I’ve really been slacking as a blogger. Whoops. I apologize.
I have actually attempted to write a few blogs in the past month but I kept getting too emotional to finish. Even when I was writing about the 1,000 wasps that Alejo killed outside my bedroom window, I got emotional thinking about how my struggles with Costa Rican wildlife would soon come to an end. Enough is enough, I am ready to face these emotions and fill you all in on what has been going on recently.
My next few blogs I am going to sum up what each part of this year has meant/given to me. Beginning with my school and students, then I will dedicate a blog to my Pacayitas friends, one to my Pacayitas family, and finally one to my fellow volunteer friends.
The end of the school year has been a mess. Classes have been cancelled so often and I wasn’t able to squeeze in all the information I had hoped to teach my students. Oh well, they are happy because this means a shorter/easy final exam. I give my final exam on Friday and then I am done teaching. I’ve been reflecting back on my year at Escuela Mollejones and I am pleased with all my students and I have accomplished in the classroom. My students started with almost nothing. They had only experienced English class for 2 months in the summer of 2010 before I arrived for the year. I remember flipping through the curriculum book that the Costa Rica Ministry of Education had provided us, and thinking there is no way I can even begin to approach some of the topics it wanted me to teach. Granted, this book is based on schools that have permanent English teachers and expects that the students have all had English class since first grade. Their bar was set to high. I set a bar for myself. I wanted my fifth and sixth graders to be able to tackle lessons that were originally planned for fourth graders. Obviously, I beefed up the lessons, as they could handle more reading comprehension and more vocabulary words. I told myself it was ok to avoid some of the lessons, like the sexual education lesson. I figured with my poor Spanish and their low English level, there was too much room for misinterpretation and I would most likely wind up in an uncomfortable position or my students would have a very poor understanding of this important subject. I just left it up to my director to teach that subject in their science class, where, in my opinion, is the only place it belongs. Why they think it is necessary for fifth graders to know that information in English is beyond me. Anyway, with my second, third, and fourth graders, I based all their lessons mostly of the third grade lesson plans. Since I taught second and third grade in one group I figured it was better to reach a little higher as opposed to making it too easy for the third graders. Yes, I often had to spend extra time with my 3 second graders further explaining verbs conjugations and sentence structure. I sometimes even had to alter the exams for the three of them. In the end, I think it has been good struggle for them. One of my second graders even has the second highest grade in the class of second and third graders. My fourth graders were tackling the same lessons as my fifth and sixth graders by mid-Summer. Obviously first grade was the easiest because I could pretty much follow the curriculum. I changed some things up based on their interests and I feel good about their English level as we come to the end of the year. It has been so amazing to see my first grader’s intelligence grow this year. From not knowing how to spell their names back in February to being able to conjugate verbs in English… it has been an incredible process to witness and aid.
My time in the school this year has been a rollercoaster ride for sure. Some days I wanted to pull my hair out. Other days, I didn’t want to go home. My students have changed my life in so many ways. They have taught me patience and strive. Their ability to overcome obstacles is inspiring. Each of my students possesses incredible talents and I can’t wait to see how they choose to utilize their gifts in their lives. I am positive that each one will be successful in their endeavors.
Each of my students holds a special place in my heart. I am so grateful for having been a part of their lives this year. I hope to keep up with them all. Escuela Mollejones will always be an important part of my life. I plan to visit often and give whatever I can to help maintain the incredible learning environment that exists there.
