other group gave ideas on how to teach writing. We gave out some handouts for them to create letter matching activities, did calm classroom strategies, modeled some additional behavior ideas (like 4:1 positive comments). We taught cutting activities and other fine motor activities. Starting with social stories we created previous years, we showed how to expand those stories. One of our highlights in recent years is to give out the picture books that are donated through the Amazon wish list. We bring books like Dr. Seuss, Biscuit, Eric Carle, Olivia, Curious George, etc. We spread the books out on the floor and let each teachers choose two at a time until they are gone. The teachers are thrilled and excited at all of the choices. They had never seen books like this until we started bringing them in 2016.
One of Cotinga’s goals is to encourage the teachers to expand on the ideas that we bring to them. So we held contests. Twice this year we gave them objects (one time it was clothespins and one time an empty plastic container) and asked them to create something to use in their classroom. They did such a great job that we struggled to pick winners. Their ideas have shown us that they are expanding their teaching ideas. We also break them into small groups to work together. This is something that they had not done previously, but now they are able to learn and help each other. More and more we are creating ideas that they can replicate in their country.
An entirely new focus was added to our trip this year. When Terry and Dave met with the Ministry of Education in March, they asked if Cotinga would have a seminar for the general education schools that now have special education students in their classrooms. This is the first year that inclusion took place in the country. Terry wrote a proposal to hold a one-day inclusion seminar for 65 teachers (one from each school) with the idea that they would present the information to their school. The second day of the proposal consisted of 14 teachers representing 4 different schools that would learn more in depth information that we would track during this coming year.
The main thing that we have learned in Equador is that we have to be flexible. On Tuesday, instead of 65, we had 110 teachers, counselors and directors. On Wednesday, instead of 14, we had 75 teachers and counselors. They represented over 100 schools. We did some preliminary presentations first thing, but then we split them into four stations. They spent 30 minutes at each station: 1. Behavior, Attention and Sensory Needs, 2. Math Skills, 3. Reading and Writing Skills, 4. Assessments and Data. At each station, they were given handouts with lists of ideas allowing them to modify and accommodate for their special needs students. All of the information will also be useful to them for all of their students. We were also able to give each person a few supplies (highlighter, pen, postits, dry erase marker, etc.) These seminars were extremely successful, judging by the response cards and feedback on social media. The directors reported to us that they learned more in one morning than they have ever learned before. This is the first time that these teachers have had professional development. It is not something that is done in Ecuador. Our goal is that they will take this information back to their school and share it. Their directors have made that a requirement for them. They will be following up with the teachers throughout the year and letting Terry know what questions or follow up needs to be done.
On Thursday morning, we held what it now a yearly parent meeting. It is a time for Cotinga to bridge the gap between the teachers and the parents. We are able to let the parents know what a wonderful job the school is doing and to encourage the parents to help the teachers by working with their students. We created a form that the teachers will send home with the parents this year to let them know what their child has learned this year and how they can practice these ideas at home. It gives the parents a chance to ask questions and talk to the teachers.
We had many donations given this year that were wonderful additions to our trip. There were 300 toothbrushes donated by dentists so that every student received two toothbrushes, and the extra were given to the church. Walgreens donated 8 pencils, two erasers and a sharpener for every student and teacher at the school. This will make next year so much easier for them. A wonderful group of ladies crocheted washcloths for all of the students and teachers, with enough left to give to the church. A large donation came in the form of 4 large boxes of postit notes. Some of these were 8 inch square post-its, that were really useful on the walls. The teachers from Geovanni Calles and the teachers in the inclusion seminars all loved the post-its.
Some of the teachers from Geovanni Calles initiated the idea of their special education students making necklaces and bracelet sets to sell at the Cayambe fair at the end of June. They approached Terry and Dave to ask if we would like to purchase any to take back. We bought 100 sets to bring home. We gave them more money than they requested. The money will be used for supplies for the school. Cotinga will give the sets to donors to raise money for next year’s team.
Dave and Terry spent almost all of their time in meetings with directors from Geovanni Calles and staff from the Ministry of Education. Many future plans were discussed. Terry was able to create a lot of documents that Dave translated for use by the special education and general education teachers alike. Two additional team members (Bob and Matt) worked on the electric in the school the entire week. (Later in the week Tony joined them.) They raised their own funds to go on the trip and also raised the money for the supplies. When Terry was there in March, she took pictures of the hazards in each classroom. Wires were broken, hanging out, no covers on panels or plugs, lights that hadn’t worked in 15 years, an entire building without electricity, wires close enough to the ground for students to touch and a myriad of other problems. They started by replacing the main breaker panel into the school and running new main wires high above the ground. They worked with an Ecuadorian friend and a translator all week and performed miracles by the end of the week: replaced main panel, 8 breaker panel, 85 meters of triplex, replaced breakers in other buildings and sub panels, rewired and rerouted feeds to buildings installed bulbs, many with cage protectors, fixed outlets in many classrooms, fixed switches in many classrooms, and replaced the school bell and rewired it. There are many other small things, but everything is now safe and correctly wired. Cotinga is grateful for all of their work for the school. We left the school a list and they will be presenting it to their district.
There are many, many individual stories that can be told about this trip. We saw great growth in the teaching methods of the teachers. We saw an amazing connection continue to grow with the teachers at Geovanni Calles and an amazing connection start with the Ministry of Education Inclusion directors and their schools. Each team member gave great effort on behalf of the teachers by the work that they did throughout this spring and especially during the 11 days that we were there. This work will continue as the teachers use these ideas for years to come.