RCOE International Student Teaching Spring 08

Hi, my name is Sara Marshall and I will be an Appalachian State International Student Teacher in Nicoya, Costa Rica for the Spring semester of 2008. I am a Spanish Education major and I will spend my first ten weeks of student teaching in Iredell County, just north of Charlotte, NC, followed by five weeks in Costa Rica.

I chose the profession of teaching because I have grown up under the same roof as an amazing teacher, my mother. I have seen the difference that she has made in students' lives, and as much as I fought it at first I have that same calling in my life. I want to be able to make that difference in a child's life. I chose Spanish because I have a love for the language as well as the culture and it only made sense for me to pursue a degree in the language that I have such a passion for.

I think it is obvious why I would choose to take the opportunity to teach in Costa Rica. Along with the amazing chance to affect children who are from this Spanish culture I love, I will be able to experience the country first hand and bring back so many experiences and ideas to enrich my future classroom. I believe that there is no better way to truly learn a language and culture than by placing yourself directly in the center of it, and this will only add to other experiences I have had through my Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain. In Barcelona I truly fell in love with traveling and experiencing other cultures and I can't wait to experience the culture of Costa Rica!

I feel prepared in so many ways from my learning experiences at Appalachian State University as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. As my last semester in Boone comes to a close, I am able to see all of the different ways I have been shaped and pushed to be ready for my lifelong profession. I know that this trip to Nicoya will be the final force I need to add to the great education I have recieved!