Today is our last day here in Salto. We visited a tertiary school, which is not a university but rather an institution that prepares students to become teachers. As I mentioned in my earliest posts, teacher training centers in Uruguay are not part of the four year degree in universities but rather an alternative path that leads you to become a teacher.
The school was located a walking distance from our hotel. After a 10-15 minute walk in the city center, we arrived at our destination. Student teachers greeted us at the front door and guided us around the school, introducing us to their learning environment. They were all happy to see us! Even though they had planned a whole day for us, we had to leave by noon to catch our bus back to Montevideo. In the country where people are adaptive and flexible, they change the entire schedule for us.
After touring the school, they gathered us in the conference room, where students delivered presentations about their school community, Salto, and Uruguay in general.
After the student presentations, we took a coffee break (I loved those coffee breaks!). Along with cookies, teas, and coffees, some students brought homemade alfajores, which I was so kind to them. They were so delicious that I ended up having two and sneaked two more into my backpack!
Following the break, it was our turn to present our schools and share information about our respective states in the U.S. The students were genuinely excited to see schools from different states as we were from Alaska, Vermont, Florida and Ohio and we engaged in a question and answer session with them. They asked excellent questions, such as what motivated us to become teachers, what qualities make the best teachers, and what opportunities are available for teachers. It was a highly productive discussion, and I was impressed by the students’ motivation. I forgot to mention that our host teacher for this school was Virginia Reinoso, an English instructor for student teachers. I must admit that some of the students’ English skills were truly remarkable. Thank you Virginia and your team for having such a great English teacher program in your school.
By noon, we left to catch our bus to Montevideo. I quickly returned to our hotel and took a taxi to the bus station. It was hard to believe that our adventures in Salto had come to an end. We had an incredible time in this place and made countless unforgettable memories.
The bus ride to Montevideo lasted around seven and a half hours. Although the distance wasn’t extensive, the bus made frequent stops to pick up or drop off passengers. Additionally, the roads were two lanes, often resulting in slower travel behind trucks.
Finally, we arrived in Montevideo around 8 pm and took a taxi to our hotel. Seeing Montevideo again made me feel as though we had never left. We were famished, so immediately after checking in, we headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner.
We were staying at the same hotel as before, but this time they upgraded my room. It was more spacious and located on the 8th floor instead of the 2nd. I absolutely loved it.
Expeditionary Learning 