June 4, 2015

Time Flies

What?? Is it already time to leave? I cannot believe that our trip is coming to an end. I feel like I have only been here for a few days. I am sad to go. This trip has been more than I ever expected it to be. Our last day we got to go zip lining. It was a blast and an awesome way to end our trip. Today was my last day in Spanish. I have come so far from the beginning. I believe most of my motivation for learning Spanish came from the need of using Spanish to talk with my family. Spanish was so hard for me in the US because I never needed to use it. Spanish had no purpose to me besides getting a good grade. I must create the same need for ELLs coming into my classroom. If I can make the content relevant to the students wants and needs then I know they will learn quicker. At the end of the day, CPI held a small graduation ceremony for our accomplishments in Spanish. Even though it was small, it meant a lot to me. As a future education, I need to remember how great it feels to be praised. I think praising students for even small gains is important to recognize all their improvements and encourage them to keep growing. Spanish class not only taught me Spanish but it taught me how to implement valuable teaching strategies I can use in my own classroom.

 

 

 

June 3,2015

Sustainability

Today, we went to Life Monte Verde which is a coffee farm and education center. I didn’t know before coming to Costa Rica how environmentally aware they were. Being here has changed my perception of what being environmentally-friendly really is. I realized that I have a lot to learn. Our guide not only taught us how coffee is produced but he also taught us about sustainability. I found the sustainability piece more interesting. At this particular farm, they believe in creating a natural environment. They grew many different crops not only coffee. They also had many animals and forests. At first it seemed random that they had so many different things but then I learned that all of these things interconnected. The forests were grown to give the coffee plants breaks from the wind. The forest also had rich soil that would run into the coffee fields when it rained. The forest created homes for various species of birds that ate the insects that might eat the coffee plants. The bird served as a natural pesticide. Birds are much healthier for the environment than pouring harsh chemicals on the coffee plants. Beside the corn field, they grew this plant that had a strong odor. This plant also served as a natural pesticide to keep bugs off the corn, again instead of using chemicals. Using natural resources like in these too examples is much better for our environment. Life Monte Verde also used the animals to help fertilize the soil, and they used pigs for methane. This whole farm just amazed me. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to help my students learn what I learned today. It is important that we take action to sustain the earth we live on. Frankly, Earth is our home and without it we would die.  Just like the bird is connected to the life of a coffee bean plant, we are connected with the natural world around us. My students and I are the future of the world and we need to take action to save it. Having a class garden can be one way to take action.

June 2, 2015

Cloud Forest School

Today, we were given the privileged to visit the Cloud Forest school. I was very impressed by the school. This is one of Costa Ricans private schools. There are almost 200 students in grades Kindergarten through eleventh grade. This school was made my parents in hopes of giving their children a bilingual education. The school has grown into much more than just that. The school and its students are one with nature. The classrooms are open and there are many hiking trails. The schools puts a lot of emphasis on being environmentally-friendly. The students here are encouraged to show their creativity in everything they do. The student ambassador, Elena, that showed us around spoke highly of her school. She stated that this was more than a school, it had become her home and the people her family. This school is the ideal school to work for. The students don’t sit in class all day quietly at their desks. The children played and did hands-on activities. What impressed me the most was how environmentally aware they were. The students respected the beautiful world around them. They are very resourceful. The recycle and reuse materials around them and used their creative minds to make something new. Just from the little time I observed, I gained insight on so many ideas about what I could do in my own classroom. I can do anything if I think creatively. My students will plant gardens and use then resources around them. I whole heartedly believe in recycling materials and not being wasteful. The Cloud Forest’s playground was made out of all recycled material. The swings were made from tires and the slide was made out of sheet metal and old pipes. The art work displayed around the school were made of material such as plastic bottles, caps, pots, tires, and so on. It was so interesting. I was truly inspired by this school and can’t wait to take back what I learned to my own classroom.

