International Student Teaching Spring 2009

What can I say?? I got off the plane and finally felt warm for the first time since summer. It was a perfect day, but very hot! Costa Rica is pura vida which means living the good life. It is so different and relaxed here.

At my school, San Ambrosio, students have lots of freedom. They have a break during each class,at which time they go and get snacks at the cafteria and hang out. Some of the classes have alot more structure than the others; it just depends on the class and teacher. But, many times students are paying attention to the English lesson. I have learned that these students are understanding English, but sometimes what they are learning is over their heads.

I hope to make a difference here! We are only allowed to speak in English at the school with the students. Everyone is hoping that this English-only effort will help perfect their English speaking. The teachers are so sweet here! There are two nuns at the school, the PE teacher and the Principal. Everyone is beautiful!

(the SCHOOL!)

(my classroom)

(Kirbi at Field Day or Sports Day)

My family is very young! Maria is 27 and Diego is 28. They have two children, Diego and Jose. Diego is 2 and Jose is 8. They are wonderful! Their house is very nice and upscale even though it is small. We might move to downtown next week or that is what they said.

(my house)
Maria´s parents love to teach me Spanish, which has been great! Her father helps out with Special Olympic's and has goning to the United States. He knows a little English and always wants me to teach him. I love love love her father! He likes to call me his daughter and play soccer with me. Her madre always cooks for me.

Today we are going to the beach and I can't wait. Also, I went to a soccer game that Diego (husband) played in! Maria's brother also played professional soccer Soccer is a HUGE thing in their family. When we watched the Costa Rican vs. Mexico game, we had a fiesta. We lost, but everyone was having a good time.

Life here is similar and different from life in the U.S. It is just so chilled and laid back here. Driving is another story. They do what they want and there aren't many lined roads and people just go all over. That might just be in Nicoya though. There is probably so much more to say, but my mind is on overload. I'm trying to learn so much Spanish and comphrend everything. It is overwhelming. I've been exhausted from everything, but it is wonderful!

That is it for now. PURA VIDA!

Sarah

Costa Rica is absolutely beautiful! The people, the city, and the country is breathtaking. From the moment I got off of the plane, I knew that I would enjoy every minute of me being here! The heat was a little much at first, but I have gotten somewhat used to it by now!! We immediately went to the school to meet the teachers and principal after getting off of the plane! I had no clue what to expect, but I knew it would be much different from what I was used to. Once we had met all of the teachers, it was time to meet our families.

At the school, I was the first to get picked up by my host mom, Celia. She does not know much Spanish, so it was a little intimidating at first. Her sister-in-law came with her to pick me up and to help me feel more at home because she spoke English! I was immediately welcomed into their home, and I began to feel more comforable with the family. We have many fun times trying to talk with our dictionaries out. A lot of laughing occurs when I do not get a sentence correct in Spanish, and they do not get a sentence correct in English!

The first week of teaching in San Ambrosia was lots of fun! I am teaching Kindergarten, so I spend my days teaching about colors and shapes. The children are absolutely adorable, and I wish I could take them home with me! My cooperating teacher, Sara, is absolutely wonderful and never leaves me on my own because she knows I cannot speak very much Spanish. I have ventured through the city of Nicoya, and I have tried to explore as much as I can.

The other girls and I have gone to Samara Beach on our half day, and it is heaven there. The sand is white and the water is perfect. There are not many people on the beach, so there is no need to worry about crowds. On Wednesday when we were at the beach, a woman came up and asked if we could watch her things while she was in the water, and we said sure. We started talking to her after she came back out of the water, and we found out that she was a famous actress in Germany and she was traveling around Costa Rica for 4 weeks. How cool is that?!?!

The planning is complete for our week long travels, which begins tomorrow! I am excited for the adventure, and I cannot wait to immerse myself more in the culture and explore the country!

PURA VIDA!!!

I will begin by saying that Costa Rica is very hot and the people are helpful. On our first day of school it was sports day so we did not get to teach. I enjoyed watching the students and talking to them. The kids call us ´´teacher.´´

My first experience teaching was not easy. I was watching the English teacher teach a lesson on the silent ´´e´´ in words with long vowel sounds. This topic is not easy to teach to students in the United States. The English teacher got called out of the room, and I had to take over. I was a little nervous. The students are very talkative and this makes it difficult to teach. Still I was fine.

Since we have been at the school the students have been taking exams. I have been helping them review for exams and playing games with them outside. I am sure I will be doing a lot more teaching. San Ambrosio is a Catholic school, representative of the religion of most Costa Ricans.

I have been on two school field trips. On Monday, March 30th we went to a ´´hill´´ or mountain with the 10th and 11th graders. At this hill the students had papers to read. There were 14 stations we stoped at to get to the top of the hill. Two students carried a wodden cross to each station. At each station prayers were said and a student read from his or her card. At one station I was asked to say The Lords Prayer in English on the megaphone. I fumbled a few words. At three stations I was able to pray out loud with a small group of students. I found this time very special and unique for me spiritually. It was hot and a steep hill but never once did I feel the need to complain.

I am eager to keep exploring Costa Rica!!

This first week in Costa Rica has been so full of new experiences. On Wednesday I visited the school and met my host family. My family is very welcoming and although they speak very little English we find ways to communicate, often times through elaborate hand gestures and laughter.

The school I am teaching is San Ambrosio private catholic school. I teach the 7th, 10th and 11th grades. There is only one class for each grade and each of the students knows a different level of English. Some students are close to being fluent while others have no previous knowledge. I am enjoying my time in the classes and am constantly trying to find ways to teach English, while only speaking English.

My days here consist of teaching, exploring downtown Nicoya, traveling by bus to nearby beaches and slowly increasing my Spanish vocabulary. Now I am on to my second full week in Costa Rica, where life is Pura Vida.

