My Trip Has Been Made

I have enjoyed everyday here in San Pedro. Each day has brought new challenges and experiences both in the school and in life here in Belize. Yesterday made my trip and I as I leave to go inland I have a sense of completion and success within me.
Yesterday began as usual. I got up, took a shower, and got ready for school. We left to begin our daily walk to school around 7:30 in the morning. We stopped by latitudes to get the morning usual. Wheat toast with butter and a pineapple pleasure smoothie from non other than the famous Latitudes. As I waited for the smoothie and toast to be made I confirmed our dinner reservations there for that evening. Being a daily customer I have gotten to know the employees at Latitudes very well. I would say we are on a first name basis but who isn't on this island? I organized a group dinner for the interns and grad students at Latitudes. For those students who work at Isla Bonita and the High School it is has been more difficult for them to enjoy the great food and hospitality at Latitudes due to schedules and locations on the island. I on the other hand have had the pleasure to stop by Latitudes sometimes more than once a day. After meeting the owner a couple times I asked him if he would be willing to stay open for dinner so that our group could come eat and enjoy a group meal together. P.J. the owner at the time graciously agreed and was so excited that we were all coming for dinner. I think this excitement came from the extra business we were bringing in to Latitudes as well as the fact that he was in the process of selling Latitudes to a couple in the states and this group event would be an extra selling point perhaps. Sure enough this past Monday morning I went in to give them the orders for the specific wraps and smoothies so that they could plan accordingly and get enough fresh tortillas for the event and found out that P.J. was no long the owner. That passed weekend he has sold Latitudes and is hoping to open future restaurants/businesses here on the island. Our group dinner was still on and everything was all set to go.
I headed to R.C. after leaving Latitudes in the morning and had a wonderful second to last day with my students. My teacher had them write letters and make cards for me which was a nice surprise. As we talked to them about today being their last day before break as well as my last day in the schools with them they all began to get sad. They emerged from their chairs like zombies calling me "mommy" as they moved closer and closer until I was swallowed up in the hugs and love that poured from them. This was one of those moments you live for as a teacher. Not just when kids hug you or say they will miss you but when all your students, even those that took you weeks or months to reach feel just as home if not more at home with you than they do at their own house. Those moments when you can tell they know you care. You look into their eyes when you are talking and just that undivided attention and connection makes their whole world brighter and you can see their whole face light up. This was one of those moments and my eyes filled with tears. Immediately my little munchkins saw the tears in my eyes and asked if I was sad and I told them they were happy and sad tears. This took some explaining how you could be happy and sad at the same time.
After school I walked back down the beach and back to Pedro's Inn. I dropped some of my things off and changed out of my school clothes before heading back down the beach to Latitudes. The dinner was not until 6:00 pm after our meeting but I had "class" at 5:30 to attend. Stay tuned for more about class. I got the dinner organized for the group and the date set and then had a once in a life time opportunity come up. I got to Latitudes and decided to try something new and ordered french toast. I was never a cinnamon fan back home and definitely did not like any type of food related to cinnamon. Put a little on the apple pie and besides that hold the cinnamon for me. Not the case here in Belize. Give me banana cinnamon waffles, cinnamon rolls from Pandulce Bakery and now I could add Latitudes french toast to my list! I got the french toast to go in order to get back to Pedro's in time and they packaged it up in a to go container along with some delicious syrup. Again not a fan of syrup in the states but boy is it delicious here!

... To be continued (lunch break is only so long). Stay tuned for the part that made my trip!

Small Groups & Short Stories

The other day in language arts we re-read the story we read the day prior that we had been discussing. In language arts this week my students are studying the message of a story and what lessons can be learned from text. These pictures were taken as my students worked on their story additions. The task was to write text that continued the story we read and changed the message of the story. An illustration to go with the picture was also part of their assignment. These students love to express themselves through the use of art and drawing so I find myself adding a visual art component to my lessons whether it is drawing a picture of a story, a picture of their environment for science, or decimals through pictures of dominoes in math. I have learned just how much fun dominoes can be in math and the many many uses they have. Tomorrow they will explore decimals through a different medium when we make our own individual abacuses.

