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! 

Substitute Teacher...

On Friday, all of the interns at Isla Bonita were given the task of taking over the classrooms for the day as all of the teachers were attending a Professional Development Seminar. With the energy level of the students and laid back environment, we were all a little nervous as we had only been at the school for a few days now!

Normally, I teach two Math classes in the morning, and assist with the Science lessons. However, today, Spanish was also on the schedule for me to teach since my teacher was out. Most of the students here speak Spanish fluently, so their class is mainly on the grammatical aspect and writing Spanish. 

Obviously I wasn't much help to them with their Spanish class, so instead, we played Cross the Ocean (Sharks and Minnows) on the playground with 7th and 8th grade. The kids had a blast!! But keep in mind of the heat...They asked me why I wouldn't run and play with them, and said, "Miss....why are you sweating you aren't even doing anything out here!" A huge iguana even scurried across the playground! All of the boys were picking it up and trying to tease the girls! I kept my distance...

           

After "Spanish Class" was over, Club time began. The only problem was that none of the UNCW teachers had experienced club time or knew how to lead it. Students ages K-8 were trying to go to Art club, Futbol club, Drama club, and Dance club, but none of us knew what was going, where to send kids, or what we were supposed to be teaching. It was a mad house! Belizean $2 bills were being shoved in our faces by the students, saying that they had to pay for their club. Students were trying to escape, play rough, and do whatever they wanted.  We were hearing different instructions from different teachers, and it seemed like no one was on the same page! After the day was over, both the interns and the students were ready to go home.

Overcoming Obstacles

Entering Standard 5 (7th grade) to begin math class.

Although the learning environment here at Isla Bonita is very relaxed, the students' attitude towards teachers and authority is not. When a teacher or administrator walks into the classroom, the students immediately stand up and say, "Good Morning (your name). Welcome to Standard 5" in unison. The first time it happened I was a little taken aback and in awe, but now it has become a hindrance from entering other classrooms while instruction is ongoing. Once the door cracks open and the students see a UNCW student coming towards the door, they become excited to welcome you, formally, into the classroom. 

Math activity on combining like terms.

Since the students here are very active and have a lot of energy, I've been working towards gearing my lessons to be more hands on and interactive, just like back home. I take any chance I get to get the students up and out of their seats, moving around, and being involved in the lesson. It's rewarding to see the excitement in the room when students get chosen to come to the front, or when they grasp a concept. 

The biggest struggle is an issue that's prevalent in the United States as well. A few students are ahead of grade level and are very bored in class (and they will let you know), while a few students are also severely, grade levels behind. Just like in the US I try to circulate the classroom in order to reach every student, but it doesn't do much good when the student doesn't know simple multiplication such as 1x7. The schools here don't have the resources or administration to correctly address students who might need to repeat grades or be given additional help. Luckily, UNCW has brought 7 special education teachers to assist with classes and work one on one with students who need more attention. They have awesome strategies for learning information as well as social strategies that will benefit them in the classroom.

Some of the girls in Standard 5.

Isla Bonita Primary School

Morning Assembly with the entire school

We had our first day of school!! Talk about a different environment...
The High School here doesn't need/want the help of interns as much as the Primary Schools do (Primary school goes up to 8th grade). SO I am teaching Standard 5 and Standard 6 math class, which is about the equivalent to 7th and 8th grade. If you think Middle School students in the U.S. are rowdy, take a step into my classroom in Belize...

Our professors and past interns from Belize tried to warn us of the energy level of the students here, but my experience the past few days have been nothing like my expectations. Although the class sizes are much smaller here (about 15 students), the classroom management is much more difficult. The students are typically free to run outside between classroom to classroom, walk into other classes without asking their teacher or being considered an "disruption", buy snacks at the concession stand in the courtyard during breaks, and overall have fewer and less strict rules than students in the U.S. This carefree environment is something that I'm not used to at all, and it is the biggest adjustment not having to feel uptight about rules and worrying so much. 