WOW!! The first week went by very fast. I love it here. I am living with a family of four. I have two sisters named Maria Jose (age 8) and Laura (age 3). They are the sweetest and funniest girls. Maria goes to the school where I teach and is actually in one of my classes.

My father is Santiago who has three jobs and is a great dad. He is very smart and definitely knows more about space and computers than I do... My mom is amazing.

She knows only a little English so we laugh a lot. My mom is the secretary at San Ambrosia, where I teach. The first weekend here my dad was able to borrow his mom´s car so they took me around Costa Rica to show me great places. I went to a river, Samara beach and Carrillo beach, and then we even went to the pool. They took me out to eat at a great place where we all ordered fruit drinks!! They are amazing here. The fruit is RICO (delicious) here and I cannot stop eating it.

Did you know there are three different kinds of Mangos.... well I did find out that I have to stop eating one kind because I guess I am allergic to it. Oops. The food here is great. I really like their spices. It is not spicy though. They have rice with every meal!

My house is great. We live a couple of blocks from downtown so I have walked there a lot with Sarah, Kirbi, Megan and Mel (the other girls on the trip). It is so hot here that I do not have any sheets, which is nice because I do not have to a bed to make in the morning. The second day that I was here the town shut off the water, which was very interesting. Apparently the town can do that without letting us know!

San Ambrosia Catholic School is not like I pictured the school to be. I thought it would be a closed in building but it is not at all. This is better because of the heat here. The classrooms are all open to the outside. The cafeteria is much better here than in the US and that is great!

The kids are great. The first thing they did was practice their English. They would all say, "Hello! How are you?"

Now, I am involved in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. Second grade is going to be my hardest class because the students are very rowdy, and right now I cannot tell them in Spanish to settle down. In the 2nd grade I had a boy climb through the back of his chair and he was stuck for a good 5-10 minutes. My cooperating teacher was having a hard time getting him out!

I have only been in the school a couple of full days because when any grade goes on field trips the five of us girls get to go with them. One day we climbed a nearby mountain while stopping along the way to talk about each station of the cross. One night near Easter the whole town comes together at night and participates in the ceremony. I was able to go with the 10th and 11th graders, and we had a great experience.

Another field trip that I went on was with sixth grade to the Santa Rosa National Park. I have learned a great deal already in the first week and cannot image how much I am going to learn by the end.

The five of us girls are getting along great and I could not have asked for better strangers to come together! This next week is the school's spring break so we are going to travel!!

My journey over the past two weeks has been embraced by the culture of Costa Rica. I have fallen in love with the “Pura Vida” lifestyle. I wish I could bring it back to America. Everyone is laid back and loves the life they have. This past week I have traveled all over the Nicoya Peninsula. It was wonderful.

All of us went to Monteverde, the green mountain city, La Fortuna, and La Playa Tamarindo. We really had no transportation or hostel plans when we left; however, we have learned a great deal each day. Traveling in another country where the language is totally different has been difficult, but travel became easier once we got to the tourist towns.

(the caonpy tour=AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, CRAZY)

I discovered the life of traveling with people without plans. It was getting to know people in each town--there were Ticos and Ticas, Europeans, Australians, Americans, and Canadians. We stayed in hostels and were able to get to know people there and also when we were on the inexpensive public buses.

I thought I was going to be ill on our trip to Monterverde. The bus transportation was long, rocky, sweaty, filled with people. I really learned what it meant to be on the public bus. I have had to take a step back and trust people and myself. It has been a learning experience.

I got all my fears out when I participated in the CANOPY TOUR at Monterverde! I was swinging through mountains and sliding down ropes! I just let myself go and be wild! Also, in Monteverde I learned about coffee, sugar, insects, and butterflies.

(coffee)

(plantains)

I met very interesting people along the way, many of whom I wanted to keep in my pocket forever.

La Fortuna was filled with an active volcano named Arenal. I saw many birds, sloths, and also ate an insect that tasted like mint. It was cool in Arenal and Monteverde. I had no idea that the climate difference was going to be so drastic as we traveled from the coastal area to the mountains. Also, each town was very different from each other. Nicoya is a home town for locals,very hot and dry, but Monteverde and La Fortuna are tourist towns where some people speak Enlgish. I saw fewer locals in these towns. Instead of standing out like I do in Nicoya, I blended in. It was another experience.

In Tamarindo, I just sat at the beach. The sunsets were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The sun goes down over the ocean and paints a picture that is indescribable. I have many pictures, but I have forever the memory of the lived sunset.

We stayed at a cool hostel in a surf shop.Some girls surfed in the group, but I didn´t. It was neat watching my friends. Traveling was a learning experience and getting to know people was a big part of the experience. Having people help us and helping others was a big blessing.
That is it for now.

(all of us)

SARAH

Me with the landscape behind me!

This week has been absolutely adventure filled! Since it was holy week, we were given the opportunity to travel. The week began on Friday when Kirbi, Megan, and I ventured down to a town called Puntarenas. This town is at the beach and it is the port city for all of the cruise lines to come into. We had an adventure trying to find our Hostel, which was absolutely gorgeous and had a pool and a great view of the ocean. We did not find out until we were down there that a very large marathon was going to be going on while we were there, so it was really fun to watch about 5,000-10,000 people lining the beaches as well as running. The race made it onto the front page of the National Newspaper, so that was cool!

Hostel in Puntarenas

Our adventures only continued!! As a group, we made our way to Monteverde, where we went ziplining through the rainforest. The views were breathtaking and it was such a rush, literally with the wind blowing so incredibly hard! We also were able to go on a coffee and sugar cane tour, which was actually a family owned business. We walked around a plantation with our guide, who was the son of the family. He taught us about banana trees, plantain trees, the process or growing and making coffee, as well as how to grow and make candy out of sugar cane.

