Lots to share! Last night one of my student's mom wanted to take Carly and I out to dinner. She took us to La Guera, her favorite restaurant, and we ate under a cabana. I had chicken wings and french fries and let me just tell you, it hit the spot. I have definitely missed American food. We stayed there and talked and laughed for hours. It's amazing how easy it is to make friends here. I barely knew this young mom and she just up and talked to me and then invited us out to dinner.
Ms. Chavaria told me that she would not be at school today or tomorrow. The principal asked if I minded being by myself or if I would rather have a substitute with me. I felt up for a challenge, so I told her not to worry about getting a sub. So I went from teaching two subjects a day to teaching all of them. Today was definitely a challenge, but I absolutely loved it. I taught scripture this morning with a story about Peter, James, John and Jesus. My second graders are learning multiplication and they have just about mastered it with their ones, twos, threes, fives, and tens. It has been so rewarding to see them grow from seeing multiplication as repeated addition and using manipulatives such as the beans and egg cartons to being able to do it without manipulatives and more mentally. I discussed adjectives more in depth and the students got to take turns describing me and each other. I also taught a lesson in Social Studies on citizens' rights. I utilized cooperative learning and assigned each group a right. Their task was to depict their assigned right and present it too the class. As I mentioned before, the schools here do not have related arts teachers, instead the main teacher fills all of the positions. Today, I also got to be the art teacher and the students drew a picture of a place in the world that they would like to visit someday. Kids drew everything from China, to the U.S. to Disney World. Planning and implementing activities are somewhat difficult here without the resources that I am use to having, such as a school computer, printer, a vast array of books, workbooks, manipulatives, art supplies, etc. Therefore, I have to get a little creative when planning activities and lessons for the students.
Tonight, Carly and I are going out with some friends to get pizza and karaoke! This will probably be my last post for the next couple of days. Carly and I are leaving half a day tomorrow to go with students from Galen University to Dangriga for an overnight trip to learn how to make drums. I'm pretty excited for this trip, but a little intimidated because the students we are going with are drummers and have been taking classes. Carly and I are just going to wing it. I've also heard that there is a beach there! I'm ready to get my beach fix. I think a fun weekend at the fair in one of the villages and afternoons at the river are in store for the next couple of days. Until then, adios!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Since this is my second week at St. Andrews I have started to pick up and teach a couple of lessons a day. This week I started with Social Studies and taught a lesson on rules and their purpose. I was also in charge of the homework block. I am also in charge of a small group that I pull out during Language Arts time. This group is challenging in that these students are primarily Spanish speaking and are having trouble with the foundations of the English language. The teacher is allowing me to design my own instruction for these students. On Monday I began by review letters and sounds and had the students brainstorm words that began with those letters. Today I introduced a variety of blends. I read a book to the students and had them identify various blends within the text. I'm enjoying interacting with the students and am grateful for the opportunity to teach.
