Sayulita Public Primary School Visit

On Monday I had the opportunity of going to Sayulita’s public primary school and observing a 4^th grade classroom for about an hour.  It was a really great experience to be able to compare the public school of Sayulita to the private school of Costa Verde.  Now, it is true that my observations may not be entirely accurate since I was only able to observe for about an hour, but here are my comparison notes in a chart format:

Costa Verde School	Public School
Language—students learn both the Spanish and English languages	Language—students learn the Spanish language
Supplies—books, art supplies, paper, pencils, manipulatives, and games (puzzles) are present; there is also a library	Supplies—students each have their own workbooks and pencils; there is a whiteboard in each classroom; no books are present
Classroom layout—information graphics are on the wall; classroom walls are painted with murals and other decorations; chairs, bookcases, and tables are arranged in a purposeful manner to make the classroom kid friendly and conducive to learning; air conditioning is provided, though sometimes it does break	Classroom layout—the walls are mostly bare and are a solid, single color; the students’ desks are arranged in rows facing the whiteboard; the teacher’s desk is at the front of the room; fans are running, but they are very loud and hard to hear over
Philosophy—progressive approach to education; student choice and input is valued; curriculum is flexible	Philosophy—traditional approach to education that is teacher-centered; the teacher must follow the progression of lessons that SEP (the Spanish curriculum of Mexico) provides—no deviation is allowed
Class Size—no more than 18 students in any given class	Class Size—25 to 30 students in any given class
Classroom Management—students are expected to pay attention and stay on task	Classroom Management—it seemed that there were no reminders or consequences for students who were talking and distracting others; such behavior was ignored and these students just didn’t complete their work

Both

Students wear uniforms—it seems to be a positive aspect of both schools, as it helps even out the playing field for students in terms of differences in socioeconomic status

Lunch program—students can pay for a hot lunch if they choose; it is worthy to note that the cost of lunch at the public school was much less expensive

Different buildings—almost every classroom is in a different building

Male teachers—unlike the United States, there is a good mix of male and female educators teaching the primary grades in both schools

SEP—the Mexican curriculum of SEP is taught at both schools; however, at Costa Verde it is a curriculum that is only used part of the day, while at the public school it is the curriculum that is used the entire day

School Day—school starts at 8:00 am and ends at 2:20 pm

 After comparing my experience at Costa Verde School with my short experience at the public school, it is clear to me that Costa Verde offers its students different opportunities and experiences—like learning a second language—that the public primary school in Sayulita does not.  Costa Verde also has a lot more teaching supplies which definitely make a difference when educating students. That being said, both schools have different strengths.  For instance, even though the public school does not offer its students a chance to learn a second language, it gives students the opportunity to become very strong and knowledgeable in their first language—Spanish; this is something that I see is sometimes lacking at Costa Verde School, especially in the younger grades.  In the future, I would be interested to see how academic assessments compare between students at Costa Verde and students at the public school.

 

 Outside of Public School

 

Outside of Public School

 

Mural painted by students of the public school; depicts how we should take care of our world