Back to Reality

Bittersweet feelings sank in as we boarded the plane to head back to the US. Leaving behind this beautiful island was harder than I thought! I reflected on my journey and realized how much I have learned in the course of the past 5.5 weeks. I've learned to be patient and flexible. The schools here have a much different idea of education, so it was hard for me at times to adjust to their expectations. Since the students do have a much higher energy (and noise) level, I had to be patient and remember that it's okay to not have everything go as planned, life will go on.

These wonderful students of mine have been a blessing to work with. They made me laugh until I cried, feel special, and also made me want to pull my hair out at times. Getting to know them was super easy, but leaving them was almost impossible. Seeing one of my male students cry actual tears as I hugged him goodbye made me choke up. All of them questioned when I would be back to visit. I will miss these kids and everything that they continued to teach me more than anything.

 

Although it took almost the entire duration of the trip to get used to, I will miss the laid back and easy going lifestyle. The people here are just so satisfied with where they are in life, and it was humbling to watch how generous people are throughout the trip. Through all of the people I've met: Flip- our caring dive master, Albertina- makes the BEST food, DJ Debbie- a DJ who loves giving back, James- hand makes beautiful wooden bowls, Coconut Leo- one of the most interesting locals, Josh- the Coffee Bar owner, and many, many more. These people were selfless, so happy, and were extremely hard to say goodbye to. I am so thankful for my opportunity to grow on this rich and simple island. There's no doubt in my mind that I will be back to visit one day!

Final Week in San Pedro

Our time here experiencing the culture on this beautiful island is coming to an end as we only have one week left in the schools. Throughout our time, our main priority has been to improve on what we want to do the rest of our lives: our teaching. However, there's also been time for a few other activities of our choosing that allows us to embrace San Pedro to its fullest.

We loved participating in the 5K for Autism Awareness! It was too hot for me to run (although some in our group did it!), but was great to be with the other interns throughout the event. Community members, families, and even dogs participated in the 5K. Our group won a trophy for having the largest number of participants! 

A few of us still volunteer at SAGA Humane Society to walk the dogs! SAGA just got these cute new puppies that we are IN LOVE with. The pup I walked, Boomer, would get tired of walking and would just stop and lay down on the sidewalk. I had to pick him up and he would snuggle in my neck. I hope he gets adopted fast because he was the sweetest little thing!

   
Lastly, I've gotten to Scuba Dive in one of the most incredible places in the world. We got to see sea turtles, a variety of fish, and play with nurse sharks! Our dive master would flip over the sharks and let us pet their bellies. You could see them wiggling with enjoyment! Their backs are tough and felt like sandpaper, but don't worry, these sharks have too small of mouths to have the desire to attack humans. 

With my final few days here, I want to focus on what I came to do, but also enjoy the wonderful life around me. The beaches here are beautiful with white soft sand and crystal blue/green waters. Although I'll be headed back to another beautiful beach at Wrightsville, nostalgia will sink in after I leave San Pedro followed by moving out of my beach house in two weeks. The real world is about to hit real fast! 

Isla Bonita School Dance...

Watch out, San Pedro! The students here are looking mighty fine at their school dance. A group of the UNCW interns at the school decided that we wanted to organize a school dance as one of our community service events. Our school hadn't hosted a dance in a few years, so we figured it would be the perfect way to get students hyped up and off the streets! ;) 

Although we told the school that we would take care of the planning, announcements, decorating, etc., Isla Bonita really helped us out in pulling the entire event off.  During breaks and free time, a few students volunteered to make posters to hang around the school prior to the event. The principal announced the dance multiple times at morning assembly as well as sent a note home with the students. The staff volunteered to grill hotdogs and provide sodas for sale (as well as a few adult beverages...very different from America). One of the local, talented DJ even volunteered her speakers and equipment as well as her time!

The school let out an hour early the day of the dance so that the teachers could prepare and decorate the school. However, majority of the students volunteered  to stay after and help hang balloons, lights, streamers, and chalk the sidewalk. The students were so proud of themselves and the school looked beautiful! 

The dance was SO similar to what you would find in America. The middle school students were dressed up: the girls running around gossiping while the boys stood in the corner up to no good and embarrassed by us teachers. The younger students hung out at the DJ booth requesting song after song. Some students would go out to the dance floor and kill it; others had to be dragged out to dance by their teachers and friends. 

By the end of the night, we had the entire crew doing Cupid's Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, dance tunnels, and conga lines. It warmed my heart to see so many smiles, hear endless laughter, and watch funny little dancers. The school dance was one of my favorite nights so far, but also had a bittersweet vibe as I realized that my time attending dances are over. Now I move forward into the next chapter of my life: chaperoning school dances and wishing I was the one being embarrassed by my teachers instead of doing the embarrassing...

What Day is It? Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! How awesome that students in Belize celebrate and participate in Earth Day too?! Teachers educate their students on conservation, recycling, and littering just as much as we do in America. To help make Earth Day shine, students from a few different Primary Schools here in San Pedro decided to put on a parade throughout town. 

When I think of a parade, I think of the Raleigh Christmas parade with floats, bands, and basically organization and a multitude of bystanders. However, this parade was slightly different. Students made posters with handles decorated with phrases such as "save our planet!", "#trees4life" and "NO MORE OIL DRILLING!" There were no bystanders. Instead, we just walked  through the streets of town, catching the eyes of random tourists who would instantly whip out their phones and take pictures of us. It almost reminded me of a protest.