Monday, April 15, 2013
What a weekend! It has been non-stop fun since Friday evening after school. Carly and I scheduled a three in one tour for Rio Frio Cave, Caracol, and Rio On River. Our tour was an all day activity for Saturday. We left at seven and began our adventure in a Range Rover. We began the two hour drive to Carocol on the bumpiest road you could ever imagine. Only the main roads here in Belize are paved,the others are dirt, or worse. I was riding in the backseat and at one point we hit a pothole big enough to cause my sunglasses to fly off my head and me hit the roof of the car, and this was with the seat belt on. Three hours of this fun in all. It was just the two of us with our friendly tour guide Randy. He was great! Our first stop was the Rio Frio cave which stands for cold river. This cave was more like a tunnel because you could see right through to the other side. It had the most beautiful scenery and was massive! There are pictures in my album. Then we hopped back in the rover and headed another hour up to Pine Ridge and Caracol. The roller coaster ride continued. Belize is unique in that it has two main types of vegetation with abrupt changes in the various regions. For example, one minute we were driving through areas with hundreds of pine trees and the next minute we were driving through the rainforest. We finally reached Carocal, which is the largest Mayan ruin site. Words can not explain how awesome this experience was. You will just have to check out the pictures. Randy gave us a short history talk and explained each one of the structures, what time it was built and used, its purpose, etc. Then we climbed to the top of EVERY single one of the structures. I'm talking hundreds of stairs. It was so neat to check out their living quarters, the structures for the elite class, the tombs, and other artifacts. I probably took way to many pictures. Our tour included lunch and we got to eat under a cabana. Our day of fun continued when we got to the Rio On River pools. This was the perfect way to end our day and cool off. The place on the river that we went had waterfalls and pools of refreshing cool water. Carly and I explored a bit and climbed up the waterfalls and rocks. Randy then dropped us off at the town market, which is a big hit on Saturdays and we got a chance to see all of the fruits and products that the locals sell. Every fruit under the sun is available here, which makes me a very happy camper. Pineapple has become a part of my everyday diet. You just can't beat it for 50 cents. We made it back to our home, showered and change and then grabbed some nachos on the town square. What a day!
Sunday was just as eventful. We met some locals, Mason and Alex, on Saturday night and invited them to go to Xunantunich, which is another Mayan ruin site. We met up at 9 o'clock sharp and caught the bus, an experience in itself. The bus only cost $1.50 in Belizian money which is like 75 cents with our currency. Then we had to catch a ferry across the river and the nice driver let me crank the ferry across. It was so cool. We met some American girls from Kentucky and California that work with Teach for America. They were visiting because one of their friends was getting married here at a resort. So, we hung out with them and our local friends. We climbed to the very top of the tallest structure at Xunantunich and we could see the Guatemalan border. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty intense being up that high and we posed for a picture with our feet dangling. By this time we were sweating as we had climbed so so many stairs and we had walked over 2 miles to and from the site. Our friends invited us to go to the river and cool off. So we got some lunch to go and headed for the river. We enjoyed our lunch on the bank and swam at Sandy Bay, also known as the Mical River. After cooling off in the river, the boys dared us to jump off the 30 foot cliff. Since I can't turn down a dare, I was game. The boys decided that we would make our own path to the cliff. Let's just say that Carly and I got a big dose of nature on Sunday. We climbed under logs, up trees, up and over rocks, all while on the side of a cliff. When we finally made it to the jump, Mason went first. I was next. Alex had to help me get to the jump spot because at one point you had to swing out over the river in a tree to get to the other side of the rock to jump where it was safe. I have never been so scared. Once I was up there, I was convinced that it was way more than 30ft, but I put on my big girl pants, held my breath and jumped. It was probably one of the coolest things that I've ever done. Apparently the cliff has different spots where you can jump, with 30ft being the shortest and l20ft the highest point. I have to do the 120ft jump before I leave, but I've got three weeks to prepare myself. After our fun at the river, the boys invited us to go watch them play community basketball and hang out at the park. It was a perfect way to end a Sunday. Sundays are family days here. All of the shops and businesses in town close on Sundays and the Belizians really respect Sunday as the day of rest. Hundreds of people were out enjoying the river and just spending time with their families. I hope every weekend is this fun!
