Teaching Days

Yesterday, I had a horrible, awful day.  It was not really the whole day, mainly just the last hour of the day.  I was teaching a math game (multiplication baseball), and it was a whole class activity.  I knew that the students would get excited about the game, and they were already a lot more chatty than any class I have dealt with.  Therefore, I had no idea what to expect, and I should have been prepared for it to get out of hand.  The class was all screaming and laughing, and even I couldn't get the game straight because of the noise and chaos.  I did a few things to try to adjust the noise level and the way that things had gotten out of hand, but it was very difficult.  I should have pulled two girls out and given them refocus forms (a disciplinary act that my teacher does in her classroom), but I didn't remember that as an option (I haven’t had to take this measure before with this class).  Thankfully, she stepped in and did this.  In the chaos of the moment, I was trying to figure out how to make the game work and was letting a lot of classroom management techniques fly out the window.  After school, I was very upset and just felt so overwhelmed and like a horrible teacher.  I had NO hard feelings against my class, but I just knew that I had done it all wrong.  (Thankfully my teacher was VERY understanding and supportive.)  I honestly fought back tears in talking the situation out with my teacher, but she made some very good points and gave me good advice with how I could've handled the situation better.

Today, I came into the classroom with a whole new attitude.  I was well prepared.  I knew that I needed to have all of the structure ready before I started my lesson.  The less transition time there was, the better focused and behaved the class would be.  I worked specifically on showing my personality and excitement in my teaching and on maintaining classroom control.  This took saying a few different things that I have not yet tried like, “All eyes on me!” or “Give me five!”  Even some of these little rhymes that I have begun trying out worked very well.  I had the class’s attention, and I felt that students understood the lesson well.  I felt so relieved to have the day go so smoothly and to have maintained classroom control.  I am very aware that this is a work in progress, but I am very happy with the things that I am learning.  I am very confident that at the end of this placement I will truly be a much better teacher.

Community Service

On Saturday I had the privilege of doing some community service with Wendy, another student teacher, and some of the girls in the high school.  These girls are in charge of a group that organizes opportunities for community service that students at school can take part in!  They mainly work with a woman named Gale who is stationed in La Carpia.  Apparently, this is one of the worst parts of the city.  When I mentioned to my host that we went there, she was very surprised and hoped that we had been accompanied by someone (don't worry, we were).  Part of the reason that La Carpia is such a dump is because it was not intended for anyone to live there.  However, many people live there, and it is a clear place of poverty.

Gale (located at the top of the photo hugging the child) came over with the peace corps a number of years ago, and she has been here ever since.  The people who live in La Carpia all know her and respect her very much for what she has done for their town.  While she has been here there have been many many different projects that she has become involved in.  She mentioned that she had built 30 houses, she built a small clinic which is now a school building and library.  

While we were there, she told us about some people whose homes were right on the side of the mountain.  When a bad rainstorm came, there was a mudslide and many people lost their homes.  One fifteen year old girl was in one of the houses and died because of the mudslide.  One woman whose home was destroyed has 2 children and now nowhere to live.  She doesn't have a job, food, or anything else.  Gale gave her food for her and her children and gave her some laundry detergent.  She could not help rebuild her home because the land is no longer there.  

Gale is working to expand her school/ library building, so we were in charge of picking up trash, leveling the ground, mixing cement, and pouring cement.  Let me tell you, that is some tough work.  My arm muscles were definitely getting a work out (even for how big they are! ;) ) We worked from about 9:30-12:00.

It was nice to see a different part of town and to learn a little more about Costa Rica.  It was definitely inspiring and really cool to see how Gale has loved on the people of La Carpia.  I was thankful to be able to help out in a small way during my visit here.

Subtle Reminders of Loved Ones

Starbucks Morning reminds my of MY GALZ

The Angry Birds section of the book store reminds me of JOSHUA

RINNO and the Costa Rican Settlers of Catan 

Donuts with MY GALZ

The lovely journal that JOSHUA sent me with.