June 1, 2015

Respect and Empathy

I have learned so much about my family. They are people just like you and me. We are more similar then different. The teenagers like to watch movies and hangout with their friends. The babies like to wonder around and drive their mother’s crazy. I have observed how loving they are to one another. They all live in a small house together and take care of each other. It is wonderful to observe the bonds they have with each other. Tonight there was a big spider on my wall. I hate spiders more than anything. I asked my Mama tica to help me get it out. The whole family ran in to look. My Mama tica scooped the spider up with her bare hands and placed it outside. I was shocked. The whole family was laughing at my reaction. Then my Mama tica checked my entire room for more bugs. It meant a lot to me that she cared. To her a spider is nothing but she respected the fact that I was scared of them and made sure I was comfortable. I think as a teacher it will be very important for me to respect my student’s emotions. Simply showing them that I care can go a long way. In our class today we reflected on showing empathy for our children’s families. Going to their home or giving them a call at home really show the parents that you care about what they are going through. This can make all the difference in my classroom.

My Family

(My Mama tica is in the blue shirt at the end)

May 31, 2015

Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna

Wow, I can’t believe it is almost June and we only have 6 more days left of our trip. It is bittersweet. I’m excited to go home but I love it here! This weekend we got to go to Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna. The road up to Arenal was gravel for 2 hours. I felt sick but it was worth it because the view was so beautiful. There were huge windmills up on top of the mountains. When we got to Arenal Volcano, I was amazed. When I think of a volcano, this was the exact picture I had in my head. The lava field reminded me of Yellowstone National Park. It was very similar. I think it will be important for me to show my students different types of volcanoes to compare and contrast. Volcanoes come in different shapes and sizes. Next, we went to La Fortuna. From the lookout point the waterfall didn’t look very impressive, but when we walked to the base of the waterfall it was incredible. It had just rained so the falls were bigger than normal. The color was a bright blue and people were swimming. Like I’ve said for so many things I have seen in Costa Rica, words can’t describe how beautiful it was. I am most excited about showing my students these picture. I could teach them about the water cycle or different bodies of water. There are some many concepts I could teach my students with these pictures. I think showing them pictures of my trip will spark an interest in learning. It will make the learning topics personal.

Windmills in the Montains

Arenal Volcano

La Fortuna

May 29,2015

Making a Difference

On Monday at the school, we noticed that the student’s play area was in bad shape. There was trash everywhere including dangerous things like broken boards. We really wanted to help fix it up for the students. We were able to gather some supplies to fix the playground area for the children. It was hard work but totally worth it. We cleaned up all the trash, weeded the garden, and planted flowers. I feel like we really made a difference today. I am so glad we had the opportunity to make this school a safer environment for the children. This is exactly the kind of thing I want to continue doing to make a difference in my own community. When the students saw their new playground area, they were so excited. It was an awesome experience. I felt very attached to the students I worked with this week. The school had almost nothing but the students didn’t care. This was their life and they know nothing different. They do not feel sorry for themselves. They love simply and find joy in each other. I believe that I lose that sometimes. We are very materialistic in the U.S. and measure people’s happiness by the things they have.

 

May 28, 2015


A Struggling Reader

We went to the school again today. This time we had a lesson prepared. Unfortunately, when we got there plans had changed. Although in the end everything worked out, we were confused about what we were to do. The students were working on their reading skills with workbooks. The teacher had us divide among the students to help them read and answer comprehension questions. The catch though was that their work was all in Spanish. I was given the opportunity to work with a student who did not know how to read and he was eight years old. He would sound out each letter of a word without putting the letters all together. I noticed that on some words he would chunk letters to try and read the word. This tells me that he is still in the beginning stages of reading. Also, sometimes he would lose his place in the reading and skip to a line that he had already read but he never realized that he had already read it. This tells me that he is not comprehending what he is reading. He needed frequent breaks and looked up at me for approval often. I did not observe that this student was given any extra support in class. He acts out in class as well. I assume this is because the work is too hard for him but the teacher does nothing. After analyzing his reading behavior, I think I have a better understanding where he is at academically. If I were his teacher, then I would use this data to come up with instruction that meets his particular needs. No matter if the student is English speaking or Spanish speaking the signs of a struggling reader are the same.