Sunday was just as eventful. We met some locals, Mason and Alex, on Saturday night and invited them to go to Xunantunich, which is another Mayan ruin site. We met up at 9 o'clock sharp and caught the bus, an experience in itself. The bus only cost $1.50 in Belizian money which is like 75 cents with our currency. Then we had to catch a ferry across the river and the nice driver let me crank the ferry across. It was so cool. We met some American girls from Kentucky and California that work with Teach for America. They were visiting because one of their friends was getting married here at a resort. So, we hung out with them and our local friends. We climbed to the very top of the tallest structure at Xunantunich and we could see the Guatemalan border. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty intense being up that high and we posed for a picture with our feet dangling. By this time we were sweating as we had climbed so so many stairs and we had walked over 2 miles to and from the site. Our friends invited us to go to the river and cool off. So we got some lunch to go and headed for the river. We enjoyed our lunch on the bank and swam at Sandy Bay, also known as the Mical River. After cooling off in the river, the boys dared us to jump off the 30 foot cliff. Since I can't turn down a dare, I was game. The boys decided that we would make our own path to the cliff. Let's just say that Carly and I got a big dose of nature on Sunday. We climbed under logs, up trees, up and over rocks, all while on the side of a cliff. When we finally made it to the jump, Mason went first. I was next. Alex had to help me get to the jump spot because at one point you had to swing out over the river in a tree to get to the other side of the rock to jump where it was safe. I have never been so scared. Once I was up there, I was convinced that it was way more than 30ft, but I put on my big girl pants, held my breath and jumped. It was probably one of the coolest things that I've ever done. Apparently the cliff has different spots where you can jump, with 30ft being the shortest and l20ft the highest point. I have to do the 120ft jump before I leave, but I've got three weeks to prepare myself. After our fun at the river, the boys invited us to go watch them play community basketball and hang out at the park. It was a perfect way to end a Sunday. Sundays are family days here. All of the shops and businesses in town close on Sundays and the Belizians really respect Sunday as the day of rest. Hundreds of people were out enjoying the river and just spending time with their families. I hope every weekend is this fun!
Friday, April 12, 2013
I feel like I am finally adjusting to the routine and schedule of the school as well as the workday. Today is Friday and I wrapped up my first week at St. Andrews. I learn something new every day and am growing to love my students and their parents more each day. I actually feel like a part of the school here. My teacher, Ms. Chavari and I get along so well and we have a lot in common. The schedule here for the school is different. Mondays through Thursdays Infant classes I and II attend school from 8:30 to 2:20and on Fridays these classes dismiss at lunch time. However, the teachers have to stay until 3:40 everyday. This week Carly and I have been staying until 5:00 or later.
In the U.S. typically teachers have a planning period at some point throughout each day. This is normally during the students' specials time. Here at St. Andrews there are no related arts classes, these elements are incorporated in the classroom with the teacher. As a result, the teachers do not get a daily planning period. The Infant II teachers utilize the time that they have on Thursdays from 2:20 to 3:40 and Fridays from 12:45 to 3:40 to do the planning for the next week. Each week the teachers are required to turn in a weekly summary lesson plan that outlines what they will do for each subject each day. These lessons must be aligned with the national standards, contain the content addressed, strategy utilized, and the method for assessment. This is similar to what is required in the U.S. at many schools.
One thing that is very different from schools in the U.S. is the lack of technology. None of the classrooms at the school have any form of technology. No computers, iPads, iPods, CD players, radios, etc. There are also no whiteboards, just chalk boards. Sometimes the students have to draw their own lines on their paper for writing. St. Andrews is considered one of the more prestigious schools, so I would love to visit another school that represents the other end of the spectrum. I found out that my teacher just learned how to use a computer this year. She took a course at the University of Belize, as she is currently taking courses to become a licensed teacher. She is working under a provisional license as of now and has 26 years of experience. She is extremely interested in how certification and education works in the U.S. and I am happy to answer her questions. She actually just completed her internship, which would be equivalent to our student teaching and graduates in June. We have bonded over this commonality since I will graduate in May.
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how religion is incorporated into the curriculum. Every Thursday all of the classes attend a church service at the local Anglican church down the road from the school. The students sing songs, participate in giving offering, pray, and hear a sermon from the pastor. This was a very neat experience.
I also mentioned before that the school dismisses for an hour for lunch every day. During this time, many parents come in to pick up their children, take them to lunch, and then bring them back. Other students eat at the Cafe, which reminds me of a summer camp canteen or concession stand. They can try all kinds of goodies. I tried what is called an "idele." It is a type of slushie/water popsicle, but about a million times better. Nothing is better than an idele in this 103 degree heat.