Each group was able to make their own candy, which was VERY sweet, and then at the end of the tour we drank a cup of coffee in the family's kitchen. It was a great experience and one that just makes you appreciate family! Our stay in Monteverde was windy but also really educational because we were able to see a butterfly house which housed many different types of butterflies from all different elevations.

Our next destination was to La Fortuna, which houses the Arenal Volcano. It was an amazing sight watching the Volcano get closer and closer on a boat crossing the Arenal Lake. We stayed in a Hostel called Grengo Pete Too, which is owned and operated by a guy named Pete from Washington State. We took the night tour of the Arenal Volcano, which included a hike and tour guide through the Rain Forest on the bottom of the Volcano, as well as a view from the side of the Volcano where we were able to see a glimpse of the lava flowing down the side. It was hard to see because it was raining and cloudy! From the lava hike, we went to a hotel where we swam in hot springs for two hours. It was amazing how the water gets so hot!

The last and final destination of our week was in Tamarindo! This is a very popular beach in Costa Rica and there were lots of Americans and other tourists. I liked it because we did not have to struggle with Spanish and wonder how well we were going get around. Everyone knew English. I learned how to surf and spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach and taking in the views!

Although this week is over, I will always remember it as the time I was able to explore Costa Rica! It was long and adventurous, but I am glad to be back in Nicoya with my host family! Three more weeks here, and I am looking forward to some wonderful adventures!

The majority of this week the other girls and I explored Costa Rica. Just like in the United States, Costa Rica is diverse depending on what part you are in. Throughout the week of holiday, Semana Santa, we traveled to Monteverd, La Fortuna and Tamarindo beach.

Monteverd is a very chilly area in the mountains. There is more precipation there so the area is much greener and lush. There is a great deal of wildlife to observe in this area. Much of the wildlife is noctunral so we were not able to see many of the animals. We also had the opprtunity to tour a sugar cane and coffee farm. On the farm we learned the ways of the local Costa Rican farmers and the traditions they have in the mountain regions of the country.

La. Fortuna is also in the mountains so the weather is much cooler than Nicoya. The main attraction in La Fortuna is the volcano Arenal. Arenal is a huge, active volcano in Costa Rica famous for its eruption in the 1960´s. We had the opportunity to hike around the volcano and at night see lava fall from the top. It was an amazing experience.

After La Fortuna we traveled to Tamarindo beach where we spent the days relaxing and observing the costal life of locals. Surfing is a much loved past time and life is nice at the beaches here. Tamarindo was the end of our travels and we headed back to Nicoya.

Traveling through Costa Rica gave me an appreciation for differences amoung the locals and differences amoung the landscapes in this country. I hope to continue learning about the coutnry as I continue into my third full week in Nicoya. Classes start back and I am ready to get into the classroom.

Spring Break!!

My school was out for Holy Week so us five girls decided to travel around Costa Rica. We had all talked to our families and looked at our books to decided where we should go exactly. We choose Monteverde, La Fortuna, and Tamarindo beach.

The transportation was the first task that we were unsure about so we researched a lot and ask many people for their help. Public bus is the cheapest way to go and so we decided that is how we were going to get to our first destination, which was Monteverde. We arrived there safety but it could have gone badly if we had not had plenty of help from our friend Herold!!

Monteverde is a cold place in Costa Rica, if you can believe that. I was thankful for my sweatshirt and long pants. Even though it was cold compared to Nicoya, we loved this place. It reminded us of Boone--a small town tucked away in the mountains. It was very green which is unusual in Costa Rica during this time of the dry season. It is a very touristy town with many activities for us to do. We chose the zipline canopy tour, a coffee/sugar cane tour, and a tour of the butterfly gardens. These were all amazing and I have great pictures to bring back home. We stayed three nights at Monteverde in a great Hostel called Tinas Casitas.

After Monteverde we made our way to La Fortuna by Taxi-Boat-Taxi. It was a different way of travel and only offered from Monteverde to La Fortuna. In La Fortuna, we visited Arenal Volcano. It is an active volcano so we could not hike too close because of the gases and lava. We hiked around the volcano which was a beautiful forest. We saw many animals but never saw the white face monkey. We only stayed there one night because we all wanted to get to Tamarindo Beach and get a great tan!

This beach is like Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. It is very touristy and it very crowd. We had a great time here and of course got burnt. The nights were the best because the sunset gorgeous! The whole town was on the beach during this time and everyone was taking pictures. We were here for two in a half days and then we left for home. It was Easter Sunday, so we had to make sure the buses ran because most businesses shut down completely. For example, no alcohol can be brought from the stores on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. The buses were running thankfully and we had no trouble getting home on the public bus. It was a great week of vacation and I have great stories and memories from each place.

Now it is time to go back to work and help the students with English!!

For the Holy Week in Costa Rica the schools closed, and most all of the businesses shut down. This is equivalent to spring break. During this week the five of us traveled. On Friday and Saturday Megan, Mel and I went to Puntareanas. We got on the bus and we were nervous about where to get off. When we got off we appeared to be in the middle of no where. I did not hesitate to ask a man where and when our next bus was coming.

The next obstacle was finding out hostile. Our hostile was impossible to find. A nice man tried to help us but he did not know. I began to panic. When we got to our hostile, we pretty much stayed there. We spent our time on the beach and cooking. On Saturday a big run took place. There were 5,000 people that ran by us on the beach for a constant twenty minutes.