On a more positive note, I love my family. My tica sisters asked to do my hair tonight. It was so much fun getting to know them better. Even though it is hard to communicate, I can read their personalities by their body language. 

My buddy :)

 

My Tica Sister

May 26, 2015

Expect the Unexpected

We got to go to an elementary school in Monte Verde today. We did not know we were going until yesterday afternoon. We were told that the students did not know any English. We were not as prepared to teach these children as we were the last group. I was a little nervous going in but I knew this would be a good experience for me. I will have to interpret what is best for my students as I go. Sometimes in school things do not go as planned and I will not be able to prepare beforehand. I must be quick to think of something for my students to do. Teaching today actually went better than I expected. I worked with three students in a small group. The students actually knew some words in English. We taught the students colors, body parts, and emotions. We used many teaching strategies that we thought were best for our students at the time. I had to demonstrate a lot. I had to stop myself from translating words for them in Spanish. The students know more than I think they do. We did many activities to help the students learn. We used visuals, movements, music, and hands-on activities. The students responded well. I had to keep trying different strategies to find out how my students learn best. Today was very successful. I am proud of what we did at the school. One of my professors at UNCW used to always tell me, “expect the unexpected.” A teacher must always be prepared to modify the lesson. What we did today was probably one the best experiences I could have had to practice this skill.

Yesterday’s Spanish class was hard. Enough though I know I need to work on my Spanish skills, I dreaded going. I can related to my students in this way. Learning a new language or concept it not always easy. One has to have motivated and practice to get better. I will have to help my students find intrinsic motivation. I know I will not always be able to make learning super fun. However, I can encourage my students and build their confidence to help them push through the hard stuff.

Aren't they so cute!

 

May 24, 2015

Meeting My New Family

We drove up the curvy roads to Monte Verde. I could not believe my eyes when I was looking over the mountains to the coast. I think I’m going to like it here. It is much cooler than Manuel Antonio and San Joaquin. I just met my host family. They all hugged me as I came in. They are all girls and one little boy. The little boy is six and he knows a little English. He sat down next to me while I was looking though my photos and starting saying colors in English. It was fun to see him learning. He had a big smile on his face as he showed off his skills to me. I have had a great first impression of my family. The house is nice and clean. I feel more comfortable here than at my other house in San Joaquin. I have a family of girls at home so I’m used to being around a lot of women. This place makes me feel at ease. I have noticed that I feel more comfortable when I’m around people that remind me of home. I can see why children tend to hang out with others that are like them. I want to ask so many questions but they don’t speak English.  There are so many things I want to know about them. It’s hard not being able to communicate much. My room looks comforting. I’m excited about starting my adventures in Monte Verde.

 

Monte Verde

 

May 23,2015

Being a Tourist For the Weekend 

 

 

Manuel Antonio National Park was one of the most incredible places I have ever been to. As we walked to the ocean, monkeys were jumping from tree to tree above our head. We saw so many animals. It was incredible. We saw sloths, monkeys, birds, deer, bats, and more. It was like we were in a zoo but they were wild animals. I will never forget this experience. The beach was amazing. It was so interesting to see the huge rocks in the water and the mountains above. I can’t wait to show my students all of my pictures. I hope that I can give my students a sample of what Costa Rica is like. I hope that I can inspire my students to travel as well. I want to give my students a sense of the world for those that have never been out of the state they live in.
 

Look close and you will see a flying monkey :)

Manuel Antonio

 