I am very impressed with the amount of parent involvement here at St. Andrews. I see almost all of the parents on a daily basis. One of my student's parents brought me a huge piece of chocolate cake, one day just because. Another student brings me a fresh banana each morning. I talked with my teacher about this today because I thought it was so sweet and she said that it is simply the culture here. She said that she gets something from at least one student each day. It is the way that the parents and the students show how much the love and appreciate their teacher. The students must love Ms. Chavari because we got cake, donuts, bananas, and croissants this week. I think that I could really get used to this. So much for trying to watch my weight while I am here.
I had the opportunity to participate in parent teacher conferences and the issuing of report cards today. This was so neat as I was able to talk one on one with each parent about his or her child. I it amazing what one can pick up on in just a week. I can already identify many of the students strengths and some of their weaknesses as well as their interests and quirks. One of the conferences was completely conducted in Spanish. Many of the children and parents here can speak three languages, English, Creole, and Spanish and my teacher can communicate with all of them. I would love to be multilingual or even bilingual for that matter.
One of my student's mom really likes to talk and stays after to talk with me just about every day. We exchanged contact information and she has offered to plan some fun weekend adventure for Carly and I. Her and her husband own a couple of businesses in town and he is also the futbol supervisor for Belize. Another one of my student's mom owns a restaurant and has invited Carly and I to come for a free breakfast one day. Did I mention that I love the people here? Everyone is so welcoming and willing to help!
Carly and I have booked our first adventure for the weekend. We will be going to Pine Ridge where we will see the 1,000 foot waterfall, explore a cave, and hike through the jungle. We will also be visiting Caracol, which is a well known Maya ruin site.
We plan to go downtown tonight, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the cool night weather. We have made it a point to try a new restaurant every night.
At first I was very out of my element in regards to the school, their discipline system, and curriculum, but now I am learning to appreciate what it has to offer and how it is effective in its own way.
I am so glad that it is Friday night and I can't wait for the adventures that await us tomorrow!
In the U.S. typically teachers have a planning period at some point throughout each day. This is normally during the students' specials time. Here at St. Andrews there are no related arts classes, these elements are incorporated in the classroom with the teacher. As a result, the teachers do not get a daily planning period. The Infant II teachers utilize the time that they have on Thursdays from 2:20 to 3:40 and Fridays from 12:45 to 3:40 to do the planning for the next week. Each week the teachers are required to turn in a weekly summary lesson plan that outlines what they will do for each subject each day. These lessons must be aligned with the national standards, contain the content addressed, strategy utilized, and the method for assessment. This is similar to what is required in the U.S. at many schools.
One thing that is very different from schools in the U.S. is the lack of technology. None of the classrooms at the school have any form of technology. No computers, iPads, iPods, CD players, radios, etc. There are also no whiteboards, just chalk boards. Sometimes the students have to draw their own lines on their paper for writing. St. Andrews is considered one of the more prestigious schools, so I would love to visit another school that represents the other end of the spectrum. I found out that my teacher just learned how to use a computer this year. She took a course at the University of Belize, as she is currently taking courses to become a licensed teacher. She is working under a provisional license as of now and has 26 years of experience. She is extremely interested in how certification and education works in the U.S. and I am happy to answer her questions. She actually just completed her internship, which would be equivalent to our student teaching and graduates in June. We have bonded over this commonality since I will graduate in May.
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how religion is incorporated into the curriculum. Every Thursday all of the classes attend a church service at the local Anglican church down the road from the school. The students sing songs, participate in giving offering, pray, and hear a sermon from the pastor. This was a very neat experience.
I also mentioned before that the school dismisses for an hour for lunch every day. During this time, many parents come in to pick up their children, take them to lunch, and then bring them back. Other students eat at the Cafe, which reminds me of a summer camp canteen or concession stand. They can try all kinds of goodies. I tried what is called an "idele." It is a type of slushie/water popsicle, but about a million times better. Nothing is better than an idele in this 103 degree heat.
