Well, I was supposed to go home on Thursday but I wanted to stay so badly that I took an extra two days. You know I'm desperate to stay if I extend a trip by only two days. I'll take what I can get!
We've stayed busy this past week even though we are done with teaching. Last Saturday we took off and went inland to Cayo. I stayed in a place called Pine Ridge, while the girls went into San Ignacio. I got to hang out in the jungle and tube down the river, enjoy good barbecue and just have a really good time for the weekend.
On Monday I met up with the girls in San Ignacio and on Tuesday we crossed the border into Guatemala to do some shopping at the local market. It was insanely hot out - I can't even describe it. I want to say that I have never been that hot before but I'm sure I have been, especially since I have been to Thailand.
Then....on Wednesday I came back to San Pedro (where I was teaching) to spend my last few days. It is raining today, which they really need at this point. Belize is about to come into the rainy season and although they are desperate for rain right now, in a couple of months it could cause some problems.
Today, we are supposed to rent kayaks and attempt to fish. We'll paddle out to the reef and see what we can do. The goal is to catch something to barbecue tonight. Wish us luck! If the rains continues though plans could change. Not that I'm scared of a little rain, especially being from Vancouver Island but things tend to shut down here when it rains.
I head home tomorrow. I am excited to see my family - especially Sam and Fina. They are my honeys and I miss them so much. I have another long trek to get back to Victoria and apparently it's not very warm there. Not stoked about the weather. I don't understand how I am a Canadian but love the heat so much. Other things that will be weird are jeans and shoes. And getting back into the hot room should be interesting. Anyways, that's the story. I might write another post once I get home and can get my head wrapped around everything that has happened here.
May 24, 2013
May 14, 2013
One more day of school!
I can't believe that we are almost at the end of this amazing experience. Tomorrow is our last day teaching at Holy Cross and then we have a grand finale on Thursday at a school-wide sports day. I am on the green team for sports day and apparently us, the student teachers, have to race against each other in a 100 metre dash and a potato sack race. Should be funny!
We have been here for more than one month and this experience is more than I could have imagined. Initially, it was all about immersing ourselves in the school community and getting teaching experience but it has turned in to so much more than that. We have all made friends in the community and on any given day you can find one of us just hanging out with our new buddies. There are no ulterior motives - just good people looking for good friends. I have always been one to get attached easily and so experiences like this are hard for me to leave. I remember going to Costa Rica a few years back and making friends there and enjoying the culture and community and being so sad when I had to leave. Well, this time in San Pedro has been even more enriching of an experience and it is definitely going to be hard to leave. As a matter of fact, one of the girls has already changed her flight so that she can stay longer. It is real and genuine and is another part of this journey that we call life.
The last two weeks haven't brought anything out of the ordinary. We did get to go to Belize City to participate in a basketball tournament with the girls' team. It was so much fun and the girls had a really good time. We got our butts kicked but the team did play well considering they knew pretty much nothing about basketball two weeks prior. We also talked a lot about what being on a team means and about the sisterhood of women's sports and how this could be the beginning of good times for life with teammates. I know that I am forever bonded with my rowing girls and even if we don't see each other for years, when we get together it is like no time has passed. It was a really cool day for everyone that got to go. I do have to say though that there were aspects that were very un-Canadian. We (15 of us) piled into a taxi van to get to the court and on the way back we all rode in one small pick-up truck. It makes me wonder if we take life too seriously in North America, like we have a stick shoved up our asses - or, if we are actually just smart for being so cautious! It's your call. All I know is that I had a good time!
Next week, we will be heading inland to see a bit more of the country. Our plans are still a bit up in the air but we are planning on going to San Ignacio/Cayo. I'll give the update once we sort it out. For now, we are focused on finishing this week and wrapping things up at Holy Cross. Be in touch again soon. Hope everyone is well.
We have been here for more than one month and this experience is more than I could have imagined. Initially, it was all about immersing ourselves in the school community and getting teaching experience but it has turned in to so much more than that. We have all made friends in the community and on any given day you can find one of us just hanging out with our new buddies. There are no ulterior motives - just good people looking for good friends. I have always been one to get attached easily and so experiences like this are hard for me to leave. I remember going to Costa Rica a few years back and making friends there and enjoying the culture and community and being so sad when I had to leave. Well, this time in San Pedro has been even more enriching of an experience and it is definitely going to be hard to leave. As a matter of fact, one of the girls has already changed her flight so that she can stay longer. It is real and genuine and is another part of this journey that we call life.