May 22, 2015

La Carprio

We went to La Carpio, one of the poorest areas in Costa Rica. We were able to hear a story of a young boy who had come in just the night before asking for food. He did not speak any English so Gale translated for us. He said he is from Nicaragua like many people in this area. He father, him, and younger siblings came to Costa Rica a number of years ago. He said his mother was not in the picture. Since he is the oldest child, he takes care of his siblings. His dad works in construction, which is where most Nicaraguans find jobs because no one else wants them. The boy works for a trash company. He dives in the dumpsters to take out any materials that have value. He gets paid very very little. If he doesn’t go to work, his family may not be able to eat. He doesn’t go to school because he has to make money for his family. His skin was dirty and the sadness in his eyes made me feel so incredibly sad. His story is like so many others in La Cardio. It was such a touching experience and make me think a lot about myself. What can I do to help these people? I know there is also poverty in the states and I will probably have a student that comes to school with no food or clean clothes. I have studied the effects of poverty on a child’s education. The facts are devastating and the cycle of poverty continues. Showing my student empathy without lowering my expectations is necessary. I can make a difference by empowering these students to never give up and reach for the stars because anything is possible. I know any little thing I can do can help. I would like to devote more time doing service projects and giving up my time for them. As a teacher it is necessary to know how to teach the child to survive in a world that is sometimes unfair.

It was bittersweet to leave my host family today. The have been so kind and patient with me. I am glad that I was able to get to know them and see what life would be like if I were to grew up in Costa Rica. I am off to new adventures and a new host family in Monte Verde.

 

 

 

                                                                       La Carpio

 

May 20, 2015

Proud Teacher Moment

I had a very proud moment at the school. This was our first day at Calle Herandez primary school. I worked with first and third graders. One boy, Daniel, in particular in my first grade class had a disability. We were working in a small group and the lesson was on identifying family members in English. Two students were able to do this activity with ease. The student with special needs was not grasping this lessons concepts as quickly as the other students. I worked with Daniel individually. I related the English word grandmother with a picture of my grandmother. Then I drew my grandmother and had him draw his. He understood by the picture of my grandmother that she was my “abuela.” I demonstrated a lot and related the three picture together to teach him grandmother. I did the same thing for the other members of his family. By the end of the day, it was amazing to see his progress. Just to see the smile on his face and the confidence he had gained made me so proud. This experience strengthened my belief that all children can learn even those with special needs. Daniel barely knew his own language and was still able to learn a language completely foreign to him. It is the kind of experiences like this one that makes me know 100% that teaching is what I want to do. Spanish class has been good. My professor is very helpful. I think the small classes have really made it such a wonderful experience so far. It has not all been good through. Today I was very tired and I felt like my brain was melting in Spanish class. When learning a different language, you have to concentrate very hard to catch what the teacher is saying. I can only imagine how our English language learners feel in our classes in America. Sometime you just want to give up. I have experienced the same feeling in my home. It is hard to communicate and sometimes I want to just go to my room but I force myself to attempt to interact with my family even if it is just sitting with them in silence. It is not easy living in another’s person’s home. The living standards here are much different than in the states. At home if I saw one bug, then I would clean like crazy and set off a bug bomb. Here bugs are just part of life. If a cockroach runs across the floor they don’t even acknowledge it. I keep telling myself that it is just different here and try not to make a big deal of it.

My Spanish Class (The little one is my professor.)

 

 

 Daniel

 

May 18, 2015

English Curriculum & The Great Challenge

We had an orientation of the English curriculum in Costa Rica. Students learn English in pre-k to high school which I was very impressed with. I know students learn language better at an early age. Dina explained that there were three cycles of the English curriculum. The first cycle puts emphasis on listening and speaking. Then the curriculum moves into reading and writing English. The students are tested in English on a reading comprehension test. The whole English curriculum focuses on teaching language in context. I think this is wonderful. Teaching in context allows students to find meaning of English words/phrases. I asked my tico brothers about English in their school and they said they did not have English classes until high school. I assume the English curriculum policy is fairly new.

I have a hard time communicating with my family tonight. I find myself being very quiet because I don’t know how to say a lot of things. I get very nervous when they talk to me because I don’t know what they are saying. My body gets sweaty and my face is hot. My tico papa and brother helped me with my Spanish homework. I did not need much help but I thought it would be a good way to interact with my family. They were very helpful. I knew they were getting a little frustrated with me but I fought through it even though I had the desire to quite. I met the older son and he knew very little English but not much. I felt a relief when I was near him. I think my tico family would be considered middle classed in Costa Rico but if this same house was in America they would be considered pretty poor. Tonight I found little bugs in my bed and I don’t know what to do. Ticans don’t kill bugs. They are one with nature. I want to respect their culture but I also am terrified of the fact that there are lots of bugs. I am not fond of any bug especially ones in my bed. I have to bit my tongue and get over it this week which is going to be very difficult for me. Taking a shower was a different experience as well. There hot water is not the same as ours. I have never realized how lucky I am to have hot water and no bugs at my house at home.