Next we met up with Sarah and Ashley. We took a very long bus ride to Monteverde. The roads were made out of rocks and dust. In Monteverde it was windy and cold. In Monteverde we did lots of tourist things. We went on a Canopy Tour, a Coffee Tour, and we went to a Butterfly Museum. The Canopy Tour was awesome. We saw beautiful scenery and our adrenaline was pumping. I could not believe how green it was in Monteverde compared to Nicoya.

Next we went to La Fortuna by car and boat. We had great views of the Volcano Arenal. We went on a nature walk in the woods at the base of the volcano and learned some history. We ended our vacation at Playa Tamarindo. We stayed at a surf hostile. We were surrounded by surfers and ate at Subway a lot. The Subway served avocado on their sandwiches. During this trip I experienced beaches and cool mountains. During this week I became comfortable using the buses and enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. Now we are back to the hot, dry weather in Nicoya. It is good to be a home in Nicoya after a long week of traveling.

This week was the first week back to school from Holy Week of vacationing around Costa Rica. Tuesday was Megan's birthday and we made her a cake! All of us student teachers were invited over to her house to have dinner with her family, which was a really neat experience with some amazing food! Her host sister is an amazing cook. Megan's host family also bought her a cake and lit candles that were in the numbers of 22! It was really neat to see how her family members have enjoyed having her visiting in their home.

Since Wednesday is our half day, we decided to check out the pool in town. It is this gorgeous dark blue pool. Although the water was not cold, by any means, it was still refreshing on one of the hottest days in Nicoya this year. Apparently, on Wednesday the sun was directly over Costa Rica; therefore, it was literally the hottest place in the world. Kinda weird!

Thursday was the first time we had been at school and were able to see the students switch classess for their electives. It was really neat because the students were able to choose which room they wanted to be in. There was a dance room. board games room, drama room, band room, Guitar room, etc. All students were able to choose, including the little first graders! I thought that it was really neat because the students had freedom to choose. Plus, this included the school,not just the upper grades like me most normally see in the U.S. It was really neat!

This past weekend was spent in Cañas, a town north of Nicoya. All of us went with one of the English teachers named Harold. We stayed in a fire station where he volunteers, and we were able to visit numerous schools to see how they operate, and, as well, to discuss how English is being taught. I was really glad to be able to do this because I see the needs of San Ambrosia far more clearly. I can now see more clearly how we might contribute to the English curriculum at San Ambrosio. The weekend was not ALL spent in a classroom. We went out on Friday night, and we all learned how to Salsa dance and do the Merengue. This was one of the most fun experiences that I have had yet! I never thought I would be able to do the dances, but as it turns out I can!

We came back on Saturday night, and today was spent lounging at Samara Beach. I have such a tough life! We only have two and a half more weeks here in Costa Rica, which is a little weird to think about because I feel as if we just got here! Time flies when you are having an amazing time!

This week the girls and I were fully emersed in the classroom. Starting bright and early Monday morning we all rolled into school ready for a fresh start to our week teaching.

San Ambrosio is an open air school with an outdoor Soda (Cafeteria). The Soda is the center of activity for the school because of its great food and shelter from the incredibly hot sun. When students are on break, they run straight to the Soda to buy empañanas, Coca-colas or candy.

The Soda is also the place where Kirbi, Sarah, Mel, Ashley and I usually start our day. We meet up at the Soda, discuss what we are doing in our classes that day, and then everyone breaks to the classes they will be teaching.

This week I was immersed in my 7th, 10th, and 11th grade classrooms. The 7th grade is very motivated and enjoys talking in English as much as they can. At times my 10th and 11th grade classes are motivated, but for the most part they do not want to speak. Speaking English is often times intimidating for my stuents, but they need to speak to get comfortable with the language. My goal in 10th and 11th grade is to motivate my students to speak English in class!

This week the other girls and I had the opportunity to visit another Private Catholic School in Cañas. Cañas is a friendly, small town about an hour and a half north of Nicoya. The school we visited was amazing! They had a well developed English program with teachers who understood pedagogy. They also had students placed in English classes based on ability rather than grade level. Having ability groups requires more staffing but really makes a difference when it comes to comprhension for students. The model of this school was very nice and in the future the school has a desire to recieve student teachers from Appalachoan State too.

The week was very eye opening and the schedule for next week looks just as interesting.

This past Friday we visited a school in Canas. We visited this school in hopes of having future interns in the program to teach in this school. The school is different from our school in Nicoya because they ability group their English classes. This is a benefit for the teachers as well as the students. It was obvious that the school in Canas has more money to develop their English program than our school in Nicoya. We are going to offer suggestions to our school about their English program and how they can improve it. We are also gonig to talk with Karla and Dr. Angel about getting an exchange program started in Canas. We felt welcomed at the school and were interested in talking with the teachers there.

Well I love learning about the culture more and more! I feel as if I´m seeing everything and trying to become a tica! I WISH! This weekend I learned how to Maranga and realized how much I have been missing out all my life. The dances here are wonderful and part of the culture; it is what everyone does here! I actually learned pretty fast since I love dancing, but I wish I was better. The women and men here really connect through dancing. It isn´t like that in the states! I´m going to bring it back, hopefully.

Also, Friday all the student teachers and a teacher named Harold visited another school in Casas. The school right away was different! They had more money, but they were still a Catholic school like San Ambrosio. They had levels for their English classes, which is helpful in offering appropriate instruction to all students. I want to help the system at San Ambrosio to make it more efficient for the students at each grade level. Hopefully, we can help make a difference in San Ambrosio School and with the students because I want my students to know as much English as they can.

(Monterverde= the food we made and ate)

(Butterflies in Monteverde)

(Costa Rica's National Flower)

(Being silly at La Playa Tarmindo)

I´m learning so much and can´t even think about going home. LOVING LIFE!

SARAH

HOLA!!