The last two weeks haven't brought anything out of the ordinary. We did get to go to Belize City to participate in a basketball tournament with the girls' team. It was so much fun and the girls had a really good time. We got our butts kicked but the team did play well considering they knew pretty much nothing about basketball two weeks prior. We also talked a lot about what being on a team means and about the sisterhood of women's sports and how this could be the beginning of good times for life with teammates. I know that I am forever bonded with my rowing girls and even if we don't see each other for years, when we get together it is like no time has passed. It was a really cool day for everyone that got to go. I do have to say though that there were aspects that were very un-Canadian. We (15 of us) piled into a taxi van to get to the court and on the way back we all rode in one small pick-up truck. It makes me wonder if we take life too seriously in North America, like we have a stick shoved up our asses - or, if we are actually just smart for being so cautious! It's your call. All I know is that I had a good time!
Next week, we will be heading inland to see a bit more of the country. Our plans are still a bit up in the air but we are planning on going to San Ignacio/Cayo. I'll give the update once we sort it out. For now, we are focused on finishing this week and wrapping things up at Holy Cross. Be in touch again soon. Hope everyone is well.
April 29, 2013
Coach
Life is life here now in San Pedro. Its feeling more like home every single day. We are all getting more comfortable at the school and are always ready for the unexpected. Today, I sorta became one of the coaches for the girls basketball team! One of our classmates said that she was going to go to their practice so I said that I would go too. Then one of the teachers came by my class today to remind the students of practice and I told him that I would be there to help out. The next thing I knew I was one of the coaches. So, I went to practice and did what I could and even ran lines with the girls. It was so hot that even the girls were hurting. Here is a picture of the park where the basketball court is at......not bad, eh!
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April 24, 2013
What a day
I have to post again this afternoon after the day that I just had. My teacher did not come to school today so I had to teach the entire day with nothing really planned. I was pretty much thrown in there and did what I could based on what I have seen. It ended up going sort of well and I am definitely closer to the kids now. The group that came here last year told us that it happened quite often that the teachers would just disappear or not come to school once the VIU students arrived. So, I had been warned but when it becomes your reality it can be a little freaky.
When the day began and my teacher hadn't arrived I thought that maybe she was just late, like yesterday. But mid-way through the morning the principal came to tell me that she wouldn't be coming in today and that I pretty much had to handle the class on my own. Not such a big deal except that she made it very clear that I had to teach things in the curriculum because they are being tested next month and don't have time to just do whatever I feel like teaching them. Yeah, that threw me for a bit seeing as I didn't even know what my teacher had planned for some parts of the day yet I was then supposed to cover it! How does that work?
Fortunately, I had some help from one of the other VIU girl's that is teaching the same standard as me and everything ended up being fine. I had some really good, productive conversations with the students too throughout the day and we were able to get into each others heads a little and gain more understanding from both sides. I asked them at one point why they don't listen to me as well as their teacher and they said it was because I was nice. So, basically they are behaving out of fear of punishment.
This experience is all very interesting because as frustrating and disappointing as it can be to see some of the things that are happening in the school I can connect with the kids and be a positive influence. Already I wish that I could stay forever and be a catalyst for change. It is interesting to think about our different perspectives and what we all think effective teaching and discipline looks like. Students shouldn't be behaving well out of fear, but rather because it is the right thing to do. It sure gets the wheels in your head turning about all of the possibilities.
Tonight, I am getting stuff ready in case the teacher is not there again tomorrow. Now I know to have lots of backups and ideas. Oh, the mystery of what tomorrow will bring!
When the day began and my teacher hadn't arrived I thought that maybe she was just late, like yesterday. But mid-way through the morning the principal came to tell me that she wouldn't be coming in today and that I pretty much had to handle the class on my own. Not such a big deal except that she made it very clear that I had to teach things in the curriculum because they are being tested next month and don't have time to just do whatever I feel like teaching them. Yeah, that threw me for a bit seeing as I didn't even know what my teacher had planned for some parts of the day yet I was then supposed to cover it! How does that work?
Fortunately, I had some help from one of the other VIU girl's that is teaching the same standard as me and everything ended up being fine. I had some really good, productive conversations with the students too throughout the day and we were able to get into each others heads a little and gain more understanding from both sides. I asked them at one point why they don't listen to me as well as their teacher and they said it was because I was nice. So, basically they are behaving out of fear of punishment.
This experience is all very interesting because as frustrating and disappointing as it can be to see some of the things that are happening in the school I can connect with the kids and be a positive influence. Already I wish that I could stay forever and be a catalyst for change. It is interesting to think about our different perspectives and what we all think effective teaching and discipline looks like. Students shouldn't be behaving well out of fear, but rather because it is the right thing to do. It sure gets the wheels in your head turning about all of the possibilities.