 

My Tyco Brother

Calle Hernández Primary School

May 17, 2015

Today’s the Day: I get to meet Mi Familia

Before going to meet our families, we went to the Costa Rican national museum in San Jose. I learned a lot about the Costa Ricans history. I found it interesting that when you look at different countries history there are many things that are similar. In prehistoric time, the Costa Rican people were like the Indians we learn about in America. They hunted and gathered food to eat. They made their own spears just like we did and cooked over a fire just like we did. What I found most interesting was their traditional burial. The ticans would let the body rot and then take the person’s bones and organize them in a little package. The ticans are very resourceful and environmentally aware which I think we lack in America. This burial method is very clever and takes up less space in the ground. It seems like American’s are very wasteful. We are starting to have more and more recycling centers and such but I feel that we are behind in this area.

We were able to walk around San Jose. We went into a hand craft market. It reminded me of a flea market in the states. When teaching students what something is like it could be a good Idea to try to relate it to something they are familiar with. I noticed there were police stands on every few streets. When the police came down the street, some of the vendors would pack up their belongings very quickly and walk away. They were selling illegally and did not want to get caught. I thought this was interesting. I have never see this in the US except for in big cities. We got to go into the National Theatre. The design were so detailed. It was such a beautiful building. I can’t imagine how fantastic it would be to see a performance there. Building are just not made that way anymore. I went to Yellowstone national park last summer and we got to stay in Utah for a night. We were able to go into Utah’s capital building. The detail of that building was like the Costa Ricans national theatre. Next we went to CPI, where I will be taking Spanish classes while I’m here. I’m actually very excited to get started so that I can communicate better. I meet my mama and papa tica tonight. They were so warm and welcoming. Mama tica had dinner ready for me when I got there.  I was very nervous coming into the home. Dinner was mostly silent. I was uncomfortable but I just kept thinking this was a challenge I will have to overcome. This is the whole reason why I am here, to learn what it is like to walk in the shoes of ELL. My family has three sons but they were not there. My papa showed me around the house and the neighbor’s house which are their relatives. It is not uncommon for families to live in the same area together. I like how family oriented Spanish families are. It is not as common to see this in the US. My papa tics was very patient with me. I know very little Spanish but I could pick out a few words. I knew more than I thought I did. It helped that he used examples and used hand motions. I will remember this when I teach my own students and try to give them many visuals. I am looking forward to learning more Spanish tomorrow. As soon as my mama and papa tica went to bed, I started looking up Spanish word in my dictionary. I have noticed that as I learn more and more about Costa Rica I try to relate it to something in America. I think it will be important for me to remember this when I’m teaching English Language Learners. If I can relate what we are learning to something familiar to them I think it will help a lot.

Burial Method

 

Police Stands

National Theatre

My Host Family in Heredia

May 16, 2015

It’s Just The Beginning: Initial Observation

I have now been in Costa Rica for a day and a half. It is hard to explain everything I have observed. My first impression was, “Wow the beauty of this country is beyond words.” Yesterday, we explored San Joaquin. This is where I will be staying with my host family starting tomorrow night. The first place we ate was at a local Costa Rican restaurant. I ordered a tostado con pollo, the traditional Costa Rican dish. The restaurant was open and airy, most of the restaurants I noticed were like this. This was the initial cultural difference I obverse when we first arrived. As we walked around, I saw that all the homes had bars in their windows and gates in front of their houses. I thought this was strange and wondered if the area was unsafe. The next day I found out by our tour guide that the gates in houses first came about as decorations to separate the yard from the road. Then the ticans got paranoid after a few minor crimes and the gates got taller and bars appeared on many ticans windows. The guide insured me that San Joaquin was a safe place. The roads are paved but narrow and people drive crazy! I do not understand there traffic laws. Not many ticans stopped at stop signs and they passed each other constantly. I was shocked no one got hit. Also, pedestrian DO NOT have the right away. We ran into a little market as we were walking through the town. It was open and there were various types of fruits and vegetables lined up everywhere. I was able to try fruits that I had never even heard of before. I had one that felt like a little cotton ball in your mouth and it was very sweet.  Soursop was probably my favorite out of all the ones we tasted. Many products looked foreign to me. I imagine a student coming to America would feel the same way. We walked by an elementary and high school. The schools were gated and all the students wore uniforms. This wasn’t very strange. We see schools in the states that require students to wear uniforms. When we got to our hotel, we walked a couple blocks down to see what was around us. We saw a funeral. There were hundreds of people dressed in black and white walking up this great hill carrying the casket. I thought this was very interesting and different from our culture.

