Here is a survey that I recently filled out for WorldTeach about my experience this past year. I just thought I'd post it here as well, because maybe it'll answer some questions that people have. :)
1. How would you describe your students? What motivates them? What motivates you to return to their classroom?
I quickly found that kids are kids in every country and culture. My students are happy, fun, energetic children. Each grade is very different. My first graders get excited about anything that I get excited about, be it singing a song or doing an art project, whereas my fifth and sixth graders are often more worried about friends and appearances than studying for exams. Because I have so few students, I have been able to get to know each one very well. I see something special in each one of my kids, and have learned that what motivates each student is different. I have learned to relax and joke around more with my fifth and sixth graders and be more of a "friend" to them than an authority figure. With my younger students, I learned that if I act really excited about an activity, they will mirror my excitement. Thinking about that special aspect of each of my students is what motivates me to come to school each day and try to make each lesson plan live up to their expectations. It is often my most challenging students that most motivate me to come to school each morning with a new plan as to how to reach them. Also, I know that many of my students love being in school because they come from difficult home lives, so I try to make my classroom as positive and fun of an environment as I can for them.
2. What aspect of the WT program was most helpful for improving your teaching?
Although it was difficult at times, I learned most from trial and error this year, from being thrown into a classroom environment and each day trying something new to see what was the best way to reach my students.
3. Looking back, what do you wish you had known before participating in WT?
There were so many things that happened this year that were shocking at first, but then you learn to adapt. The number one way each volunteer's experience is similar is that we learn to expect the unexpected and deal with each new challenge as it comes.
4. What is the most interesting thing you learned about yourself through this experience?
When you're thrown into such a new environment with very few consistencies from your life in the States, you are forced to look deep into yourself and see both the good and the bad. It is a very introspective experience. I learned that I am able to adapt to many different situations. What surprised me most about myself was how much I had to struggle to keep my emotions under control and stay patient with others; however, learning this about myself has also allowed me to develop the skills I need to deal with this aspect of my personality.
5. What was most difficult for you in this experience? How did you confront this challenge?
My biggest challenge was learning to work in a school environment that was very different from any school I have ever known in the States. At first, I tried in vain to control the mass chaos that often took place in my school. As I'd watch at recess, kids would be climbing on huge rocks, up trees, over fences, running in the streets, throwing sticks and rocks, and playfully wrestling in the dirt. I suffered minor anxiety attacks as I pictured one severe injury after another occurring. With time, however, I learned that there were some things that I just needed to take a deep breathe and let happen. My school and town has been functioning this way for years, and although it may not be "ideal" by my standards, it has somehow managed to function pretty successfully for over 40 years.
6. What was your most memorable experience(s) with WorldTeach and why? (e.g. overcoming a challenge, something surprising about the country/program, a rewarding experience, etc.)
Some of my most memorable experiences have occurred toward the end of the year, as I have now more-or-less adjusted to the way of life here in rural Costa Rica. I have learned to accept our differences and cherish many aspects of this "tranquilo" culture. I have relaxed about so many things that used to really upset me, and am now able to see many things in a more positive light. My favorite experiences have been with my students and my host families.
7. What qualities do you think are important for WorldTeach volunteers to have?
Above all, the ability to be flexible and adapt. You will be faced with challenges that no one can predict beforehand. You will be one person in a town of dozens if not hundreds. There will be many things that you cannot change. More than anything, it is you who will change.
8. What advice would you give to someone considering WorldTeach?
Come into the year without expectations. Know that you will be faced with challenges, you will experiences highs and lows, you will be scared and nervous and lonely, but you will go on, and you will overcome every obstacle put in front of you. You will meet some of the kindest and most generous people, form wonderful relationships, and have some of the best experiences of your life. It is both empowering and humbling, and you will come out of it a stronger and more confident person.
9. Would you recommend this program to others?
I would highly recommend this program to someone who wants to come to Costa Rica and teach, to contribute to a rural community, to know another culture, and to learn another language. But you will be a full-time teacher and living with a host family. It is very challenging, but also very rewarding.
viernes, 26 de noviembre de 2010
Costa Rican Culture--November 2010 Essay
Before committing to volunteer in Costa Rica as an elementary school English teacher for a year, I spent several hours reading and talking to others about Tico culture. One reoccurring theme was that Costa Ricans do not value personal space and independence in the same way that we do in the U.S. As an extremely independent and self-sufficient American, I knew that this would be a struggle for me. I read that Costa Ricans, or “Ticos” as they refer to themselves as, often do not need nor want “alone time” as Americans often claim to require. Despite knowing that this would be a challenge for me, I began preparing for my year abroad, not knowing at the time how much Tico culture would truly impact me over the next 12 months.