This was a great week. We came back from a fun break and I was ready to see how teaching was going to be when we returned. School was great because my teachers and I worked together to teach the class. I teach 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

The school has adopted a method of teaching through stories available in the students' textbooks. Each story has a purpose, such as helping students understand how to use "she" and "he" or singular and plural words.

So, we teach the concept first, then read the story, and then review the concept again. The textbooks for the lower grades are good, but they are not the same ones used in other grades.

Some students are learning concepts in different grades. The principal and English teachers want to improve their program so they have asked us to make suggestions. We visited another school on Friday to observe. We are going to work on our suggestion this week so we can help them for many years to come!

I really enjoy the kids in my classes. They love giving me stickers and at the end of the day I will have a shirt full of them! In the classrooms, the resources are limited so we really are creative when we plan a lesson.

The whole school has welcomed us with open arms. The teachers that do not speak English still try and talk with us and they want to learn English as well. I am having a great time here.

Since we have breaks during the day, we gather out by the soda and talk with the kids and teachers in English. It is great fun here. I am well aware that time is slipping away.

I have become a member of my family here! They are the sweetest family and very loca (crazy)! We are always having a fun time and we are able to communicate very well. There are very few times when one of us just doesn't have a clue what the other one is saying. I am getting better at Spanish but there is much I still have to learn!

One of the teachers, Herold, took us to Cañas,a town near Nicoya. Here we visited another school, stayed at the firehouse (his second job), taught a night class in English, woke up at 5am the next morning to travel to Upala to teach another English class. Harold is very dedicated and has a warm heart!

Can´t wait to see what the next weeks have stored for us!!

As time is winding down, so are the activities throughout the week! This week has not been very eventful! I had school all week and I taught my normal classess with my Kindergarteners, and after school I would either hang out with the other girls in town or go home and relax! Megan, Sarah, and I went to the beach on Friday, but no sol! It was really cloudy and not really a good day to be at the beach. It was however relaxing, and we got to see some wild horses that decided to stroll down the beach. There were 3 or 4 of them and they were beautiful. They would walk in the water, and then go and try and find food, and then go back to the water! It was really neat to watch!

My host brother at Africa Mia

Saturday was quite an interesting day! For 3/4ths of the day I was in my house just hanging out. It got a little boring because I really did not have anything to do! I went into town with Megan, and the other girls were in town also so we all bumped into eachother! It was the best thing that could have happened that day! We went and hung out at one of our teachers' houses, and then went to get ready for our night out dancing at a place called Blue Tango. This was a pretty neat place and it had only been open for about a month. It was very crowded, but it was still a lot of fun to be at!

At Africa Mia

Today, Sunday, could quite possibly be my favorite day here in Costa Rica! My family took me to Africa Mia, which is located in Liberia. We took a safari ride and were able to see lots of different African animals. I saw worthogs, ostriches, horses, zebras, giraffes, peacocks, and so much more. I was able to feed the ostriches, deer, zebras, and giraffes. The giraffe literally stuck its head inside of the car to be able to get the celery stick! It was amazing, and I was facinated by how well the giraffe and zebra act around humans! We also took a hike to see a waterfall, which was gorgeous! A lot of the locals were there swimming, and were showing off by jumping off of the waterfall! Although it was a tiring day out in the sun, I had so much fun and I would go back in a heart beat!

At Africa Mia

(The Hike the 1st week for Holy Week)

Well it is the 5th week and things are starting to winddown... But now, I just feel like part of the family and Nicoya is home for me. My family here treats me like I´m truly in it. The grandpa and I have bonded so much!! His name is Che! We have been learning each other´s language. Last Wednesday, I walked the long hill again to the cross with him and ended the night with a crucial futbol (soccer) game in Nicoya with the fam. It was a professional game against San Jose and Guancaste. EVERYONE WAS THERE FROM NICOYA! Of course, I had my same dirty outfit I wore hiking and everyone else was looking fine and specify. My host mom laughed at my outfit! But it was so much fun! My family and all the little boys entertain for hours even while a soccer game is happening! Also, this week I bought some TICA jeans and just soo excited about them! I feel like I´m normal or I´m finally part of the culture because girls here always wear the skinny jeans! I still sadly live in a material world here. HA.

(Thursday: Dancing with the students at the club day)

Another adventure of mine consisted with a full day trip to San Jose and Herdia. At 4:00 in the morning the 10th and 11th grade class, teachers, and 4 of the student teachers all left to go all day to the InBioParque, a nun convent, and a mall to eat lunch and shop. It took about 4 hours to get there and thank goodness it was a big charter bus! I couldn´t have survived on the normal public transportation buses for that long!

It was an very neat experience! But once we got to San Jose, I felt like I was back in America. Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonalds, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, and Subway were all in one block together with big buildings and malls nicer than ours in Boone. We ate in the mall and felt like we were back home, it was almost too wierd for all of us. But a very nice treat... s where my The nuns in San Jose there can´t leave the place at any time; the only way they can contact their family is if their family calls them or comes visit them, but that is it! The students were flabergasted as well as everyone else! It was kinda neat because while they nuns were speaking in Spanish I was understanding alot more than I would have the first week.

(Going to the other school in Cansas with HAROLD!)

I feel as if my Spanish is imporving so much and it is encouraging to my family and me! We had a little Chatholic Church servcice with the nuns, our sister Cicila, teachers, and students. It made me cry a little and refreshed my spirit! I wanted to know the songs really badly.. and I might get the lyrics before I leave! The parque was great as well. All in all- it was an awesome day! It was late when we got back, since it was about 9:30 at night and teaching the next day was hard, but it was a great experience!

This week is really our last real full teaching week and I can´t even think about home! I WANT TO STAY FOREVER!!