Painting at Isla Bonita

This past Saturday I attended a fundraiser at Isla Bonita Elementary. The barbecue fundraiser was to help raise money for a family in need. Also on Saturday at Isla was a mural painting activity that I participated in. There is a cinder block wall that surrounds the school grounds and it has always been a faded yellow. The art director at this school, Natalie, organized an activity to paint the wall. The interns and the students painted a multicolored paisley/swirl design to encompass the school's personality and culturally unique population. Isla Bonita is one of the private elementary schools on the island. Class sizes range from 8-15 kids per class and there is one class per grade/standard. This picture was taken as we worked on painting the wall. Working side by side children of this school and my peers was a enjoyable way to spend part of my last Saturday on the island of San Pedro.

Meet The Dog Whisperer

TLC should come to San Pedro, Belize and start an island series of their show Dog Whisperer. This young man walks anywhere from 8-12 dogs at one time. Most of the dogs on the island have homes but wander the streets during the day and night begging for food as though they are homeless. Even though many of the dogs have homes unfortunately there is also a large quantity of dogs that do not. This man walks various dogs up and down the beach. North end to South end and they call him the "dog whisperer" because as you might expect he has a way with dogs. They do not fight when he is walking them. They walk on either side of him and stay in their place. If he stops they stop. The do not bark or growl at other dogs. It is very fascinating to watch him and his unique skill.

Babee pausing for a picture!

Beach Bums

Last Friday afternoon my teacher decided that she wanted to take the students to the beach for their creative arts lesson. The students were instructed to bring their shovels and buckets after lunch. The students lined up after lunch and we took them to the beach to play in the sand. Some took this opportunity more seriously than others. Many students were very into making sand castles and constructing masterpieces and others tried climbing the palm trees to get coconuts the minute you turned your back. It very interesting to me to see the level of excitement these children have for the water and the beach. You might think that this is a regular thing for them. Although you do see many of your students playing in the water (full clothed usually) most students do not have the luxury to enjoy their beautiful country in every aspect very often. When I talk to my students on Monday mornings about their weekends and what activities they did etc. most of them respond with stories about cleaning and helping their mom or dad (madre y padre). Even though it was a simple thing to just go to the beach and play in the sand, these students were overjoyed and were almost in tears they were so excited. It warmed my heart to be a part of this experience with the children and this very positive moment in their day.

Resume Update

A couple days have gone by and it is time to update my resume as it is rapidly growing. The longer I stay in Belize the more occupations I experience. This time it is an Infant I teacher. The other day the principal of R.C. came asked me to sub for an Infant I teacher whose Aunt passed away. The way the grades work here there is preschool (for those who attend) and then Infant I so this is a combination of our Kindergarten and First Grade. I had the pleasure of teaching 37 Infant I students. The age range was 4-6 years old. At first I was a little nervous to sub for this age group simply because for those students who come to elementary school with no prior school experience regular behaviors that would be expected of a student in school are foreign to these kids. This can be anything from sitting in a desk, not talking when a teacher is talking, to completing their work and keeping their hands to themselves. I had a great experience though and thoroughly enjoyed teaching these little munchkins. Luckily the class I was subbing in was so excited to have a new "teacher" and "miss teacher" as you are called here that they were very eager to please and complete their work. These are some pictures of the little ones hard at work practicing their letters, studying community workers, and practicing reading!

A Furry Little Friend

On our way to the health fair we passed one of the many jewelry stands along the beach. This furry little friend was tied to the stand. I guess raccoons and dogs aren't the only household pets in Belize.

These are some pictures of my students concentrating hard on the information they are being told. The students learned about diabetes, kidney function and disease, as well as keeping animals healthy and HIV.

