Prompt #1

I have only had one class that specifically addressed teaching student with different special needs. I feel very unprepared to teach a child in my class who is severely disabled.  I know that I have several resources that I can take advantage of in order to include this child in our classroom and help her advance academically.  Kristen and Ms. Curry will be of great help to me, as they specialize in special education and I’m sure they have many tips for inclusion.  I also found out that the more comfortable this student got with me, the more she would open up and respond to me. I was having trouble assessing her academic level, but spending more time with her and gaining her trust allowed me to get more responses from her and I now have a better idea of what she is capable of.  With only 5 students in my class, I feel that I will be able to assist this student with special needs with help from my peers and teachers.

I can’t believe our first week at school is almost over ! It’s the last week before school lets out for Easter break, so our schedules were a little off. This is also the last week of preparation for the Miss Isla Bonita pageant, so many of our students were out of class for the afternoon to practice their dancing and modeling. I’ve become so accustomed to following a schedule and carrying out the plans I’ve made a head of time, so it felt very strange to be trying to come up with things to do off the top of my head on a moment’s notice.  I think this is going to be good for me, though.  Not that I won’t plan in my own classroom, but during hectic days or weeks, it becomes necessary to think on your feet and change the schedule around. The “go with the flow” atmosphere I’ve experienced this week has definitely challenged me and will continue to challenge me when we get back to school, but I’m going to try to plan what I can ahead of time the best I can. 

                I took over our math class on Tuesday, so that is one thing I have been able to plan for ! I’m not sure that it was ever stated that I would teach tomorrow, but the math teacher gave me the direction for the next few lessons and I took that as, okay I’m going to go home and plan just in case.

                Yesterday afternoon we celebrated one of my student’s birthdays by going on her grandpa’s boat (another advantage of going to school right on the Caribbean Sea).  First, we went to Shark Ray Alley and swam with huge fish, sting rays and nurse sharks. The kids all thought it was hilarious how scared I was! Then we took a ride to Hol Chan.  I learned that Hol Chan is a Mayan word meaning “little channel”. We were lead over the reef and saw SO many cool things.  The coral was gorgeous and we saw clown fish, sting rays, grouper, an eel and a barracuda !  I was pretty much in shock the whole time, it was unlike anything I have ever seen.  For my 11^th birthday we went bowling or to the movies. This definitely beats whatever it was we did at any of my birthday parties…maybe next year…

We're Here !

Hey everyone ! We’ve arrived in San Pedro and have been busy getting to know our new home.  It is amazing here ! The weather has been beautiful, which made for a great day by the pool at Pedro’s Inn and swimming off the pier at Ramon’s. We’ve been trying all of the different places to eat, but I think my favorite place so far is the fruit stand.  For 1$, we each got a quarter of the freshest watermelon I’ve ever tasted. We attended the “Chicken Drop” on Thursday night, which if you have no idea what that is, it may come as a shock.  They have a big dance floor looking area, with a low fence and numbered squares from 1-100. They put a, slightly dizzy, chicken in the pen and people make bets on what number the chicken will poop on. It sounds crazy, but it was actually a lot of fun, and the live reggae band was excellent !

Friday morning we visited the schools we would all be working in.  We first went to San Pedro High School and it happened to be “share day”.  The students had put together different science, math, language and history presentations to share with their peers, younger students, and parents. They were all so excited to share their projects and it was easy to see that they LOVED school ! Next, we went to Isla Bonita Elementary school (did I mention that we walked on the beach the whole way to school?). I was placed with a Standard 5 class, around the age of fifth graders in the United States. Teacher Sharon is the teacher I will be working under and we have only 5 students in our class ! I’m so excited to start and to see how the teaching styles compare to the ones we use back home.

This morning we woke up and walked down the block to The Yoga Room where we did an ocean front yoga class. I can definitely see this becoming part of my weekend routine ! Afterwards we went to George’s Kitchen for one of the most delicious breakfasts I’ve ever had. Later, we took a bike ride to the northern part of the island. We had a lazy afternoon on the pier and took some cool pictures…More to come !

Can't wait !

3 Days to Go !!

       Hello everyone ! I just finished my internship in Mrs. Cumbee-Moore's 4th grade class at Eaton Elementary. What a great experience! Her students are great and Mrs. Cumbee-Moore is such a passionate teacher; both were an incredible source of inspiration for me.
      In three days I will be driving to Washington, D.C. to catch my flight to Belize City! I don't think it has fully hit me yet, but I'm starting to get really excited ! I have never left the country, so I'm a little unsure of what to expect, but I can't wait to embark on this new adventure.
      That's all for now..I guess I should probably start packing !!