(my children!!! My family!!! I love them!!! It is Jose, Diego, and me)

till next time,
Sarah

The purpose in coming to Costa Rica is to student teach. I find myself talking more about my adventures and experiences outside of the classroom. Back in the States I was constantly focused on teaching; afterschool hours and on the weekends. My time outside of school here is spent embracing the culture. When I first began working with my cooperating teachers here I was frustrated that they did not have lessons plans. This way of planning coincides with the way of life here in Costa Rica. The people here do not stress and worry. The lifestyle is easy going as well as the teaching style.

Teaching my students has taught me patience. Knowing that English is not the native language here I have to empathize with my students. I may have to repeat Englsih concepts more that once in different ways. It is worth my time to do this to ensure that the students grasp the concepts. I am challeged to be flexible. If a lesson does not take long for the students to understand I must be prepared with another activity or lesson on the spot.

The students enjoy teaching me words in Spanish. It makes them feel like they are teaching me. I really surprise them when I use Spanish with them. I can´t wait for the day when I can say that I am bilingual!

This past week was great and I have really settled in here and feel like a TICA! However, things are starting to come to an end, which is crazy to think. All of us girls have done great hanging out with each other. We are really interacting with the teachers and they love to do things with us outside of school. Nicoya is a small town so it is very easy to run into other teachers and students. All of us girls walk into town every afternoon to run errands or to simply sit at the park and chat about how the day went. Here we see our friends and people approach us to talk so they can improve their English!! This is fun because we never know what kind of character we will meet that day.

Classes are going well and I love the ages that I am teaching. They are really eager to learn and they try hard. The most challenging part of English for my students is the pronunciation of the words. I feel it's because the teacher themselves have an accent so they are doing the best that they can do. What is funny is that I tell the class something and I get nothing back from the students and then the teacher says the same thing and they understand! It's just because of they way they pronounce the words.

The other difficult task is discipline. They handle discipline differently here--different from the way it has been practiced in North Carolina. The teachers that I am working directly with want to change it to be more like our system. The school is great! Everyone seems to enjoy our company and we love them.

Coming to Costa Rica is the BEST decision I have made!

Time is coming to an end here! I had my last full week of school. Well we did not have school on Friday because it is Guanacasta`s Labor Day! So on Friday everything in town was closed. No one worked which was nice to see. Though this meant that we could not travel because the buses were not running. However, it was a great day just to spend with my family before I leave.

So the Swine Flu is a crazy thing that is happening but Costa Rica seems to live without worry. Pura Vida!! I love this... no worries, no stress = the good life!

San Ambrosio is still great and I love going there everyday. It is very easy to get up in the mornings because I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next at our school. We get along great with the staff and they are all starting to realize our time is coming to an end. My first and second grade class worked together to prepare a picnic for me and brought me presents. They all brought me something whether it be a card or souvenir. The main teachers made lunch, which was Arroz con Pollo or also known as ACP! We did this on Thursday because my cooperating teacher is getting married on Saturday and then leaving for her Honeymoon!! So I already had to say my first goodbye. On Monday though the school is planning something secret for us Student Teachers and will not tell us anything! We all have taken guesses but we can´t wait to see what happens.

On Saturday my family took Kirbi and me to Santiago´s parents farm and I had the best time there. They have chickens, ducks, roosters, cows, horses, mangos (3 kinds), papaya, sweet lemons, avocados, pineapples, tamarindos, plantains, bananas, and I am sure I left something out. Santiago´s whole family went, which was fun because they are very sweet and fun to talk to. It was his mom´s birthday the night before so we all had a birthday dinner and had a nice time. There was only one rule... no English!! So my gift to her was to only speak Spanish. This was great because I was able to really practice what I have learned here in 5 weeks. I am having the time of my life and I cannot believe it is time to start saying goodbye. Hopefully, these next couple of days will not be too sad!

This was a very exciting week for the girls and me. We not only were in the classrooms we also had a chance to explore the biodiversity of Costa Rica. We had the opportunity of joining my 10th and 11th grade classes to INBioparque for the day.
INBioparque, which for the longest time I thought was INVEDO parque becasue they said it so fast, was amazing. It is locted in a town right outside of San jose, The biggest city in Costa Rica. The park show us many of the native, plants, fauna, animals and ecosystems of Costa Rica. Although most of the tour was in Spanish there was a lot we learned.

After visiting INBioparque we had the opportunity to visit a convent. Since the school we teach at is a private catholic school, it is run by three nuns. While at the convent students got to ask about the lives of the nuns at that particular convent. We learned that once the nuns arrived there, they did not leave, and contact with family was limited, almost completely. The students were intriqued by the lives of these women and the commitment they had to their faith.

The rest of the week was filled with new experiences in English class. I have found the best way to teach with these students is to be animated and explain in as many creative ways possible. Next week I will have the opportunity to teach with some younger grades and see the difference in their learning styles.

This week I had the opportunity to teach with Kirbi and Ashley who are in charge of the younger grades. Having the opportunity to co-teach with them was an amazing experience, and I really was able to see the differernces in levels and knowledge depending on grade.

This week I also learned a lot about the educational system here in Costa Rica. My cooperating teacher here is named Elias. Elias has been teaching English since he was 18 and is now 24 years old. His English is the best of all the English professors at San Ambrosio, although all of the English teachers are well educated in English. I had the opprorunity to discuss with him how their training in the universtiy was and how the primary and secondary schools functioned there.

First we spoke about the education the English teachers all receive. Much like a lateral entry teacher in the states these teachers are English majors. They receive little to no instruction on teaching pedagogy while in school. This puts it on the teachers to research and study methods and strategies in the classroom.

