Interview: Visiting Teacher from Uruguay

Madeline Wong ’17

This past February, I had the pleasure of interviewing a math teacher visiting from Uruguay, Ms. Sandra Guglielmetti. Under a teacher exchange program, Ms. Guglielmetti attended a seminar in Washington D.C. and visited several other schools before coming to Ridge. Speaking in detail about the differences between schools in Uruguay and in America, Ms. Guglielmetti points out the many things we take for granted, as well as other notable differences in culture.

 (Note: some answers have been slightly edited for grammatical clarity)

Madeline Wong (Reporter for Devil’s Advocate): Why did you decide to be a math teacher?

Ms. Guglielmetti: Well, at first, I decided to be an architect. But then, when I got involved in math, I loved it, so I decided to become a math teacher.

MW: What types of math do you teach?

Ms. G: We have two kinds of geometry—metric geometry and analytic geometry. And we also have analysis. It has algebra, some probability, statistics.

MW: What do you like most about teaching?

Ms. G: I love planning the class, and sharing knowledge with my students.

MW: Why are you visiting Ridge?  Have you visited any other American schools before?

Ms. G: I am involved in a teacher exchange program, and they sent me here. They chose [this school] for me. But I’m happy to be here!

MW: What did you expect Ridge to be like?  What expectations were true?  What unexpected things did you discover about Ridge?

Ms. G: Well, I supposed that it would be how it is. I supposed that you have a lot of resources, like projectors in each class. I don’t know how to say—[you have] a lot of didactic elements, and we don’t have this in our country. And it’s very different there, because there, the students are in the same classroom, and we, the teachers, go into the different classrooms. So we have to move from class to class. We don’t have the opportunity to have posters. I would like to stay in one classroom—to have my classroom.

MW: What do you think of Ridge’s student body?

Ms. G: They are very involved with studies. Very kind. They are very quiet and very calm.

MW: What do you think of Ridge’s math program?

Ms. G: It’s very interesting. For example, in my country, there are no levels. And here, you have honors, regular courses, and AP courses.

MW: Do you like this system of levels?

Ms. G: In some ways; because in my country there are no levels, it is more interesting for lower students because they can see how the better students work. But, what I see is that the best students don’t have the opportunity to have more knowledge, because in the same class, you have to take care of all the students.

MW: Are there any other differences that you’ve noticed?

Ms. G: We don’t have standardized tests in Uruguay. In Uruguay, if you finish high school, you can get to the university, and you don’t need to take tests and to apply. Public universities are absolutely free…And in math, for example, we don’t use a textbook for each course. I saw here, teachers more or less have a text that dictates the curriculum. Oh, teachers in Uruguay teach in more than one school. For example, I work in a public school and in a private one, also. But, [at one time,] I worked in three or four schools, and I had to move. Some days, I go to both schools. I go to one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, for example, it depends. About technology, it’s very different, because we don’t have many resources. It can be difficult. We have, for example, we have one projector for the whole school. We have to go to the library of the school, and there is a projector (in the public school). In the private school, it is better, because we have one for the same floor. There, we can take it to the different classrooms, but you have to sign it out. And if another teacher has signed before you, well, you have no projector for your class.

MW: How does the college system work in Uruguay?

Ms. G: In Uruguay, you choose the career. For example, my son is in his second year of computer engineering. And it has a curriculum, so you have to take these classes and exams, and you have only a few elective subjects. After he graduates, he’ll get a job right away. A university is composed of a lot of facultades [departments], for example: engineering, law, medicine. Different schools. And if you go to an engineering school, there you only have to study physics, math. There, you cannot study, for example, music. Here, I know that here you can train for a sport at university. We don’t have these possibilities.

MW: What do you think of American culture?  How is it different from or similar to your country’s culture?

Ms. G: Well, it’s different. Very different. For example, in Uruguay, when you have a date, you can arrive five or ten minutes later. And it’s okay. It doesn’t matter. Here, it’s just not allowed. You have to be on time. But, for example, when you’re in a meeting, you say, “Well, I have to go,” and it’s okay here. But in Uruguay, it’s not good to leave a meeting before it ends.

MW: Are there any similarities?

Ms. G: Kindness. Very kind. I think Uruguayan people are very kind, too.

MW: What is one thing that you would change about your school back at home, if you had the chance?

Ms. G: Perhaps it would be better to have better organization at my school. Perhaps some things in my class; some new didactic structures that I see here, I would like to improve in my classroom. For example, now in this program, they give us money to buy didactic materials, so I bought a projector, so I will have my projector in my classes. So I think it will improve my classes so much.

MW: What is one piece of advice that you’d give to American students?

Ms. G: Here, in Ridge? Well, perhaps what I said before about the stress about having good grades. I understand the stress, because you have to apply for the university and it is not the same in Uruguay. But, they have to laugh more. No?