RINNO, our denim swap has served me well.  Your shirt has now been worn in Costa Rica.

Chaos

Teaching is CHAOS.

I think that I have not realized this until recently because of the laid-back nature of my last teacher.  It just seems that there is so much going on in my placement currently.  I am moving into taking over writing and math this next week.

What does that mean?  That means that I plan 9 lessons for the week.  Within those 9 lessons, I am planning centers for 4 of them.  What does it mean that I am planning centers for 4 lessons?  That means that I am planning 3 activities, lessons, or games for each center.  Let's make that 12 mini-lessons.  On top of that, in mathematics there are 2 different levels- low, medium, and high.  I need to differentiate each center to the specific level of thinking.  So for math, lets take those 9 mini-lessons (the other 3 mini-lessons are for writing) and multiply them by 3 because I need to do 3 different activities in order for all the students to benefit from them.  That's 27 mini-lessons for math, 3 mini-lessons for writing, and 5 full length lessons.  (At least I've proved that I've got math going for me!)  All of that is done simply for taking over 2 subjects.  And I did not include the fact that I am reviewing my cursive, my narrative writing skills, and creating homework for these subjects as well.  Planning is CRAZY.

CHAOS doesn't stop there.  The students are chatty and all at different levels.  My lesson today felt very choppy because of this.  Some of the students needed the review and a short walk through multiplying by 0 and by 1.  Other students in the class have their multiplication by 9 memorized, so of course, these students continuously shouted out, "This is SO easy!!" and the answers to the problem as soon as it came up on the board.  It's hard to feel in control of the class when everyone is talking and basically running the lesson.

Students are not only at different levels academically but also in their emotions and maturity.  This causes CHAOS in the activities and lessons that would normally be fun and engaging to the class.  One student refuses to do things--so the teacher has to drop everything that she is doing in order to solve a discipline issue.  It doesn't stop there.  The student still refuses to do what she asks.  Another student can be referred to as having frequent bursts of energy.  Those bursts of energy may include hitting himself in the face for no reason or yelling loudly or falling on the floor to be funny.  While honestly sometimes its funny even to me, it is often a distraction to the class.  Thankfully, this week my teacher has been taking care of these things while I am teaching.  However, in a few weeks, I will be in charge of this as well.  I will help one of the students fill in his discipline plan every day after school.  I will send emails home to parents who need to be notified about their child's behavior.  I will pull the student in the hallway and send them to the office if necessary.  I'll be honest in saying that I have very little practice with this.

These are only a few things that teachers deal with daily.  Be thankful for teachers.  They do so much that is unrecognized, and despite what some say, their job is hard.

Even though this sounds like a depressing blog post, it is not.  I am thrilled to be pursuing teaching.  I'm thrilled to figure out how to make this work, and I know that after much more practice I will get the hang of things.  I am especially thankful for the opportunity to be learning some of these things (such as planning, discipline, and supplementing materials) before I get into my own classroom.  I am also thankful to experience a cultural classroom and learn from an awesome teacher.

The CHAOS of teaching is one of those amazing paradoxes that are so hard for me to wrap my mind around.  What a challenging but beautiful opportunity to be teaching children, seeing them grow, and even learning from them.

Teaching is CHAOS.

Praise God for such a beautiful CHAOS!

First Day Teaching

Today I taught my first lesson!  Here are my teacher's notes about it:

Morning Meeting-
You talk with a good authoritative voice and the students respond to you. 

Math-
Good job paying attention that all students answer and participate.
>>Good use of repetition "even numbers"
>>The students were applying what you taught to their work!

Feeling good so far with some positive feedback!  I take on Math for the rest of this week, Morning Meeting, and leading the students in line and transition times.

The plan for the rest of my time here is:
October 30 >> Math, Morning Meeting, Line/Transition Time
November 4 >> Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Helping Write Morning Message
November 11 >> Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Science, Writing Morning Message Alone
November 18 >> Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Science, Reading, Morning Message
November 25 >> Spelling, Language Arts, Science, Reading, Morning Message
December 2 >> Science, Reading
December 9 >> Nothing (Observe a few other teachers)
December 11 >> Last day in the classroom

Enjoyed a Te Chai Latte this evening from Starbucks with Wendy.
(They wrote both of our names as "Wendy" on each of our cups.)

