I am really enjoying Costa Rica! It has been wonderful to be able to experience a new culture and way of life.
This was our first whole week of school because last Friday was more of an orientation of the school and meeting the teachers. The school is different in many ways from American schools. School begins at 7a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. Each day the schedule of classes changes and most of the classes or subjects are given an 80 minute period. This has been hard for me to adjust to because not only is 80 minutes a long time for any given subject but also an extremely long time for teaching another language. I am trying to find strategies that will prevent the students from losing their focus.
Stephanie and I are co-teaching pre-k, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade. The atmosphere of these classes is very different from schools in the United States because the students are able to roam around if they want. The students can be very sweet and will come up to us outside of class and give us hugs. A lot of the teaching is having students repeat words, acting words and concepts out, and trying to memorize sounds and such.
I like how the students are given a few minutes inbetween classes to run around or go the the cafeteria (an open picnic area) and get something to eat if they´d like. The students also wear uniforms at all the schools. I think uniforms are a good idea because it takes away some of the classifying that goes on if students are able to choose what they wear.
There is this mountain called Cross Mountain with a cross at the very top of it that can be seen from the school or most anywhere in town. We are hoping to hike to the top of it as a group before we leave because one can see the whole town of Nicoya from the top.
I had the opportunity to go and visit some beaches this week as well. I was able to go to Tamarindo and also Samara, both very beautiful in different ways.
The people here are very early to bed and very early to rise. The day starts usually at 5:30 a.m. or 6 a.m. with breakfast and coffee. The coffee here is delicious! Most of the breakfasts are very traditional, with tortillas, rice and beans, and sour cream. I am beginning to really like arroz con pollo, rice with chicken, because its delicious here! I try everything I am offered to eat because I want to know what it tastes like.
I´m still working on my Spanish, listening and trying to form sentences to use as replies.
Tamarindo Beach
Sunset at Tamarindo Beach
The lunchroom with some students in uniform.
Samara Beach