Today was my last day student teaching which means I just concluded my senior year of college. It is so crazy how that a little over a year ago I decided to start research on student teaching abroad. It was such a tiny thought in my mind then but now I can say it was a reality. I got to spend an entire semester in Costa Rica, teaching, traveling, and learning so much more than I ever thought was possible. I grew to love each and every single one of my 20 students and I had the privilege of working with a great first grade team. They all made me feel so welcome to their school and this country. I can't say for certain what my next steps in life will be but I know for sure travel will be in the books somewhere. Thanks to everyone that followed my journey here in Costa Rica, and here's to many (many) more!
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Alright friends and family, the countdown to my return has begun.
April 29 is the day I fly back to Atlanta. Which means I'm down to just 15 days in Costa Rica. Only 5 of those days will I be with my students. The other ten I will be finishing up in other places in CR. This semester has flown by. I have seen/done so much and I have grown as a person and adult. Within three months I have traveled to three different countries, met so many people, and reflected on my life. I have taken the past semester to really think about my future and the things I want to do in my life in the long hall of things. Teaching is still my passion and choice of a career (don't stress mom and dad) but teaching in the States just doesn't seem fitting at the moment. I'm contemplating my options of teaching at an International school or teaching English abroad. Both of these allow me to travel and immerse myself in the unknown. Which those are two things I want in my life. At least for now. We will see where the wind carries me off too in the next few months. I'm sure it will be an adventure no matter where I go. Well it took it's time getting to me but it's my turn to have the nasty stomach bug that is traveling around Lincoln School. On Monday I felt great but then around 9pm while I was taking my shower it was like a huge semi slammed into me. I ended up taking Tuesday and today off to sleep and get my body back to normal. This couldn't have been worst timing. My parents fly in tomorrow and edTPA (the huge semester assignment) is due tomorrow. Send good thoughts my way... I need them :(
Being sick like this makes me really miss home. I saw this today on Facebook and it really made me think.
"If your goals don't scare you, they're too easy." How perfect is this? Goals should be something that challenge you and a challenge should be a little scary...because it is something you've never done or tried. Don't reach for things that are easy to grasp, expand yourself and reach for the things you have to jump to get. As of now my goal for when I graduate is to teach abroad. This terrifies me in so many ways. I could end up in any country where they speak a different language, and I'm away from my friends and family. But at the same time this excites me. I have the chance to do what I want in life. Teach and learn about the world around me. I have the freedom to do this and I am so grateful for it. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. - Steve Jobs Pura Vida mi amors, Steph This week my first grade class went on a field trip to a Toucan Rescue Ranch. This place is owned by a Tico and his Wife (who is from Atlanta). They take in sloths (two and three toed), hawks, toucans, parrots, porcupines, otters, owls, monkeys, wilds cats, and other various animals. A lot of these animals had sad stories - hit by car/bus, shot, kids throwing rocks, people taking them from the wild, etc. FUN FACT: If you see a toucan with a blue beak then you know they are dehydrated. It is best to call an animal rescue place if it is found in the wild! Do not take them yourself! The property was beautiful, and the chicos had a lot of fun. The students raise money for the Toucan Rescue Ranch and the money goes towards helping the animals. They now have an area that they can train certain animals to survive in the wild again. This will allow them to release them back into the wild! This was such a beautiful place and I am so glad I got to go there to see all the amazing work they do for these animals. :) Check out the Toucan Rescue Ranch's website! They also have a Bed & Breakfast on the property. I have posted all of the photos I was able to get while there in the photos section, so don't forget to check those out as well. A huge challenge for me this past week was working on getting my students to be patient. This seems to be a hard concept for them. In the middle of a quick lesson I will have students standing up and walking over to me just to ask if they can go to the bathroom, get water, or just to tell me something that has happened to them recently. This is a huge distraction for the other students and for myself. So I am looking at new management strategies to implement in our classroom that will help this “madness.” The students also feel as though I am ignoring them when I don’t acknowledge them right away, or go to the student that is sitting quietly with their hand raised first. A lot of these students are used to having someone there at all times at home whether it be their parents, grandparents, or maids. They get what they want no matter how they act. This is a huge shock to them when it is not like this at school. I never ignore my students but I do go to the ones behaving appropriately. It is my way of showing the students that when they behave then they will be responded to in a timely manner. This will take time but isn't that what education is all about?! Something about Lincoln that I love - The teachers are encouraged to try new things in their classrooms. EVEN IF THEY FAIL. Woah, this does not happen back home. Education is always changing and if schools don't allow the teachers to try these new methods then how are we supposed to know what works and what doesn't? This school is so much more laid back compared to those in the states. And here is the crazy part...the students graduate - bilingual AND not to mention a lot of these students move onto prestigious colleges in the States. They do not worry or rush to "teach to the tests" here either. So the teachers are much more relaxed and willing to take their time on making sure the students truly know the content before pushing onto the next topic. On Wednesday, I struggled with extreme exhaustion. It really made me realize just how important sleep can be when you are a teacher. That night I went to bed at 8:30pm and woke up on Thursday feeling like a new person. I won’t be able to do that everyday but I will try to do so at least twice a week. Just so I can give the students my all, because it is what they deserve. This week Nicole and I went to the Library to check out children’s books in Spanish. We got them to read each night before bed to work on our Spanish. This week I have barely had anytime to start reading them but this weekend I plan on focusing in on at least two stories. Nicole and I keep trying new ways to learn Spanish and this is our newest tactic. The students here at Lincoln are teaching me so much more than I ever imagined. I am growing as a person and as a teacher. Even in this short amount of time here I have learned so much about myself as well.
This school is amazing! On Monday, I finally got to meet my students. There are 10 boys and 10 girls and they are all so sweet. Talkative....but sweet! Not only was it my first day, it was (kinda) my Mentor Teacher's (AnaMer) first day. She just had a baby in September and in Costa Rica women get 4 months of maternity leave. So AnaMer only had the students for two weeks before she was on maternity leave. Not only do the women get four months of ML they also are required to have breastfeeding times twice a day. So she doesn't come in until 8:30am every morning. Crazy! They really take care of the women here. With that said, the students are now trying to get used to two new teachers in the middle of the year. So we are basically starting at the beginning in the middle of the year. But the students are doing great so far. I can't wait to see what this semester brings! Overall, Lincoln is such a great school that is so welcoming! The campus is beautiful and I still don't think it has registered to me that I am in Costa Rica. Oh - I forgot to mention, one of the other teachers in first grade is actually from Marietta, GA as well. She went to Walton just down the street from my high school. She went to Arizonia for college and ended up student teaching at Lincoln as well. This is her 4 full year at Lincoln and her last. Small world. |
I am 22 years old. Teaching and traveling in Costa Rica.
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