Here's to having a sun burn in October!

 Welcome to my home.

They don't go by road signs here...but I still do.

The kitties gather to make a decision.

As long as I can still have my Starbucks morning.

Farmer's market advice: Bring a bag.  Wear shorts.  Put on sunscreen.

My classroom for 8 weeks.

Beautiful view from my window.

Beginning my journey in Escazu, Costa Rica

Greetings all!

I am going to start my blog back up while I am in Costa Rica!  Or at least I am for this post.  Who knows if I will actually stay stead with it.  I have been in Escazu for a little under a week now.  I arrived on Monday, and what an interesting, nerve-racking, exciting time it has been!

When I first arrived at the airport in San Jose, all I knew was that I was looking for the principal of Country Day School.  He would be my ride to my new home for the next 8 weeks.  As I walked out, I checked once again to make sure that I was on airplane mode, and began forward.  Signs were being pressed against the glass with many different people's names on them.  I looked intently for my name.  It was not there.  I walked around outside the airport while several men came and asked me if I needed a taxi and who I was looking for.  I tried to keep my cool (this was even more difficult than you could imagine because I was wearing a long sleeved shirt and a north face in 80 degree weather), but I spent my time walking back and forth looking for my name on the signs.  Then it dawned on me.  What happens if I don't get picked up?  Can I trust the cab drivers?  I don't even know where my house is.  I GUESS I could use my phone and then just pay an insane amount to look online for a phone number and call my host or the school.  In that moment, I prayed and prayed.  About 20 minutes later, a man asked me where I was going, and I replied the name of the school that I was placed at.  Another man leaned in and showed me his sign which said the name of my school.  And off we went!  I could tell he was not the principal of the school, and of course, he didn't speak English.  Makes for a pretty silent car ride.  All I could utter was, "The mountains are beautiful!" which he seemed to understand.  He took me to my house, and I had finally arrived.

The house is very nice.  My host is very welcoming and helpful (She is also a masseuse!)  Only yesterday, I moved into my permanent room which is very nice.  There may or may not be a painting of a very naked woman hanging on my wall, but nothing a girl from 3CO and the White House can't handle.  One of the other women that lives in the house is named Wendy, and she also is student teaching at my same school.  She student teaches in the high school, but the high school and elementary school are connected.  She has been here since August and has obviously learned a lot about directions and has refreshed her Spanish during that time.  Even before I arrived in Costa Rica, she was giving me advice about what I should bring and what I could expect.  Wendy is one of my biggest blessings from God so far on my trip.  She is the one that I spend the majority of my time with when I am not at school or alone.  Wendy will have been married for 20 years this year, and she also has a 14 year old daughter.  It has been really awesome to connect with someone who is in a very different part of their life and share conversation with her.  We share many long walks together since our main transportation is walking.  Walking to the grocery, walking home from school, walking to the mall or the movie theater, and walking to the farmer's market.  It's nice to have some company in the evening before I have 4 or 5 hours of alone time.  Without her constant help with directions and frequent translations of Spanish, I don't know what I would have done.  Fortunately, I am placed in a really good neighborhood where I can safely walk around by myself (I don't do so at night, of course!).