I spent the first month in the breathtaking town of Orosi for orientation, where I stayed with a host family and attended classes on Spanish, teaching, and Costa Rican culture each day with the other 23 volunteers in my group. My host family seemed extremely nice and surprisingly understanding of the acculturation process I was going through. Days during orientation, however, were long and tiring. We were constantly having to process an abundance of new information, translating between English and Spanish, and experiencing a diverse array of emotions.
After a little over a week in Orosi, I arrived at my host family’s house tired from a full day of classes and uncharacteristically homesick. It was my dad’s birthday back in the States, so I was excited to call him. However, as soon as I arrived home, my family told me we were leaving in five minutes for a rezo to bless the nativity scene in a family member’s house. I felt overly disappointed and emotional, and although I was not in the mood to go, I decided to be flexible, telling myself that I would be home early enough to call my dad. We arrived at the party around 6:00 p.m. only to find out that it started at 7:00, meaning we would be home by 9:30 at the earliest. I was so overwhelmed with disappointment at not being able to call my dad that I could no longer hold back the tears. My family stared at me bewildered as I stood bawling in the foyer. They sat me down on the couch and tried to console me. Meanwhile, a steady stream of relatives poured into the house, only to find me bawling in the middle of the family room. I met several of my host aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time that night.
As family members continued to surround me, all I could think was “I want to be alone!” I knew that if they just left me alone for a few minutes, I could pull myself together and stop crying. Finally, I said I was going to go for a walk and left the house. My host mom told my 13-year-old brother he had to go with me, but I begged him to leave me alone. When I arrived at the house again 30 minutes later thinking I had gotten all the crying out of my system, my host mom hugged me and a new stream of tears began. This time they herded me into a side bedroom and people took turns sitting with me for the next hour or so as I cried non-stop. My host brother sat by my side the entire time, cracking jokes to make me laugh between sobs. When I was finally able to settle down, I was thankful to be surrounded by such caring people. I felt oddly close to this family whom I had just met a week ago. This was my first experience with one of the most challenging and one of my favorite aspects of Costa Rican culture.
Four weeks later, I arrived in the small mountain town where I would teach for the next 11 months. Upon walking into my new house, I quickly noted that there were no ceilings separating the rooms; not even the bathroom had a ceiling. In the house would be my host parents, my ten-year-old host brother, my five-year-old host sister, and myself. I have always loved kids, so I was excited to have young host siblings. As we sat on the couch that first afternoon, my sister studied me curiously. As she sat swinging her feet back and forth on the oversized chair, a big smile lit up her face and she told me that she liked my shoes. A few minutes later, she got up and ran into her room, returning with a piece of candy for me. Later that night, she gave me a princess sticker. As my host mom likes to say, we had an instant connection.
I quickly learned, however, that living with a boisterous five-year-old in close living quarters was also extremely challenging. Months later, we like to joke that my sister is my “shadow,” as she is always bounding behind me, full of questions and comments and wanting to see and touch everything. Despite the fact that I love her immensely, she is often a challenge. I frequently wake up in the mornings and stumble out of my room to find her sitting at the kitchen table smiling up at me, wide awake and bursting with energy. Within seconds, she is at my side. When I come home from school in the afternoons, she runs to open the door for me and asks me to play. If I am traveling for the weekend, she likes to help me pack my bag. With a lack of ceilings in the house and my sister waiting on my every move, privacy is hard to come by. Although my family is very respectful of my personal space, it can be difficult to explain my need for “alone time” to a hopeful five-year-old.
As a fiercely independent person, I am not accustomed to asking for help; in fact, it’s quite difficult for me. Luckily, many of the Costa Ricans I have met often do not seem to consider that I never asked them for help. In October, I planned a long-awaited Halloween party for my students. I wanted it to live up to their expectations, so I had several activities planned. As I began to prepare a few days beforehand, I quickly felt overwhelmed with the work ahead of me. The day before the party, I had accepted that I would be in the school until very late that night to finish preparing. Soon after I began making halloween treats in the school kitchen, the school cook found me and decided that she would help me. Although at first I told her I was okay, she insisted. Finally I relented and quickly realized that we worked much faster together than I ever could have done on my own. We finished my first project and ran to attend a school board meeting. Then, to my surprise, she insisted on staying to help me with my other projects. A few minutes later, a neighbor came in, saw what we were doing, realized that it was going to take awhile, rolled up her sleeves and set to work. The three of us finished my projects by early afternoon, and they turned out so much better than I could have done alone. I thanked my neighbors endlessly. They explained to me that Costa Ricans love to help others, and I could not agree with them more.
