RCOE International Student Teaching Spring 08

I am in Costa Rica. It took awhile for me to finally realize this! It seems so unreal. I am beyond thrilled! We arrived in Liberia two Saturdays ago and traveled around the country for an entire week before coming to Nicoya. We visited Volcan Arenal where I saw real lava. We did a zipline tour, horseback riding, and a visit to the natural hot springs.

We stayed at an amazing hotel with fabulous views of the volcano and walking trails where we got to see monkeys and relax in hammocks in the shade. Then, we were off to Monteverde where we did another zipline tour and repelled down waterfalls! What an incredible experience! We spent our final vacation day on the beach at beautiful Malpais and realized that we were beginning to learn some of the Tico culture, but we are certainly no experts. This country is so full of life both in nature and in the people´s culture. We were fortunate to meet many wonderful people, who have helped us find our way and experience true Tico experiences.

Now, we are in Nicoya. It was nice to unpack and find my new home here. My family is wonderful. They are such caring and gracious people. They encourage me to speak in Spanish even though they speak English very well. This is probably for the best, but it is very challenging.

I have already tried many new foods, including marañon, the fruit of the cashew. I am beginning to adjust to the differences in lifestyle and culture. I enjoy learning all about this country and its people. San Ambrosia school is a great place with such enthusiastic children. I get abrazos (hugs) and besitos (kisses) everyday, all day long!

Lauren and I are working with Pre-Kindergarten through third grade. It is a busy schedule but it is interesting to work with such diverse age groups. We sing lots of songs in the younger grades. It is inevitable that one of them is stuck in my head by the end of the day, so I will never be able to forget my days of the week, colors, numbers, or body parts! Even with so many grade levels and students, I am starting to learn names. This is a big step for me and I hope I am able to get them soon because I want to make sure all the students know how important they are. I look forward to planning and teaching some of the activities for my students and continuing to learn about this educational system.

Today we went to the university and were welcomed with much kindness and generosity. We met the dean of the college and talked with some of the students. We were given a tour of the campus and learned much about the history of the city of Nicoya. I am excited to continue learning about Costa Rica and especially about Nicoya!

¡Pura Vida!