 

Typical Costa Rican Home

Open Restaurants

Open Farmers Market

 

Honeymoon Stage: Is this real?

We went to La Paz Waterfall Garden today. The view was wonderful. We climbed up this mountain in our van and it felt like we were on the very edge. On our way up we stopped at a coffee farm. I learned about a particular type of coffee they have called the peaberry. This coffee grain does not separate like a normal coffee grain would when it is roasted. We got to see and feel the different types of coffee beans. Hands on activities like this can really make the context stick. The farm went on and on for thousands of acers through the mountains. The view was to die for. I can only imagine starting my day looking over the mountains and drinking warm coffee. The waterfall gardens was like a resort. It was much more than just waterfalls. We walked into a huge bird aviary and a buffer fly sanctuary. I had never been in a butterfly sanctuary before and it was absolutely the coolest thing ever. We saw many animals including monkeys, pumas, jaguar, frogs, and snakes. I learned more about animals here than I have ever before. Having he experience of walking around and observing the animals allowed me to learn more than if I just read about them in a book. The pictures of the falls in took just did not do it justice. The feeling of look up at gallons upon gallons of water rushing down the side of a cliff is a crazy feeling. It makes me feel so small and appreciative of the wonders around me. Inhofe I can simulate the feeling I have had so far as I describe them to my students. As we rode in the van up the mountain, I had my face pressed up against the window trying to see every possible thing I could. There were many culture differences I noticed. Most of their graves are above ground, there are many soccer fields, titans serve rice with potatoes, the only condiment on the table are always ketchup and mayo, and almost every house has a tin roof. These culture difference are not better or worse but just different. The language barrier has not hit me yet. I’m still in the “honeymoon stage” as Dr. Powell would say. I know tomorrow night when I initially met my host family culture shock will hit me. There is so much I have learned already! This blog would be 5 pages if I told you everything. I will remember my initial impressions and observation when I have a student coming into my class in the US. I’m sure they will have lots of questions like I do!

 

Coffee Plant

Butterfly Sanctuary

La Paz

May 14th, 2015

Pre-Departure

I have had all kinds of emotions while packing and preparing for my adventure to come in Costa Rica. I am mostly excited. I can't wait to meet my host families and students. I can't wait to breath in the fresh Costa Rican air and see all of the wonderful things Costa Rica has to offer. I am also a little nervous. As I pack, I keep thinking "Oh my I'm packing way too much but I need this and I need that." I'm nervous because my Spanish is not great and I'm fearful that I will not be able to communicate well. 
 
I have wanted to study abroad for a while now and when I found out about this faculty lead trip to Costa Rica I was sold. I love adventure and learning knew things about different cultures but what really sold me was the fact that we will be experiencing what it is like to be in the shoes of an English Language Learner. I am a Special Education major and I have read many statistics about ELL's being place into special education programs when they may not necessarily need to be. A lot of people, including myself, do not understand what it is like to be in a different country with different languages, cultures, customs, and beliefs. I hope to experience what it might be like for a student coming into my classroom that is not originally from the United States. I hope to learn empathy for these students and find ways to relate to them. I anticipate immersing myself in the rich culture of Costa Rica and walking in the shoes of English Language Learners to strengthen my professional growth as a future educator.