RCOE International Student Teaching Spring 08

My name is Jamie Kluttz and I am an elementary education major with a concentration in music. I am very passionate about learning and have always wanted to share my passion with others, so teaching has always felt like the perfect occupation for me. I have unfortunately had plenty of experiences with teachers who have lost their passion for teaching and their love of children, and I feel like elementary teachers have the power to play a very positive or negative role in a child's life. If the teacher is dedicated to education and enthusiastic about working with children, this excitement is easily transferable to the subject being taught. I feel that the learning process can be fun and exciting and I have high hopes that my future students will share my passion and enthusiasm for school as well.

I am so thankful for all the opportunities to work with children in multiple classes. There are very few other universities that offer practicum experiences in CI-2800, Block 1, Block 2 and Student Teaching classes. I have had a diverse experience with Appalachian State University and feel well prepared to teach in Costa Rica as well as in the United States after graduation.

I applied for International Student Teaching because I felt that this would be a highly beneficial and valuable opporunity that I could not pass up. I worked at an orphanage and local school in Monte Christi, Dominican Republic and was heavily impacted by my experience there. We are so fortunate to have a great public education system in the United States. While in the Dominican Republic, I witnessed first hand the quality of education that some children receive. I feel that my training at Appalachian has provided me with knowledge and skills that will be shared with students and teachers alike in Costa Rica to hopefully bring a better educational opportunity to the local Costa Rican schools.

I have travelled to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bahamas, and various states throughout the USA.

I expect to learn many valuable experiences in Costa Rica that I would not have the opportunity to experience in a traditional American classroom. This will be an eye-opening trip that will teach me to be thankful for the school systems in the United States, to be grateful for the materials and teaching tools readily available to educators, and to develop an appreciation for the diverse programs and opportunities many schools in the United States have available to their students. This will also be a time to observe another culture and gain a better understanding of how children from cultures outside of America feel when they are placed in a foreign school and a completely new environment. I expect to gain a deeper understanding of the customs and lifestyles that many of my non-American students possibly participated in on a regular basis.