Their primary and secondary schools are different from ours in many respects. The biggest difference I noticed was how they do testing. Test days are not determined by the teacher. Test days are determined by the school. The school will assign a specific day that all studenst in the entire school will test. That means that on one specific day the whole school may be testing in mathmatics. The next day the whole school may test in English. This method of testing does not allow for teachers to have a say in when the tests are. That means that a teacher may only be partially through a unit and they may have a test. Or the unit may have been over for a week and they still have not been tested. This method is hard on students who already struggle with testing.
This week was eye opening to education in Costa Rica.

For my time here in Costa Rica the weather has been constant. When I say this I mean HOT and sunny. There has not been a day that I have not been sweaty. Don´t get me wrong I am not complaining. I love the weather here. I have heard that there is a rainy season in Costa Rica. This has been hard for me to believe that it rains is this dry place. I finally saw the rain yesterday. It rained all night and for most of the day. When it rains, it pours. May begins the rainy season here. It is kind of amazing to think that I have been here for six weeks and it has only rained one day. The rain did not stop Ashley and I from going to the beach and walking around town. The rain does not stop people from leaving their homes. The Ticos embrace the rain.

(COOL PLACE)

(The woman of the Family.... Maria and her mom)

Well I had many laughs before I left the country early. I made a cake for my family last week and it turned out miserable. I should have taken a picture of it. I used Sprite with the Funfetti mix, but after baking it I realized that I put too much Sprite in! My family still ate it but I felt bad. We all laughed and had a good time, though.

(Teaching in Costa Rica=FUNNY and FUN)

(One of my students)

Another funny experience in Nicoya with my family---
The neighbor's dog ate my underwear literally! In Costa Rica, many people do not dry their clothes with a dryer because they line their clothes up on a line. My clothes were on the line and my underwear happened to fall off and before I could stop the dog, he jumped over to our house and chewed up my underwear. Funny, I know. And, I'm the girl here with the least amount of clothes and under garments.

Also, this week my 8th grade class, which is my FAVORITE learned Amazing Grace. My teacher, Harold, who sings lovely, loved singing it and learning it as well. We sang it to the nuns at the school and they loved it! It was beautiful! I wrote the lyrics on the board, the students copied them, learned the pronuciation, and then sang it many times. This was after we had our on little hamburger cookout in our room. It was really fun and very different from the states. Students brought knives, uncooked meat, grills, and many other things that shocked me! But it was fun, safe, and they learned how to take directions in English and learned how the US eats burgers.

(LOVE THIS GIRL!!!)

(One of my students getting the bag that I was donated because he did the best on his project... he wore it all week... made me cry with joy)

Well, I will write later.

Sarah

This week has been the most chaotic, but rewarding week of this trip. I was able to take lots of pictures with my two classes because they were not doing a lot in class. We took lots of class pictures outside and the kids really seemed to enjoy being photographed! My cooperating teacher also put together a picnic for me and both of my classes came together for the picnic. The children were very well behaved and really seemed to enjoy being outside of the classroom.

As the week went on, everything continued on the same schedule as normal! The swine flu was continually getting worse and it was all that was on the news. On Thursday we got news that there was a possible case in Nicoya and the person was being checked out in the Hospital. It was a very chaotic day with figuring out what would be the best option for us girls. After much debate, three of us decided to head back to the US as a precaution because we were unsure about the cases popping up all over Costa Rica, as well as how the airlines were going to be dealing with planes coming into the US.

After telling my family that I was leaving, it was a very emotional night. I spent a lot of time with my host brother and just relaxed with them. I also went into town to say goodbye to Andrea and Harold, the two teachers that were close to us at the school. I really miss my family down in Costa Rica, but I am glad to be back in the US. It was the most amazing experience and I will continue to keep in touch with my CR family in the future!

The final week was bittersweet. From the first day I arrived i felt so welcomed by the people of Costa Rica. Nicoya really feels like my home now and the people in the town feel like my family.

I finished my finals days in Costa Rica by saying my goodbyes to my family and students. I have learned ande xperienced a lot through this journey to Costa Rica. I have expanded my view of the world, of diversity and of community. I have observed different ways of education and learning. This trip was the perfect thing for me at the end of my college career.
I am now leaving this country that was so welcoming and life changing, to continue my lief in the States. This was a good transition for me from student to teacher, to profssional. I will always remember my time in Costa Rica, and hopefully one day I will have the opportunity of returning.

This week was my last week in Costa Rica. The week was very on schedule, up until Thursday. Since the swine flu was all over the news and the world, a couple of us were very concerned with our situation in Nicoya. There were so many different stories going around the city, like there were two cases in the hospital already, and another person said that it was one person. None of us knew what to believe and what really was going on.

Thursday was a hectic day and a very thoughtful one. I had to determine whether to go home on Friday, or wait until that next Wednesday when we were originally scheduled to return. I was back and forth on the phone with my parents, and with all of the other girls. Ultimately, my decision was made after talking to Megan's mom, who made really good points about coming home. She shared her thoughts about getting stuck here and planes not being able to come back into the US, as well as if it became a high risk area I would not be able to be on campus for 7 days. If I had to stay away from campus for 7 days, that meant that I would not be able to come to my graduation, which I did not want to happen. All in all it was my personal decision, and I really think that I made the right one for the situation that I was in.

After making the decision, we went back to the school to say our goodbyes to the teachers, as well as the students. Everyone was very supportive with our decision to go back to the states, and very sad at the same time. I was really glad that I was able to get so many pictures with my students, as well as the English teachers and Principal.

After school, I went home to pack and hang out with my family. I made them a cake and sat around and talked to them. I think not being able to see them will be the hardest thing because I have become so comfortable with them and I really feel like I was a part of their family. They gave me a gift, which was two Costa Rica t-shirts and an engraved pen and pencil. I was very grateful, and the tears were free flowing by this point!