I began school on Tuesday, and I am very fortunate to have my teacher and my class.  My teacher has worked at the school for 8 years, but she originally came to Costa Rica through the same organization that sent me (CCTECC).  She is a Christian, and she is a wonderful teacher.  I have already learned a lot from her, and I look forward to learning even more from her.  My class is made up of 16 third graders.  Within our class, the students come from Spain, Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, the United States, Venezuela, South Korea, and Costa Rica.  There is also a mix of personalities, but I am so thankful for each student.  I have enjoyed getting to know them this first week.  I was also able to take over the class for the first time this week.  My teacher has 2 little girls who are in kindergarten and preschool.  The early childhood school had their United Nations celebration on Thursday, and both of her girls were in it.  The students dressed up in the traditional dress of the countries that they are from and performed a couple of songs.  (From what I saw, it was beautiful and a very moving thing to watch.)  Anyway, my teacher wanted to watch the performance, but we had to pick up the kids.  Fortunately, I knew how to lead morning meeting and morning message which were the next two things on the list.  I took the class, so that my teacher could watch her daughters.  It felt so good to begin showing the students that I was going to teach them and get to interact with them even more than normal.  After my teacher got back, she told me that I had done a really good job with the kids!  I had only had them for 20min or so, but that time was so valuable to me to begin learning to teach this class.  I begin teaching math next week on Wednesday which is exciting!  My teacher has asked to keep a journal with me where I can write questions that I have while she is teaching and she can write questions for me while I am teaching.  This will keep constant communication between us and allow her to give me lots of feedback (which I need and love!).

The school that I have been placed at is also incredible.  It is a private international school, so everyone speaks English except the janitors, lunch ladies, and security.  (I can tell you what- THAT has been refreshing!)  All of the teachers are very friendly and helpful, and it is very evident that the teachers want to do what's best for the children.  There is a lot of collaboration between teachers, special education teachers, special teachers (art, music, P.E., etc.), the curriculum leader, and English Language teachers.  The location is also very cool.  The entire school is outside except for the classrooms.  The hallways are outdoors, and I do a lot of walking up and down ramps and stairs outside because the students attend more specials than they do it the U.S.  They also attend 45 minutes of Spanish every day which is on the other side of the elementary school.  It's beautiful and honestly, more enjoyable to walk outside during the day.  From the recess field you can see the mountains on one side and at the houses down the mountain on the other side.  I have seen many hummingbirds in the school, and Wendy mentioned that she saw a few parrots the other day.

Overall, my experience has been really good so far.  I have spent a lot of time alone which honestly, has been really cool for me.  Coming from a house of 7 girls to a room of one has been challenging at first, but actually really helpful for my time here.  When I get home around 4:30 in the evenings, I spend the rest of my time reading, journaling, emailing, listening to music, doing a few school things, aaaaaaaaaaand going to bed at 8:30pm.  Judge me!  It's 10:30 back home, and that's late for me!  Plus it makes a 6am wake up very easy.  Time alone gives me a great chance to reflect and pray.  I have learned a lot more how dependent I am on the Lord.  Without him, I would be physically lost and unable to communicate.  Thankfully, he gives me grace and has given me the blessings of people who are looking out for me even though I just met them!  A song that has really meant a lot to me during my time here so far is Oceans, by Hillsong.  I feel that it really fits my situation here in Costa Rica and is a great prayer from me to the Lord.

You call me out upon the waters 

The great unknown, where feet may fail 

And there I find You in the mystery 

In oceans deep, my faith will stand 

And I will call upon Your name 

And keep my eyes above the waves 

When oceans rise 

My soul will rest in Your embrace 

For I am Yours, and You are mine 

Your grace abounds in deepest waters 

Your sovereign hand will be my guide 

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me 

You've never failed, and You won't start now 

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders 

Let me walk upon the waters 

Wherever You would call me 

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander 

And my faith will be made stronger 

In the presence of my Savior 

I will call upon Your name 

Keep my eyes above the waves 

My soul will rest in Your embrace 

I am Yours, and You are mine

A few prayer requests:

>>My computer has been acting really strange, and after talking to my dad, I believe it is a problem with the

    interior power source of the computer.  This means that it's not something that I can really do anything

    about.  Pray that God miraculously fixes the computer, or that I can continue using it for a little while each

    day without the inside power completely giving out.

>>Pray for my Spanish!  Pray that I would be able to understand more and learn how to communicate a little

    bit with people.

>>Pray for me as I begin teaching!  Pray that I would be able to see what is best for my students and that I

    would connect well with them.  Pray for patience with the chattiness and for my discipline.

Gracias y adios por actualidad!