My year in Costa Rica has been full of experiences such as these. Although my first reaction is often “leave me alone!” or “I can do this by myself!” Costa Ricans have a way of shrugging off my requests and generously helping or accompanying me anyways. Many of these people who so often annoyed me with their persistent ways have left an unforgettable impression on me. My heart aches as I think about leaving them; however, I know that this is proof that this year has been an amazing and life-changing experience. One of the most challenging aspects of these past 12 months has also made it one of the best of my life. I have learned to take a deep breath and accept help and friendship where it is offered. As I often tell the Costa Ricans that I meet, of all the cultures that I have known, I have never met one that is as generous and kind as theirs.
I spent the first month in the breathtaking town of Orosi for orientation, where I stayed with a host family and attended classes on Spanish, teaching, and Costa Rican culture each day with the other 23 volunteers in my group. My host family seemed extremely nice and surprisingly understanding of the acculturation process I was going through. Days during orientation, however, were long and tiring. We were constantly having to process an abundance of new information, translating between English and Spanish, and experiencing a diverse array of emotions.
After a little over a week in Orosi, I arrived at my host family’s house tired from a full day of classes and uncharacteristically homesick. It was my dad’s birthday back in the States, so I was excited to call him. However, as soon as I arrived home, my family told me we were leaving in five minutes for a rezo to bless the nativity scene in a family member’s house. I felt overly disappointed and emotional, and although I was not in the mood to go, I decided to be flexible, telling myself that I would be home early enough to call my dad. We arrived at the party around 6:00 p.m. only to find out that it started at 7:00, meaning we would be home by 9:30 at the earliest. I was so overwhelmed with disappointment at not being able to call my dad that I could no longer hold back the tears. My family stared at me bewildered as I stood bawling in the foyer. They sat me down on the couch and tried to console me. Meanwhile, a steady stream of relatives poured into the house, only to find me bawling in the middle of the family room. I met several of my host aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time that night.
As family members continued to surround me, all I could think was “I want to be alone!” I knew that if they just left me alone for a few minutes, I could pull myself together and stop crying. Finally, I said I was going to go for a walk and left the house. My host mom told my 13-year-old brother he had to go with me, but I begged him to leave me alone. When I arrived at the house again 30 minutes later thinking I had gotten all the crying out of my system, my host mom hugged me and a new stream of tears began. This time they herded me into a side bedroom and people took turns sitting with me for the next hour or so as I cried non-stop. My host brother sat by my side the entire time, cracking jokes to make me laugh between sobs. When I was finally able to settle down, I was thankful to be surrounded by such caring people. I felt oddly close to this family whom I had just met a week ago. This was my first experience with one of the most challenging and one of my favorite aspects of Costa Rican culture.
Four weeks later, I arrived in the small mountain town where I would teach for the next 11 months. Upon walking into my new house, I quickly noted that there were no ceilings separating the rooms; not even the bathroom had a ceiling. In the house would be my host parents, my ten-year-old host brother, my five-year-old host sister, and myself. I have always loved kids, so I was excited to have young host siblings. As we sat on the couch that first afternoon, my sister studied me curiously. As she sat swinging her feet back and forth on the oversized chair, a big smile lit up her face and she told me that she liked my shoes. A few minutes later, she got up and ran into her room, returning with a piece of candy for me. Later that night, she gave me a princess sticker. As my host mom likes to say, we had an instant connection.
I quickly learned, however, that living with a boisterous five-year-old in close living quarters was also extremely challenging. Months later, we like to joke that my sister is my “shadow,” as she is always bounding behind me, full of questions and comments and wanting to see and touch everything. Despite the fact that I love her immensely, she is often a challenge. I frequently wake up in the mornings and stumble out of my room to find her sitting at the kitchen table smiling up at me, wide awake and bursting with energy. Within seconds, she is at my side. When I come home from school in the afternoons, she runs to open the door for me and asks me to play. If I am traveling for the weekend, she likes to help me pack my bag. With a lack of ceilings in the house and my sister waiting on my every move, privacy is hard to come by. Although my family is very respectful of my personal space, it can be difficult to explain my need for “alone time” to a hopeful five-year-old.