In my classroom, it's very challenging to keep the students quiet and from moving from seat to seat. They also didn't understand the same concept of raising their hands as students in America do. To my Belizean students, raising their hand (followed by jumping in their seat) meant that they had something to say and they were about to say it no matter if you called on them or not. They are very verbal and will let you know (loudly) every thought that goes through their head. They call me Miss, Teacher, or by my first name. Sometimes it feels like I'm in the finding Nemo movie where the seagulls say, "Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine..." except for they say, "Miss! Miss! Miss! Miss!..." (Thank you Preston for the comparison haha!)

However, the students here are extremely lovable. They outwardly express their affection and it's only day 2! The older kids are given responsibilities such as transporting themselves to school by walking or biking and by looking after their younger siblings. Between the hugs and other tokens of gratitude, I feel extremely humbled being here. This is experience is truly eye opening and a reality check. It has been quite a change teaching in a different country, but I am learning to think on my toes and be much more flexible in my planning. 

Scuba Diving!!

I finally put my scuba diving skills to the test and took it to the open water! I recently got certified in South Port at Blackbeard Scuba and it was one of the more difficult things that I've done... However, scuba diving in Belize is so worth it!! A boat picked us up on a nearby dock and took us to the dive shop where we picked up our air tank and BC vests (Buoyancy Control). We then got back on the boat and met our Dive Masters and captains. Again, they are so laid back and just assume you know the ropes, even though we reminded them that it was our first dive!! 

Once we got to the first dive spot, they informed us that it was shallow enough to snorkel. Personally, I am not a fan of snorkeling because you don't need the BC vest or regulator. BC vests allow you to pump air in them to keep you afloat with your big tank. This means, I had to swim around and tread water on my own!!! Most of you know I'm not the best swimmer haha! Anyways, I tried my best and was the last back to the boat. This dive location was called Shark Ray Alley, as there were multiple sharks swimming around waiting to be fed. I kept my distance for the most part...

The next location was called the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. At this location, we strapped on our gear, and immediately jumped in the water one by one. Once everyone was in, without any more instruction, our dive masters said, "everyone, let's go down!" and started sinking...My friends and I looked at each other and followed each other to the bottom. It was BEAUTIFUL! So many fish and coral everywhere...it was easy to swim around at the bottom of the ocean and I felt like I was floating. There's so much movement at the bottom of the ocean: stingrays emerging from the sand, schools of fish floating by, and coral waving around. I felt like I was in finding Nemo! I made sure to stay near the dive master so that I wouldn't get lost from the group. The coolest sea life we saw was a huge Sea Turtle! Everyone was gathered around taking pictures with their GoPros as we admired the beautiful creature. Note: you can touch the sharks, but not the sea turtles!! Interesting, right? The dive master shook his finger at me because I mixed up the two...

We start school tomorrow, finally!! Can't wait to meet my teacher and all of my students! 

Tiki Rafiki and Power Outage

We started our service projects today! A few of us decided to volunteer at SAGA Humane Society. SAGA is a non-profit veterinary clinic on the island that hopes to prevent animal cruelty and replace it with kindness to all animals. They provide medical care and shelter to animals in need and subsidizing veterinary care to low-income families. Our job is to volunteer a few times a week after school and walk the dogs in order to give them some play time and exercise so that they can get a new change of scenery for a bit!

The dogs are SO CUTE! I want to take all of them home (can I mom?!) I was given a 6 month old mixed breed to walk named Tiki (I call her Tiki Rafiki). It's evident that the dogs here are so well cared for and are just happy to be out of the fence and getting some time to explore. Although they aren't leash-trained very well, they behaved and seemed to be friendly dogs to children and other animals. We brought a few of our dogs to the beach and called ourselves "squad goals". Check out their website! http://sagahumanesociety.org

The other interesting thing that happened on Thursday night was that the power went out on the whole island!! This obviously means no light in our rooms, no AC, no electricity. We felt like we were camping!! It's very, very hot and humid here, which means sleeping was no fun! Power came back on in the middle of the night, but it was so strong and at once that it blew out fuses and telephone poles caught on fire! It took them another day to fix it!