The next morning we had our road trip to the airport, which the entire family tagged along for! It was a little weird to be driving to the airport because it seemed as if I had just made the drive to Nicoya on our first day in Costa Rica. I said my goodbyes at the airport before boarding the plane with Megan and Sarah. It was a very good trip back, and I would not have traded my experience for the world!

GOODBYE COSTA RICA! PURA VIDA!

Well, it is wierd to be back. I kinda hate it and love it all at the same time. I feel like I'm more of a culture shock now than I am back to the U.S. than when I was in Costa Rica. Everything is stressed, busy, and pending here! In Costa Rica I had no care in the world... I just taught everyday and lived the life of a tica.

Teaching in another country and not speaking their language was AWESOME! I learned so much about myself and how I can adjust to something totally new. Since the lifestyle was so laid back, I became that way as well. By the last week, I just taught my classes with no preparation because that is how it happens for the most part and loved every bit of it!

It isn't as if the teachers are not doing a good job, it is just different and students are as well. It was hard trying to learn the structure of the school because of how different it was, but by the end I could say, "Everyone needs to be respectful to me or the other teacher," and the students would listen. I started to move students around who would normally being "chatty katty" with and told them instead of talking they need to the listening!

I loved it because I didn't feel as stressed and nervous all the time about teaching, it just happened and flowed out of me. I feel as if my students did learn with me as a teacher. I was teaching one of my classes about possessives and making them hold conversations using those words and sentences. It was fun to be creative each day!

I want to go back and teach again. Without the threat of the swine flu... I'm there. I really loved it and took away so much.

Sarah

So the time has come to depart from my amazing family and friends of Costa Rica. Estoy muy triste (I am very sad). I have become very familiar and apart of Costa Rica and wish there was more time here. The final three days at school were very tough watching people become aware of the fact that us gringas were no longer goes to be showing our smiling faces.

The number one question I got was "When are you coming back?" The answer is unknown but the want is soon!! Everyone has offered their home to me when I come back and I would love to take them up on that offer.

The hardest part about leaving was realizing that I would not have the Pura Vida life style anymore and the opportunity to see the ones I grew to LOVE everyday! I am very much missing them and wish they could travel to the states to see how our culture is.

Tuesday was the start of the festivities for us. The school had been bringing money in the previous week and we had overhead through our new knowledge of Spanish that there was going to be a assembly for us. In between classes they had a break where the English teachers had presented us gifts that the school had bought us. This really made our day and very thoughtful of the school.

After school my mom invited over all the English teachers to our house and we had a party. It was a lot of fun and I will never forget it! Wednesday was the hardest day because I had to say goodbye to my family! They have been nothing but helpful and nice to me and the rest of the girls. I was being picked up at school so I had one more time to say goodbye to everyone. I did not want to go but unfortunately I had to. I had an amazing experience and I wish I had more time there.
God Bless Costa Rica!!!

I was not sure what to expect when I arrived to Costa Rica. However, it did not dawn on me until I saw my schedule that I was like an elective teacher here in NC. What I mean by that is I had break throughout the day and I would teach multiple grades. I really enjoyed this. When I walked into my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classrooms I felt overwhelmed and useless. The students did not understand that I did not speak or understand Spanish because they continued to come and talk to me. I just simply smiled and said No Se y Lo Siento!! I found out through the first week that learning a second language is very difficult but being immersed like we were it was the best way to learn.

Students in Costa Rica do not have a choice of which language they want to learn. They only have English as an option. For the grades I interacted with I learned that repetition and repeat after me is how the students learn English. They have textbooks that the teacher follows with because it gives a good foundation. The book has a pronunciation topic to introduce like long e sounds. then a story is give where the teacher reads it. The sound has many words about the particular topic. However, the teacher takes it further by going more in depth with the story and learning the vocabulary of the story and asking comprehension questions. The teachers I worked with were great!

It is possible and not hard to teach students without all the fancy manipulatives and technology... is what I Iearned in Costa Rica and is different from what I already new. I have been surrounded by manipulative and technology that I have seen many classroom teach without all these things. And the students learn just as much and it is not as hard as some people say.

The teachers wanted to learn English and communicate with us. After we were there for a week more teachers would try and communicate and see how they can help us and vice versa. By talking with others we all agreed the difficult part about each others language is not understanding it but speaking it. The pronunciation for the same letters in each others language is different and that is hard to adjust to.

I really liked the unity of the school teachers. Every Wednesday school is dismissed at 12:00 so that the teachers can have a meeting. It is similar to a faculty meeting but since it is a private Catholic school, they discuss their lives and God. They all help lift each other up when problems arise outside of the home.The teaching methodology is similar to ours in the fact that you teach topic by topic and not overwhelm the students.

However, one main difference is discipline. They have a universal discipline plan but the students are very rambunctious. The organization of the class is not in place and I know the English teachers are looking into other methods. They are looking at different state's discipline plans and they want to change theirs sooner than later.

I learned that at first things will be difficult but keep at it and will soon become easier. This was
true for me learning Spanish and for teaching my students. It was difficult but I wanted to learn so therefore I did. I learned that I am a good teacher and by continuing to learn I can be a great teacher.

Where you live affects what the students are going to learn because the best way to teach is by relating the information to them. So in science they learn about animals Costa Rica has first then goes into similar animals around the world. Same for Social Studies, as in they learn there history first and then learn how other countries has affected them. Also they environment that you teach in affects how you teach. If the school is a more active and hands-on school then you will tend to teach that way. Everyone's culture has different morals so in Costa Rica every kid goes to school because that is important for their future. Culture plays a large role in what is being taught and what is not being taught.