As a fiercely independent person, I am not accustomed to asking for help; in fact, it’s quite difficult for me. Luckily, many of the Costa Ricans I have met often do not seem to consider that I never asked them for help. In October, I planned a long-awaited Halloween party for my students. I wanted it to live up to their expectations, so I had several activities planned. As I began to prepare a few days beforehand, I quickly felt overwhelmed with the work ahead of me. The day before the party, I had accepted that I would be in the school until very late that night to finish preparing. Soon after I began making halloween treats in the school kitchen, the school cook found me and decided that she would help me. Although at first I told her I was okay, she insisted. Finally I relented and quickly realized that we worked much faster together than I ever could have done on my own. We finished my first project and ran to attend a school board meeting. Then, to my surprise, she insisted on staying to help me with my other projects. A few minutes later, a neighbor came in, saw what we were doing, realized that it was going to take awhile, rolled up her sleeves and set to work. The three of us finished my projects by early afternoon, and they turned out so much better than I could have done alone. I thanked my neighbors endlessly. They explained to me that Costa Ricans love to help others, and I could not agree with them more.
My year in Costa Rica has been full of experiences such as these. Although my first reaction is often “leave me alone!” or “I can do this by myself!” Costa Ricans have a way of shrugging off my requests and generously helping or accompanying me anyways. Many of these people who so often annoyed me with their persistent ways have left an unforgettable impression on me. My heart aches as I think about leaving them; however, I know that this is proof that this year has been an amazing and life-changing experience. One of the most challenging aspects of these past 12 months has also made it one of the best of my life. I have learned to take a deep breath and accept help and friendship where it is offered. As I often tell the Costa Ricans that I meet, of all the cultures that I have known, I have never met one that is as generous and kind as theirs.
May 17th Essay
Here's an essay that I wrote on May 17th, 2010 about my experience in Costa Rica up to that point:
When I arrived in Palo Verde to begin my year as a WorldTeach volunteer, several conflicting emotions ran through me—excitement, fear, anxiety, determination, uncertainty. I had visited for one night a week earlier during orientation to drop off a bag and to get my mind wrapped around where exactly I will be living for the next year. As before, I catch the only bus in Cartago that goes to my town and sit anxiously for the next 30 minutes or so, until the bus turns off the highway and makes its way, very slowly, down the mountainside. I again feel as though the bus is going to slide right off the mountain, but the driver competently maneuvers the vehicle down the winding road until we stop at Palo Verde. I awkwardly carry my excessive amounts of luggage off the bus and carefully make my way down the steep dirt road that leads to my house. I pass two other houses on the way, several cows that stare at me suspiciously, and quickly acquire a small parade of dogs behind me. As I walk up to the front of the house, my host mom, 9-year-old brother, and 5-year-old sister are anxiously waiting for me. I greet them all with a kiss on the cheek and then they show me to my room to unload my luggage. I glance around me at my new house. It’s very small and simple, but so much better than I had originally imagined. My house is well-built and clean. There are three bedrooms, a kitchen, a small living space, and one bathroom with warm water. From my windows, a seemingly endless expanse of mountainside stretches out before me with more green than I have ever seen.
My first few weeks in Palo Verde seemed to pass quickly. I took advantage of the first couple of days to get to know my new family and town and prepare for the first week of school. My first week of teaching went surprisingly well. Although I had been told that schools in Costa Rica often begin slowly and then trickle out towards the end of the year, I began teaching 80-minute classes the second day. I wake up at 5:00 every morning to shower before the rest of my family, as five of us share one bathroom, and arrive at school around 6:45 to begin teaching at 7:00. I teach the five 3rd- and 4th-graders from 7:00 - 8:20, at which time we then have a morning snack. From 8:40 – 10:00, I teach the six 5th- and 6th-graders, and from 10:00 – 11:00, I teach the three Kindergarteners. At 11:00 we eat lunch, and then I teach my last class of the day, my five 1st-graders, from 11:40 – 1:00 p.m. Especially during those first few weeks, I left the school around 2:30 everyday absolutely exhausted. However, as my mind and my body began to adjust to my new environment and the new language surrounding me, I became less and less tired and able to use my afternoons to take long walks up and down the mountainside and enjoy the beautiful scenery around me.
Palo Verde is a small town of about 100 people in the province of Cartago. It is literally on the side of a mountain and overlooks the valleys below and the mountains in the distance. There is a river that runs past the bottom of the mountain that I often walk to in the afternoons. I can walk down the dirt road that runs past Palo Verde and arrive in about 45 minutes at the neighboring town, where there is a small internet café, a little supermarket to buy basic food items, and a pulpería. At the center of Palo Verde, as in all Costa Rican towns, there is a soccer field and a Catholic church. The weather is often cool in the mornings and at night, but it can get quite warm in the early afternoons. It rains often, sometimes for a week or more at a time.