However, the parade was a blast. My fellow interns and I had the joy of embarrassing our middle school students by shouting chants and making "Earth Day" remixes to different songs. My favorite:
We've got the whole world in our hands. 
We've got the whole world in our hands.
We've got the whole world in our hands.
We've got the whole world in our hands.

We've got to stop a sea turtle from eating a bag.
We've got to stop a sea turtle from eating a bag.
We've got to stop a sea turtle from eating a bag.
We've got the whole world in our hands.

Some students joined in, while others rolled their eyes saying, "Misssss!", trying to stay as far away from us as possible. Overall, it was awesome to see that the students here are trying to make a difference by educating the community on the importance of conserving our planet. Even though I was sweating bullets parading through town, (again, getting made fun of by the climate-acclimated students) it was a wonderful bonding experience with many memories that I will always cherish.

Growing as a Teacher

Taking the class of 8th graders to the beach as a reward for working hard all week!

Through my time so far in my internship back home as well as my internship in San Pedro, I've learned so much about what it means to be an effective teacher. The knowledge of the content you're teaching is important, but what's even more important is the relationships you build with the students. 

Coming into a new country to teach, I felt a little out of my comfort zone and intimidated to be presenting material to students who I knew nothing about, let alone not knowing how math is taught here. Here in San Pedro, the students have really given me the chance to understand the importance of getting to know them outside of the classroom. When you gain a strong relationship with a student, you actually gain so much more: respect in the classroom, interest in what you're teaching, and having someone that looks up to you.

Bonding with one of my students through an "interview"

I never get tired of learning more about my students here! There's such an open environment that I love experiencing. I find such interest in asking them questions throughout the day, such as what their parents do, what they do in their free time, if they've always lived here, etc. Many of their parents own dive shops and restaurants or work at the local airport and hotels. Most students were born here, while some moved here from other countries in Central America when they were young. One student commutes on a water taxi every day from Caye Caulker, while others walk or ride their bikes by themselves to school. Some students have hopes of going to college, while many others want to open their own business and/or take over their parents' businesses. 




Being carefree and easy going is a main part of this simplistic lifestyle. Students aren't caught up in technology the same way that we are in America and the people are content and happy with their uncomplicated way of living. The kids here LOVE to play outside despite the heat. Since the island is small, I run into my students in various places multiple times a day. Just like if this occurred in America, some excitedly run up and say, "hi miss!!!" while others shy away and act like they don't see you, not wanting to be embarrassed by their teacher. 

I loved teaching my students back in America, and I love teaching my students here in San Pedro. Observing the similarities and learning about the differences in culture has been one of the most meaningful lessons, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to teach here and learn in this beautiful place.

Some of my students walking back to class.

Seeing Through her Disability

Mr. Pedro working one on one with Dayanara

Meet Dayanara  one of my students in 7th grade at Isla Bonita. Dayanara is visually impaired to the point where she can only see vague outlines of figures and some color in her right eye. Although she uses braille to read and write and is limited in her ability join in during some activities, she has the brightest spirit and loves to learn. When I met Dyanara, I was immediately impressed with her ability to name and recite all of the UNCW teachers and which classes they were in. 

Although Mr. Pedro and her other teachers try their best to accommodate her, she doesn't get the full attention that she needs to understand the lesson. Often times, she sits there fiddling with objects until a teacher comes back over. She is so capable of learning everything that the other students learn, but needs the one on one time. There simply aren't enough resources or specialists here that can tailor a lesson to fit her needs. 

Some of the work from my students on my American students' video

As part of my Full Circle project, I made a compilation of videos that my students sent me of their hobbies and interests. My goal was to show the video to my Belize students and have them write down the similarities and differences of life in America to life in Belize. They could also write a few sentences on what they wanted my American students to know about them. A few students wrote about how they can also go boating, play sports, and have math class. They were interested in our constant shark attacks, football, and snow in America. 

After showing the video, I had a sinking feeling as I realized that Dayanara couldn't see any of the videos that played on my small computer screen. As the students ran outside to begin their break, Dayanara stayed back and asked if I could explain to her what some of the hobbies were. She then asked if she could spend her break writing a letter to my students on her Braille machine. I joked about how none of them would be able to read it, which she then laughed saying, "No miss, you'll have to write in pen what I type!" My teacher heart melted as I handed her the machine and watched her get to work. 

I attached her work below and tried to enhance the lighting so that the braille is visible!

Birthdays and Caye Caulker

After a long week of teaching, we were in much need of a relaxing weekend! Our group traveled to the beautiful, quaint island of Caye Caulker on the sailboat, stopping on the way to take a quick snorkel. Once we got there, we ate lunch at a restaurant with plenty of ocean breeze and walked around the island to shop. This island was much more calm than San Pedro. There weren't crazy drivers in golf carts zooming by or cat calls coming from every direction. The change of pace was appreciated by the UNCW students! 



It was also one of my close friend on the trip's birthday! We couldn't find her a birthday cake, so we improvised by making her this Watermelon Cake! After we blew out the candles and scraped the wax off the watermelon, we split it up for the group to enjoy. 


I also sat on the porch of our hotel and enjoyed the beautiful sunset here. Although these sunsets are pretty, they sure don't compare to a Wrightsville Beach Sunset...missing home right about now!