Salvadoran upper class

Well, as fate would have it, i found the job i did. I am working at a private bilingual school that's part of the legionaries of christ network, i teach 1st grade english, math and science and 5th grade science. I've heard that it's the most expensive school in all of el salvador, which i wouldn't doubt after getting to know some of the families at the school. Well, let's just say it's different than my ideal teaching environment, but has it's good qualities.

There are a few things that as a sociologist i find intriguing. Something you rarely have to think about in the us is the influence on a child of growing up with a nanny. Literally, some kids see their parents for like 2 minutes a day and all their necessities are met by a nanny! What is the basis for a relationship with your kid here? Some families are a bit different, the nanny lives there, but has a more distant role. Basically everyday i hear the kids talk about their nana in various ways, but one thing i've noticed is that the nana definitely doesn't have like moral or educational roles, in the end i just can't comprehend the system. I hear it's a spanish tradition, that even if the mother doesn't work they have a nana, just because. Not to mention they have 2 or 3 other workers in the house, cooking, cleaning, gardening. Really, it just seems too complicated.

Another thing that i remember clearly from my gender sociology course was the effect of gender segregation on kids. This place is one living example. The goal of the school is that when they have enough kids to make 2 separate schools one for boys and one for girls. But now a lot of things are segregated. In lines they are separated, in recess games, and definitely in friendships. I must admit it also has to do with the culture here, but sometimes it's hard for me to get them to mix together. I pay close attention to the affects here, to see how it will compare to some school i teach at in the us someday.

The other things i observe are common high class tendencies (that i could also find in the Chinese upper class), but the funny thing is this. I think at the beginning there was probably some expectation that cuz i am american i would share these habits, basically expecting to be served. Sometimes its funny when i talk about my travels and living out of a back pack. Some definitely aren't that low frills. However, they are really funny and cool to talk to. People have a lot in common no matter where they come from. We have had some great laughs and I definitely made some lifelong friendships. At the end of the day, i feel more at home here with Juanita, mario's mom, and my Marito. It would be the strangest thing in the world to have a full time or even part time maid in my house. Most teachers also don't have a maid, but some do, it would just be creepy for me. My return to the lower side of the Salvadoran reality is going out on the weekends with some friends who do NGO work.

Well, i'm gonna go cook me some pancakes and get ready to watch the super bowl, while grading papers and planning classes.

Note: To my fellow teachers at Highlands, when you're reading this, I hope you don't feel offended... These are just my observations... I'd love for you to write comments on this or let me know in an email if you disagree or feel offended. In the end, I feel very close to all of you, and really appreciate all your support in what I felt was a constant struggle to stay on top of things at school, without going crazy of course! My observations are just the sociologist in me spilling over.