Health Fair Here We Come

I was in the grocery one night last week and caught part of a conversation about a health fair in town. The clerk behind the counter knows us now as we are frequent visitors and news of the teachers being in town has spread to both ends of the island by now. I asked the gentlemen some questions about the health fair and that I was teaching standard I and would the fair be appropriate for that age. He was surprised the school did not know about the health fair. When I reached school in the morning I told Ms. Rubio about the fair and she too had heard about it. We decided to take two of the classes in Standard I to the fair in the afternoon. This is a picture of the group of girls that was in charge off at the fair. Nothing like walking on the beach to an afternoon fair in San Pedro!

Salsa Salsa

After you have been on one island for over month you begin to find routines and favorite places to eat. You wake up some mornings thinking about what you know you want to eat that day. For me it has been a smoothie from Latitudes or the calypso shrimp from Wild Mangos. Shrimp Nachos and a fresh caesar salad are also favorites of mine from Hurricanes. Last week when we were trying to decide what we were going to eat for dinner we found we were in the mood for something quick and and casual but none of our usual meals fit the mood we were in. We went wondering down to our favorite grocery store on the island La Isla Grocery and found some yummy homemade tortilla chips and this sparked an idea. What if we made our own salsa. I brought a plate and cup as well as utensils and there was a vegetable stand up the street that sold a fresh tomato based salsa. We went to the stand and purchased a small tub of salsa and then went back to the grocery store where we had purchased our chips and got a can of black beans and a can of corn. Oh boy did we hit a jackpot. With the fresh tomatoes and cilantro from the stand and then our American twist with corn and black beans this has become a favorite meal of ours. This is a picture from our salsa picnic the other night on my beach towel on the floor of my room. We plan to try to make the tomato salsa from the stand back home and have studied the ingredients as well as watched the lady make it carefully. Although it will never be the same as it is here we are up for the challenge and look forward to the result back in the states.

Meat Pies Anyone?

At R.C. there are many fundraisers to help raise money for supplies and to help keep up the grounds of the school. One of the fundraisers is to sell food during breaks. Boxes of food are delivered to the school and teachers are required to sell the goods for a designated price deemed by the principal. One of the local favorites is meat pies. These are a hot ticket item at break. They look like a mini pot pie and have a meat filling inside. This filling consists of ground beef and a dark sauce. I have heard that some meat pies can be spicy although the ones sold at R.C. are not. I have enjoyed a couple meat pies while I have been here and have helped my teacher sell them as well. Each meat pie is sold for a dollar and a shilling, which is $1.25 Belize or $.75 American. This picture is what a box of meat pies looks like. The teachers are required to sell all the meat pies in their box before the break is over. The break lasts 15 minutes and there are three layers of meat pies in one box.