I am very impressed with the amount of parent involvement here at St. Andrews. I see almost all of the parents on a daily basis. One of my student's parents brought me a huge piece of chocolate cake, one day just because. Another student brings me a fresh banana each morning. I talked with my teacher about this today because I thought it was so sweet and she said that it is simply the culture here. She said that she gets something from at least one student each day. It is the way that the parents and the students show how much the love and appreciate their teacher. The students must love Ms. Chavari because we got cake, donuts, bananas, and croissants this week. I think that I could really get used to this. So much for trying to watch my weight while I am here.
I had the opportunity to participate in parent teacher conferences and the issuing of report cards today. This was so neat as I was able to talk one on one with each parent about his or her child. I it amazing what one can pick up on in just a week. I can already identify many of the students strengths and some of their weaknesses as well as their interests and quirks. One of the conferences was completely conducted in Spanish. Many of the children and parents here can speak three languages, English, Creole, and Spanish and my teacher can communicate with all of them. I would love to be multilingual or even bilingual for that matter.
One of my student's mom really likes to talk and stays after to talk with me just about every day. We exchanged contact information and she has offered to plan some fun weekend adventure for Carly and I. Her and her husband own a couple of businesses in town and he is also the futbol supervisor for Belize. Another one of my student's mom owns a restaurant and has invited Carly and I to come for a free breakfast one day. Did I mention that I love the people here? Everyone is so welcoming and willing to help!
Carly and I have booked our first adventure for the weekend. We will be going to Pine Ridge where we will see the 1,000 foot waterfall, explore a cave, and hike through the jungle. We will also be visiting Caracol, which is a well known Maya ruin site.
We plan to go downtown tonight, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the cool night weather. We have made it a point to try a new restaurant every night.
At first I was very out of my element in regards to the school, their discipline system, and curriculum, but now I am learning to appreciate what it has to offer and how it is effective in its own way.
I am so glad that it is Friday night and I can't wait for the adventures that await us tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
I'll try to keep my posts shorter, but it is just so hard when I want to share everything! Today was my first day at St. Andrews. The typical school day at St. Andrews could not be more different from a school day in the U.S. We started out with a faculty meeting where the teachers prayed and sang church hymns together as well as a devotion with scripture. St. Andrews is an Anglican school. All of the schools here are formed based on religious denominations. There are Catholic, Anglican, Nazarene, and Baptist schools here. There is no air conditioning in the classrooms, or anywhere in the school for that matter. With it getting up to 100 degrees today, you can imagine how hot it was. I am currently still adjusting. The students started out with a twenty minute time block in which the teacher taught a bible lesson. Then we spent an hour on math skills. My students are currently learning the relationship between repeated addition and multiplication. The students used beans and egg cartons as manipulatives to help them visualize the problems. Recess was from 10:00 to 10:15. Then we had an hour of language arts instruction where new vocabulary was introduced and the students practiced their writing. St. Andrews has very high expectations for students' work and requires a high degree of neatness. Unlike the United States, the schools have very limited access to worksheets, if any. The students complete most of their work on notebook paper in small books. After language arts, we dismissed for lunch. Carly and I came home and Ms. Harrison made delicious chicken burritos and mango juice. We assembled back at school and began social studies, where the students learned about transportation by air, water, and land. Then we moved on to Spanish instruction and then finally homework time. St. Andrews strives to give its students the opportunity to be bilingual. Each day the afternoon schedule changes and students receive instruction in various areas. Each time the students meet or dismiss they pray. Religion is a key component of the curriculum here, which is very different from public schools in the U.S.
Tonight Carly and I went downtown to grab a bite to eat and did some souvenir shopping. Today was a very long, but great day. I'm looking forward to relaxing and calling it a night. Pictures will be coming soon!
Tonight Carly and I went downtown to grab a bite to eat and did some souvenir shopping. Today was a very long, but great day. I'm looking forward to relaxing and calling it a night. Pictures will be coming soon!
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