Tonight, I am getting stuff ready in case the teacher is not there again tomorrow. Now I know to have lots of backups and ideas. Oh, the mystery of what tomorrow will bring!
It feels like a month already...in a good way!
I feel like we've been here for much longer than a week and a half. We are definitely getting used to life on the island and everything is getting a little easier as our familiarity grows. We've found some good local spots to eat and met some cool people as well. We see our students around town all the time and they want to talk and give us hugs. It's another tropical paradise that I am liking very much.
This past weekend we didn't do much but relax and try to get our heads straight after our first week at Holy Cross. We had lots of lesson planning to do as we are now teaching much more. The first week was all about getting used to our classes and everything and now it is time to get in there and do lots of teaching.
Back to school on Monday brought a bit of anxiety for me. We are formally observed by our university supervisor once a week, which means she comes into the class and watches one of our lessons and then we have a chat about it afterwards where we get evaluated and she gives us feedback. My observation for the week was on Monday afternoon during a lesson in which I had to teach the students how to track hurricanes. I am in a standard 4 class, which is about the equivalent to a grade 5/6 back home (although my youngest student is 10 and the oldest is 14). Being with the older kids you have to know your stuff! You know the game - are you smarter than a 5th grader? Well, you better be on top of what you are teaching because they are already turning into mini-adults and are very smart. So, I had to teach myself how to track a hurricane and how that process works and then turn around and teach it to a class of students that live in a region that has a hurricane season! Overall, the lesson went well and the feedback was positive and constructive but there are lots of areas to work on as well. I felt better having done my observation for the week. Our supervisor is around the school all day so she is seeing us teach and interact with the students and teachers all of the time anyways though.
Then came Tuesday, which was an interesting day because my teacher didn't come to school until 1030am. So, when I arrived in the morning I was informed that she would be late and to take care of the class until she arrived. Since we've arrived I have been carrying around a book called 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?'. It's a cute story about being kind and respectful and treating others as you would want to be treated. I whipped that out and did an activity around it and ended up learning more about my students than I could have imagined. I can't say that they were all kind and warm to each other afterwards but maybe a seed was planted about the importance of treating others nicely just because it is a nice way to live life.
After the bucket filling activity I started my science lesson that I had intended to teach in the afternoon. Shortly into the lesson the students were really acting out and I was having a hard time getting them to focus. I thought that this might be a good time to build on the bucket filling exercise and talk about them and their dreams and school and get into who they are as people and why they put on their uniforms and come to school everyday. Why? What is the point of all of this? Why do kids go to school all around the world? Why would education be important? As we started talking I sure got some interesting answers - it was eye opening though and I'm glad that we stopped the science lesson to just talk. I would have liked to continue on and do some team-building exercises with the class but it was snack time and I'm sure you can imagine that they were not going to miss out on eating for a conversation as deep as we were having. So, we stopped. While the students were taking a break my teacher arrived and everything returned to 'normal'.
I taught again in the afternoon. This time is was a science lesson on plant responses and tropism. Yikes! How do I explain that in a fun and engaging way. We did a KWL chart (what they already know, what they want to know and at the end they will fill in the L for what they learned). We then went over what is tropism and they did a crossword puzzle. The teacher in the room next door also teaches standard 4 and I saw that he was doing a cool science experiment with plants growing in a box (there's more to it than that but I won't get into the details). So, I am going to do it with my class on Thursday. I think they need more hands-on type stuff to really comprehend what is being taught to them. Even while teaching at home the students love to 'do' stuff and they usually end up understanding the concepts much more easily when they can see it in action. It's time to get creative. I'm not gonna lie though - hands-on stuff here scares me a little because when you let the class get out of their seats and work with their peers and actually do activities they can get out of control and it's really hard to reign them back in.
After science we then went outside and played softball. They don't really have a great spot outside to do PE so we went to the front of the school where there is sort of a parking lot (although cars/golf carts don't park there) and they played in that area. We were rushed for time so I didn't go over expectations before leaving the classroom and that was a mistake on my part. Given what I have learned and experienced this past week and a half you would think that - obviously - I would review expectations before going out but there can be so much going on in the moment that you forget. So, I learned my lesson there. Once we got outside and finally got somewhat of a system going (there isn't much equipment so sharing is interesting) then it was all good. I played softball for many years and know the sport and the technique and so on, so I felt completely in my element trying to teach the students a sport. The surprising thing was that no one really knew how to play at all. It was super fun and chaotic and crazy at the same time. It was also insanely hot and sweaty and I was wearing a skirt!
