It is only a few weeks before I head to Costa Rica for 5 weeks!! I am Ashley Garbrick and I first started teaching because I had a love for children. Family and friends always commented on my warm nature and patience for them. Once I started my educational classes, I fell in love with being able to teach children about everything. I was not the smartest student growing up and I have worked very hard to be the student I am today. With my educational background I feel I can connect with many students and I am excited to start teaching.
I am with 42 amazing fifth graders at Valle Crucis Elementary and I am going to miss them dearly. My cooperating teacher is a dream come true. She helps me in every way possible because she wants me to succeed and we work very well together. We both love to laugh and there is never a day that goes by that we do not.
I have the passion to travel and when I heard of this opportunity to teach and travel, I took great interest. I chose Costa Rica because in NC the second most spoken language is Spanish. I felt that if I immerse myself in a Spanish culture then I will be able to learn some of the language. This will help me to connect with the Spanish students in my future classroom.
I want to become a well rounded person and opening my doors to new adventures I believe I can achieve this.When I go home I hope I have a new understanding of the Costa Rican culture. I am there to teach English to the students, but I except to learn Spanish from them. Also, I hope to learn new teaching styles because many countries have different styles, but we all achieve the same goal. I also what to learn about Costa Rican culture and customs. I feel that traditions are an influence on the people and their way of living. I am not educated on how Costa Ricans live and I am excited to see the similarities and differences between two cultures.
I cannot wait but I will miss teaching my fifth graders!