Made it to San Pedro!

Beautiful view when I was walking down the beach! Had to stop and take a picture.

We have made it to San Pedro, Belize! We took a water taxi here on Monday, and have spent the past couple days exploring the island, getting to know the people, and working on our community service hours. We plan on walking the dogs at the humane society, writing children's books, painting walls, and doing other tasks to help the city. An interesting fact about San Pedro is that they don't name their streets or have street signs!! They have 3 main roads that are "named" front street, middle street, and back street. It makes it super hard to navigate or find places! Most people drive around golf carts, which makes me love the small town, beachy feel!

One of my favorite places so far is this sweet little fruit stand! Maria lets you pick out any items you would like, and then offers to chop them up for you. I bought a fresh pineapple and was so grateful to have Maria cut it for me (because my mom always does it hehe!). She let me try the papaya she was cutting up and it was SO GOOD.

I think the main thing that surprises me about this country is how trusting everyone is. With money, with safety, with their belongings...it's a totally different world. For example, many of the excursions we took such as the ATM cave or Ziplining had no rules. There was simply a sign at the front saying "enter at your own risk." What! In America, we would have to sign wavers, have a million rules and regulations, and be restricted in many ways. In addition, their laws are so different. I've seen very few speed limit signs, and most people drive a little crazy to be honest! Every experience so far has been a positive one, and I'm super excited to get to know the people and then finally get into the classroom!!

Final Day in San Ignacio

 Right outside of our hotel in the main street of San Ignacio, Belize

Happy Easter!! It's sad being away from my family for the first time ever on this day. I miss my people so much! On the other hand, these adventures the past few days have been nothing short of amazing and I'm so thankful to have this experience to see more of the world. Today, we take our final excursion in San Ignacio to the Mayan Ruins. Tomorrow, we will take a Water Taxi to San Pedro where we will start student teaching throughout the upcoming weeks. So excited!

View from the top of the Caracol Mayan Ruins, also known as "Caana" (skybox)!! This temple is about 138 feet above the ground, and took over 300 years to build. Looking up at the ruins from the ground, we thought that there was no way we would get up to the top. They were SO high and the steps were SO steep. Our guide said, "Okay you have 45 minutes, go play!" Lemme tell you...climbing to the top was a WORKOUT. I felt like I was back in Jennifer's boot camp class at the YMCA! But it was way worth it. This view was spectacular. We didn't want to go back down! (And we knew it was going to be just as painful going down as it was going up...) Not only was this view amazing, but the actual structure resembled a castle with many rooms and nooks back inside of it. Our guide walked us through the passages and pointed out where the Leaders and Noble Mayans would reside, as well as the "conference rooms." 

Wanted to give a shoutout to one of my Math Professors, Dr. Slaten! In my History of Mathematics class (yes, I took that, and I loved it!), she taught us about the origins of numbers in various cultures, the Mayan numeric system being one of them. Throughout the ruins and other structures, I could recognize Mayan numbers all over the place!! I was probably a little too fascinated! Our guide was also impressed on my knowledge of the number system ;) 

Trip to Guatemala!

  

  

Since our group had a free day, a few of us decided to take a bus ride over to Guatemala. Here, we got to go ZIP-LINING!  Our guide, Hernando, was super fun and allowed us to go down the zip-line Superman Style and UpsideDown (which I know what you're thinking... yes, it is NOT allowed in the U.S.!). After going through the incredible zip-line course, we took the bus over to the Guatemalan Island/Town of Flores where we had lunch and shopped around. It was beautiful! 

When we arrived back in San Ignacio, we found out that there was a FAIR going on to celebrate the start of Easter!! How great! It felt much like the NC State Fair: all kinds of vendors, (rickety) rides, and food. This picture is taken from the top of the Ferris Wheel, which by the way, goes EXTREMELY FAST....When I got off, I told the guy controlling it how Ferris Wheel's don't go nearly as fast in America. He responded with a shrug and said, "Welcome to Belize!"