Now, it is Wednesday morning and I am up early. Wednesday is a short day at the school. The students leave at 1:45pm (rather than 2:45pm) so that the teachers can plan for the following week. All of their lesson plans - as in every single one of them - have to be turned in to the Principal for approval. Our plans have to be turned in as well while we are here. We have done a lot of formal lesson planning at home so we are definitely used to it so it's not a big deal to have our plans look over.
We are also starting a sort of after school homework/help/tutor session twice a week to help students that are having a hard time with their work. There is no extra support here so it is up to the teachers to get their students to understand what is being taught. The classes are pretty big and the resources are limited so it is hard. Hopefully we can help in some way alleviate some of that stress by just being an extra set of eyes and hands to go around. We'll see how many of the students actually show up for the help. It's a good idea in theory!
So, that's that. Be in touch again soon.
This past weekend we didn't do much but relax and try to get our heads straight after our first week at Holy Cross. We had lots of lesson planning to do as we are now teaching much more. The first week was all about getting used to our classes and everything and now it is time to get in there and do lots of teaching.
Back to school on Monday brought a bit of anxiety for me. We are formally observed by our university supervisor once a week, which means she comes into the class and watches one of our lessons and then we have a chat about it afterwards where we get evaluated and she gives us feedback. My observation for the week was on Monday afternoon during a lesson in which I had to teach the students how to track hurricanes. I am in a standard 4 class, which is about the equivalent to a grade 5/6 back home (although my youngest student is 10 and the oldest is 14). Being with the older kids you have to know your stuff! You know the game - are you smarter than a 5th grader? Well, you better be on top of what you are teaching because they are already turning into mini-adults and are very smart. So, I had to teach myself how to track a hurricane and how that process works and then turn around and teach it to a class of students that live in a region that has a hurricane season! Overall, the lesson went well and the feedback was positive and constructive but there are lots of areas to work on as well. I felt better having done my observation for the week. Our supervisor is around the school all day so she is seeing us teach and interact with the students and teachers all of the time anyways though.
Then came Tuesday, which was an interesting day because my teacher didn't come to school until 1030am. So, when I arrived in the morning I was informed that she would be late and to take care of the class until she arrived. Since we've arrived I have been carrying around a book called 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?'. It's a cute story about being kind and respectful and treating others as you would want to be treated. I whipped that out and did an activity around it and ended up learning more about my students than I could have imagined. I can't say that they were all kind and warm to each other afterwards but maybe a seed was planted about the importance of treating others nicely just because it is a nice way to live life.
After the bucket filling activity I started my science lesson that I had intended to teach in the afternoon. Shortly into the lesson the students were really acting out and I was having a hard time getting them to focus. I thought that this might be a good time to build on the bucket filling exercise and talk about them and their dreams and school and get into who they are as people and why they put on their uniforms and come to school everyday. Why? What is the point of all of this? Why do kids go to school all around the world? Why would education be important? As we started talking I sure got some interesting answers - it was eye opening though and I'm glad that we stopped the science lesson to just talk. I would have liked to continue on and do some team-building exercises with the class but it was snack time and I'm sure you can imagine that they were not going to miss out on eating for a conversation as deep as we were having. So, we stopped. While the students were taking a break my teacher arrived and everything returned to 'normal'.
I taught again in the afternoon. This time is was a science lesson on plant responses and tropism. Yikes! How do I explain that in a fun and engaging way. We did a KWL chart (what they already know, what they want to know and at the end they will fill in the L for what they learned). We then went over what is tropism and they did a crossword puzzle. The teacher in the room next door also teaches standard 4 and I saw that he was doing a cool science experiment with plants growing in a box (there's more to it than that but I won't get into the details). So, I am going to do it with my class on Thursday. I think they need more hands-on type stuff to really comprehend what is being taught to them. Even while teaching at home the students love to 'do' stuff and they usually end up understanding the concepts much more easily when they can see it in action. It's time to get creative. I'm not gonna lie though - hands-on stuff here scares me a little because when you let the class get out of their seats and work with their peers and actually do activities they can get out of control and it's really hard to reign them back in.
After science we then went outside and played softball. They don't really have a great spot outside to do PE so we went to the front of the school where there is sort of a parking lot (although cars/golf carts don't park there) and they played in that area. We were rushed for time so I didn't go over expectations before leaving the classroom and that was a mistake on my part. Given what I have learned and experienced this past week and a half you would think that - obviously - I would review expectations before going out but there can be so much going on in the moment that you forget. So, I learned my lesson there. Once we got outside and finally got somewhat of a system going (there isn't much equipment so sharing is interesting) then it was all good. I played softball for many years and know the sport and the technique and so on, so I felt completely in my element trying to teach the students a sport. The surprising thing was that no one really knew how to play at all. It was super fun and chaotic and crazy at the same time. It was also insanely hot and sweaty and I was wearing a skirt!
