The past few weeks have been challenging. Aside from the obvious challenges a Waldorf teacher faces adapting to an online platform to deliver material and assignments, one of the biggest hardships for me has been not seeing my students. Luckily, they have been sending along postcards to me and their classmates during our separation.
You see, while many of us have been sheltering in place, Class 5–6 students have been exploring Latin America. Students have been hiking around Patagonia, climbing active volcanoes, navigating through the Amazon, visiting desert regions, and sunning themselves on a Caribbean or Pacific beach. They have seen anacondas, llamas, monkeys, a rare parrot, tiny deer, caimans, and jaguars. They have seen trees that are 3000 years old, cacti that live in the driest place on earth, rare orchids, carnivorous plants, and tasted tropical fruit and colorful potatoes. They have spoken to the locals and learned about the history, culture and costumes. Some have attended festivals and fiestas and others have visited ancient sites.
I have learned so much about Central and South America from their postcards, and their narratives are so full of images that I can easily travel to these places in my head. Once I am able to plan an actual trip to Latin America, I know the most difficult thing is going to be choosing just where to go. Below are a few postcards I’ve received.
Robert Kaczor, Class 5-6 Teacher