Who I Am Now

I knew when I applied for this internship abroad that if accepted I would change as a teacher and individual as a result of my experience but you really can not anticipate just how much, or in what ways, you will change until you go through this experience. I have been teaching in the schools for three weeks now and I stand with my eyes wide open. My eyes are wide open now to a different education system, the roles of my students here in Belize and the differences between my student's roles back home and here in San Pedro. I would say that through my years in the Watson program I have been fortunate enough to have unique experiences, fantastic professors, and a detailed education in the sense that I feel prepared for my future in education. I knew without a doubt that before I arrived in Belize I was as prepared as I could be to teach abroad. This experience that Watson offers has only bettered my educational experience and has even further prepared me for a diverse classroom in the 21st century. While I have been teaching in San Pedro I have learned that there are many different meanings to behavior management. Teaching in the schools here has allowed me to experience a classroom that lacked a defined behavior management system. Students interrupt the teachers when they are talking. Students have become accustomed to walking around the classroom and not completing a task when asked the first time. Students know how to interact in an aggressive and physical way with one another before they know how to carry on a conversation and interact in partners or groups. From day 1 I have learned that although I started this experience feeling very confident in my behavior management skills, I have continued to grow in that aspect here in San Pedro, Belize. The belief that I came into this experience with, that no matter how many degrees I have, observation hours I have acquired, number of classes I have taken, or challenging classroom experiences I have endured in my internship, the beauty of education is that learning continues, has only become more true as each day passes. I have learned that the world beyond education is the states is much grander and more complex than I could have ever imagined without having this experience. Going through this experience has also allowed me to learn patience. I have learned patience in the sense that the students can be exerting all energy bottled up all weekend first thing Monday morning, and I have the patience and strength to not let my heart beat even one second faster. I have learned how to teach them to read me as their teacher. They are learning and have come a long way in knowing that I will wait until they are ready. They have learned that what I have to say not only is important but also matters to them. A lot of my students come to school not only because they "have to" but also for a positive experience in their life. These students come to school to be loved and cared for. My lessons are not about what I know will go smoothly the first time, or what is comfortable and easy to me. My lessons in Belize are about providing experiences for my students that they would otherwise not experience. Teaching lessons that include group work and differentiated small groups has given them an experience that will help them not only in classrooms to come but also in their life. At the same time I have been fortunate enough to learn from these lessons as well. Patience is something that I have undoubtedly learned while I have been here. A skill that I did not think I was ever going to fully acquire was the ability to care for my students, try my absolute best everyday, have all my students best interest at heart, and not take every experience in the classroom personally. I know there will be experiences in the future that make me upset and frustrate me, but I have grown in the sense that I have been able to go through this experience with the mindset that whatever I can do for my students is one step beyond what they would have had. Every positive experience I can share with my students is one more experience in their life that was not negative. I am not superwoman and unfortunately life is real and is not perfect for better and for worse. I am so proud of the fact that I have learned to do everything I can and know that it is leaving a positive impression on my students even if I can't mend the broken relationship among their parents or stop their family from being tight on money. This skill is something that I anticipate taking me far in my career. The ability to have a positive outlook even when all that you see and hear is negative is something that will rub off on my students in various ways and I am more than excited for this. No matter the extent to which I try to elaborate more on this thought, it still would not even begin to touch on the meaning, so I will finish with this: in every aspect possible I have learned how to be thankful even more so than I was when I began this journey.

Teaching Pictures

Sunday Snorkeling

I am smiling just thinking about our snorkeling trip on Sunday. After our second week in the schools and an eventful Friday and Saturday evening filled with many volunteer hours at the various schools, our snorkeling trip was much needed. We met at the Belize Yacht Club at 8:00 am and boarded our first boat and drove over to Serious Adventures, a water sport/activity company on the water across from R.C. and there we met our crew for the day. Wayne, Willy and Ernest were the men that were on the 40 foot catamaran boat that we took to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. They were extremely nice and had snacks for us on the boat that includes fresh pineapple, fresh watermelon, homemade coconut cakes, and chips and salsa that included black beans and corn. The snacks were almost as amazing as the snorkeling and very much appreciated by all of us. While at both snorkeling stops the crew helped up get on our gear, and properly jump off the boat into the water. We had guided tours that enabled us to see the prime spots at these locations. I saw sea turtles, sharks, LARGE sting rays, baracudas feeding, along with many tropical fish and colorful coral and anemones. I took pictures with my underwater camera and am looking forward to getting them developed when I return to the states! After snorkeling we sailed to Caye Caulker and ate lunch on the island, walked around exploring the town, and sailed back. On our way back we took a detour and we are able to see dolphins that swam with our boat and were feet from us! This was the icing to the cake! By far an amazing day!!!

Me And Starfish

Wayne, one of the crew members from our snorkeling trip, brought a starfish into the Rainbow Bar and Grille where we had lunch on Caye Caulker. We passed him around quickly taking pictures before releasing him back into the water. This added to the great experience and sensational food we had at lunch.

Welcome to Caye Caulker

I went into this art gallery when we took our day trip excursion to Caye Caulker. I found some beautiful pieces and was able to meet the artist herself. She works in her gallery right in front of you while you shop and also paints the frames that her larger works are displayed in. This was a very cool shop and I picked up a small piece of a school bus and children that she did and am saving it for my future classroom. I plan to hang it by my desk as a reminder of my journey and experiences here in Belize!