The most amazing thing I have learned about Costa Rica thus far is how generous and friendly the people are here. It no longer surprises me when I meet someone for the first time and within minutes they are giving me their phone number and telling me that “their house is my house.” The other day I was sitting on the bus waiting to go back to Palo Verde, when I started talking to a woman from a nearby town who I had just met. She excused herself and ran off the bus, to arrive a few minutes later with an ice cream cone for me. My neighbor recently took me to her mother’s house in a nearby city, and immediately they told me I was more than welcome to come stay at their house whenever I wanted to. People I just meet are often going out of their way to help me. Although teaching in Costa Rica has been difficult at times, it is the generosity and kindness of Costa Ricans that often make it worthwhile. I work everyday to give back to the Costa Ricans in my town even a fraction of what they have taught me in these past few months.
When I arrived in Palo Verde to begin my year as a WorldTeach volunteer, several conflicting emotions ran through me—excitement, fear, anxiety, determination, uncertainty. I had visited for one night a week earlier during orientation to drop off a bag and to get my mind wrapped around where exactly I will be living for the next year. As before, I catch the only bus in Cartago that goes to my town and sit anxiously for the next 30 minutes or so, until the bus turns off the highway and makes its way, very slowly, down the mountainside. I again feel as though the bus is going to slide right off the mountain, but the driver competently maneuvers the vehicle down the winding road until we stop at Palo Verde. I awkwardly carry my excessive amounts of luggage off the bus and carefully make my way down the steep dirt road that leads to my house. I pass two other houses on the way, several cows that stare at me suspiciously, and quickly acquire a small parade of dogs behind me. As I walk up to the front of the house, my host mom, 9-year-old brother, and 5-year-old sister are anxiously waiting for me. I greet them all with a kiss on the cheek and then they show me to my room to unload my luggage. I glance around me at my new house. It’s very small and simple, but so much better than I had originally imagined. My house is well-built and clean. There are three bedrooms, a kitchen, a small living space, and one bathroom with warm water. From my windows, a seemingly endless expanse of mountainside stretches out before me with more green than I have ever seen.
My first few weeks in Palo Verde seemed to pass quickly. I took advantage of the first couple of days to get to know my new family and town and prepare for the first week of school. My first week of teaching went surprisingly well. Although I had been told that schools in Costa Rica often begin slowly and then trickle out towards the end of the year, I began teaching 80-minute classes the second day. I wake up at 5:00 every morning to shower before the rest of my family, as five of us share one bathroom, and arrive at school around 6:45 to begin teaching at 7:00. I teach the five 3rd- and 4th-graders from 7:00 - 8:20, at which time we then have a morning snack. From 8:40 – 10:00, I teach the six 5th- and 6th-graders, and from 10:00 – 11:00, I teach the three Kindergarteners. At 11:00 we eat lunch, and then I teach my last class of the day, my five 1st-graders, from 11:40 – 1:00 p.m. Especially during those first few weeks, I left the school around 2:30 everyday absolutely exhausted. However, as my mind and my body began to adjust to my new environment and the new language surrounding me, I became less and less tired and able to use my afternoons to take long walks up and down the mountainside and enjoy the beautiful scenery around me.
Palo Verde is a small town of about 100 people in the province of Cartago. It is literally on the side of a mountain and overlooks the valleys below and the mountains in the distance. There is a river that runs past the bottom of the mountain that I often walk to in the afternoons. I can walk down the dirt road that runs past Palo Verde and arrive in about 45 minutes at the neighboring town, where there is a small internet café, a little supermarket to buy basic food items, and a pulpería. At the center of Palo Verde, as in all Costa Rican towns, there is a soccer field and a Catholic church. The weather is often cool in the mornings and at night, but it can get quite warm in the early afternoons. It rains often, sometimes for a week or more at a time.
The most amazing thing I have learned about Costa Rica thus far is how generous and friendly the people are here. It no longer surprises me when I meet someone for the first time and within minutes they are giving me their phone number and telling me that “their house is my house.” The other day I was sitting on the bus waiting to go back to Palo Verde, when I started talking to a woman from a nearby town who I had just met. She excused herself and ran off the bus, to arrive a few minutes later with an ice cream cone for me. My neighbor recently took me to her mother’s house in a nearby city, and immediately they told me I was more than welcome to come stay at their house whenever I wanted to. People I just meet are often going out of their way to help me. Although teaching in Costa Rica has been difficult at times, it is the generosity and kindness of Costa Ricans that often make it worthwhile. I work everyday to give back to the Costa Ricans in my town even a fraction of what they have taught me in these past few months.
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