Now, it is Wednesday morning and I am up early. Wednesday is a short day at the school. The students leave at 1:45pm (rather than 2:45pm) so that the teachers can plan for the following week. All of their lesson plans - as in every single one of them - have to be turned in to the Principal for approval. Our plans have to be turned in as well while we are here. We have done a lot of formal lesson planning at home so we are definitely used to it so it's not a big deal to have our plans look over.
We are also starting a sort of after school homework/help/tutor session twice a week to help students that are having a hard time with their work. There is no extra support here so it is up to the teachers to get their students to understand what is being taught. The classes are pretty big and the resources are limited so it is hard. Hopefully we can help in some way alleviate some of that stress by just being an extra set of eyes and hands to go around. We'll see how many of the students actually show up for the help. It's a good idea in theory!
So, that's that. Be in touch again soon.
April 18, 2013
Week 1
Yikes! What a week it has been.....
I think the only other time that I have experienced culture shock like I have this week is when I went on my first trip overseas to Thailand. For as much as I think that I've immersed myself in the culture when I travel, this experience is already on a whole other level. I have run the gamut of emotions but now I am feeling much better and like I am meant to be here.
We spent our first day in the school on Monday. It is interesting because it much different in the schools here but there are similarities as well. The first few days were really hard for me but by mid-week I got my groove back (a little) and started connecting with the students and the teachers. The kids are so sweet and kind and they appreciate a supportive teacher more than anything. I just observed the class and helped out the first couple of days and then I taught my first lesson on Wednesday. It was after this lesson that I was able to really shift and connect with the students. I feel that I am starting to create relationships with them and I already like them so much.
There is just so much to say about this experience so far that I don't even know where to begin. There are a lot of good things and then there are also many things that can be changed. I am working really hard on not passing judgement because you don't know about someone else until you walk a mile in their shoes. We have been in the school for 5 days so it would be a little premature to start making statements about what they are doing and so on. I do know that they've got a really great thing going and the students are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated teachers and Principal and Vice Principal.
Aside from our time in the school we haven't done much else. It is really hot here but the wind has been blowing constantly since we've been here and that helps to cool things down. It doesn't help much in the classroom but when we are cruising around town it definitely keeps sweat to a minimum. I have rented a bike for the time that we are here so I can cruise and easily take care of errands, which is nice. The house is still great and very convenient being so close to the school. The funny thing is that when we rented it we had no idea that it was as close to the school as it actually is. All of my VIU peers are doing well. Everyone is having a really great experience and is happy to be here in Belize. This week has been a trip but so amazing at the same time. As I write this I am already excited to go back to school tomorrow to see my students. They are just so cool.
I think the only other time that I have experienced culture shock like I have this week is when I went on my first trip overseas to Thailand. For as much as I think that I've immersed myself in the culture when I travel, this experience is already on a whole other level. I have run the gamut of emotions but now I am feeling much better and like I am meant to be here.
We spent our first day in the school on Monday. It is interesting because it much different in the schools here but there are similarities as well. The first few days were really hard for me but by mid-week I got my groove back (a little) and started connecting with the students and the teachers. The kids are so sweet and kind and they appreciate a supportive teacher more than anything. I just observed the class and helped out the first couple of days and then I taught my first lesson on Wednesday. It was after this lesson that I was able to really shift and connect with the students. I feel that I am starting to create relationships with them and I already like them so much.
There is just so much to say about this experience so far that I don't even know where to begin. There are a lot of good things and then there are also many things that can be changed. I am working really hard on not passing judgement because you don't know about someone else until you walk a mile in their shoes. We have been in the school for 5 days so it would be a little premature to start making statements about what they are doing and so on. I do know that they've got a really great thing going and the students are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated teachers and Principal and Vice Principal.
Aside from our time in the school we haven't done much else. It is really hot here but the wind has been blowing constantly since we've been here and that helps to cool things down. It doesn't help much in the classroom but when we are cruising around town it definitely keeps sweat to a minimum. I have rented a bike for the time that we are here so I can cruise and easily take care of errands, which is nice. The house is still great and very convenient being so close to the school. The funny thing is that when we rented it we had no idea that it was as close to the school as it actually is. All of my VIU peers are doing well. Everyone is having a really great experience and is happy to be here in Belize. This week has been a trip but so amazing at the same time. As I write this I am already excited to go back to school tomorrow to see my students. They are just so cool.
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