Futbol

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend my schools futbol tournament. All the grades have at least two teams. The teams have been competing against one another for the past two weeks now and will continue to play for the championship title through the end of next week. One of my students is quite a talented futbol player and this is a shot I took from where I was selling concessions to help raise money for the school. His name is Gavin and is a stellar student, individual, and as I saw this weekend, futbol player. I look forward to my student's game this weekend as well as the UNCW interns at R.C. vs the parents game that will take place on Saturday. Stay tuned for an update on our progress this week as we practice after school and prepare for the big game!

Choosy Moms Can't Be Choosy in San Pedro

As to be expected in a foreign country prices on American brands can increase due to the cost to export them into the country. I have always been a fan of Jiff peanut butter but have decided that "when in Belize" (a common phrase used by the cohort here) choosy moms can't be so choosy in San Pedro. This is some pretty pricey peanut butter. Thanks to the grocery store down the street an off brand Creamosa peanut butter tastes great and does the trick!

Mrs. Rubio

Throughout this experience I have expanded my horizons in many ways. I anticipated that I would change as a teacher, individual, and student through this experience but was unable to predict just how much this experience would effect me. To say that the experience in the schools has been a learning experience filled with new situations, new challenges, and even a new form of communication is putting it lightly. My placement at San Pedro Roman Catholic school has been an exhilarating one so far. My partnership teacher's name is Mrs. Alva Rubio and she is an extraordinary teacher. I have learned so many things from here that go beyond the classroom. As a mother and role model to many other teachers I feel extremely fortunate to be placed with such a smart, and talented woman for this experience. As far as teaching strategies go I have learned truly how to modify lessons for a whole class and circumstance. I had experience in the states with making modifications for certain groups of students, those students with IEP's and special needs students. Here in San Pedro I have learned how to modify my teaching in both a new environment with limited resources as well as for a whole class. Although independent work is common in the teaching practices I have seen, Mrs. Rubio does a fabulous job with varying her lessons, relating the lessons to the children's home life experiences and making sure all students are involved. This is a difficult challenge seeing as the age range in our classroom is 7-12 years and academic levels from not being able to read and write a complete sentence, to writing sentences fluently with correct punctuation and spelling use for the most part. This is something I have learned from Mrs. Rubio. My time with Mrs. Rubio has taught me things about this city and country that you do not get from tour or magazine, includes discussions about life, faith, and where you come from in relationship to who are, as well as many new experiences ranging from eating meat pies to discussing her experiences through life with family, and education, both her own, her childrens' and her students'. This experience in Belize has been a richer one because of Mrs. Rubio and I am thankful everyday for all that I learn from her. Without her kindness, generosity, and love for teaching that you feel through her conversations with her students I would not have been able to grow as much as I have both as a teacher and individual.

Marco Gonzales

On Saturday we rode our bikes five miles to the South end of the island to an archaeological dig site. In the 1970’s Mayan ruins were discovered there and ever since then groups of archaeologists have been working to uncover the remains that lay beneath the soil’s surface. UNCW students came last summer to help work on this process and although forty years have passed, the puzzle has only just begun to be solved. Jan, our tour guide, took us to a couple different sites that make up the Marco Gonzales Ruins. The site is named after the archaeologist that lead the first group to the area that discovered the first remains. Already six human skeletons have been discovered as well as thousands of pottery shards, stone stair steps leading to higher areas of elevation where more remains have been found, as well as what they believe to be a small village or town. There are designated housing structures as well as looters pits. Obsidian pieces lay among the hundreds of thousands of conk shells that surround the site. The significance of this site not only lies in the years of history, some remains dating back as far as 700 A.D. but also in the beginning steps of this process. In my experience traveling to other countries and visiting National Geographic exhibits back home in Washington, D.C. I have always experienced the big picture of the remains of mummies or Roman architecture. Although they are breath taking, and great learning experiences, I have rarely been part of the process of these exhibits or historically significant sites. I have been the visitor reading the literature and pamphlets on how the site was discovered, when it was discovered, who made it, who the skeleton belongs to, and studying these places and marks in history in school. This is the first time I have had a chance to go visit a ruins site that is still in the making. Pieces and remains are still being discovered today and very few people have had the chance to visit this new site. It is this aspect of the trip to the Marco Gonzales that was truly fascinating to me.