The Secret Admirer and Best Paths

I have the most grandisimo cappuccino in the world right now and it is sooo delicious.  I love sitting at this place in the mall, it's sheltered but on one side it's completely open with fountains, beautiful plants, and the mountains (hey, that rhymes).  And this little coffee place is RIGHT here, it's perfect :) Today was another good day at school - my kids were so well-behaved!  I don't know if it was just because we only had a few classes together today or what, maybe it was my mood?  Maybe it's because I have a little system down for how to teach them, or maybe I am beginning to accept the fact that they will always have a lot of questions no matter how well I explain something, especially because they always want to double check that their answers are right.  Or maybe we're all just getting used to how we all work together, I don't know, but I will not complain.  

Katherine (Flor's niece) and I have started to go on a walk every morning at 5:30 before everything else we have to do during the day.  It's amazing how much better the day feels after this.  She is such a sweetheart too, and reminds me a lot of Flor with all of her wisdom and optimistic views.  Speaking of Flor, I think I can almost count on having a new little surprise in my room every day - one day it was a new bathroom rug, one day it was a coin purse and a Costa Rican bag, another day it was some more pillows, once it was a lamp, I even came home to a tv in my room, and today it was a desk!  It makes me laugh because it's not like I reallyyy need any of these things, but she just always thinks of something else.  She's wonderful, and at the same time, she makes me miss my real mom.

I realized that I have some favorite faculty members at my school.  You're not supposed to have a favorite student, but that's okay, because I have about 20 favorite students, the other ones I just don't know as well yet.  So as far as faculty members, my cooperating teacher is wonderful, but besides her I absolutely love the cleaning lady! I think her name is Hydu? She's so funny, only speaks in Spanish, but she calls me "the girl with green eyes" even though they're blue.  She's always striking up a little conversation with me or giving me a silly look because she knows I'll laugh.  There's also another teacher assistant about my age and she is just awesome.  

Then there are two other teachers who sometimes seem kind of intimidating, but they're actually really laid back people who are almost always laughing.  Today I was talking to them, when one of them goes, "does she know about the secret admirer?" The other one said, "Oh I don't think she does.."  So they reminded me about how on Monday the school announced the winners of a poetry contest, one from each grade.  The winners read their poems to the school, and it was adorable when my fourth and fifth grade student winners read theirs.  The fifth grade boy had written a love poem and even though it was in Spanish, I could tell it was very lovey dovey.  Everyone was giggling and clapped so much at the end, girls even screamed for him.  I was sitting there looking around wondering, who could this lucky little girl be who he wrote the poem for?  Is it one of my students, how cute! So anyway, they said, "well, you know that love poem that J.P. wrote?... It was about you!" HAHAHAHA HOW embarrassing!! The whole day I couldn't stop myself from randomly laughing out loud, and it didn't help that I accidentally ran right into the poor kid at the end of the day.  Wow, teaching tomorrow will be interesting but I think I can just pretend like I don't know.  

Anyway, an overall very good day - It's been a month teaching at this school and I already have about a million and two stories about my students - and I'm already very attached to them.  One of the fourth graders, Matias, is just hilarious and adorable.  He was telling me about how he has his own office at his mom's work where she's a psychiatrist. Then he even said, "Come to my office on umm on Monday, yes, that's a good day, I can give you a gratis, I mean free, a free consultation".  So my kids really do think I'm crazy.  They also think I'm a good soccer player, haha, this is because they were getting ready for recess and one of the kids got his soccer ball out and kicked it across the room.  I was upset that he would do this, and out of instinct I stopped the ball with my foot (wearing my cute lacy flats..) and did a pass to myself that I learned awhile back when I played.  Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. Okay, it wasn't even that cool or anything, but they weren't expecting it and were for some reason really impressed.  "Teacher, you play futbol??" haha, we'll let them think I'm a star "futbol" player. 

 

Even though the school doesn't have a lot of classroom materials, I figured out that most of their money goes into all of their text books and work books, which are all really nice.  I love the reading books, and I think my cooperating teacher realized this because, well I'm always looking through them... so she's been having me teaching reading lately. YAY :) This is a poem from the book that I like and can relate to:

The Best Paths

The best paths

are whispers

in the grass

a bent twig

a token, a hint

easily missed

The best paths

hide themselves

until the right

someone

comes along

The best paths

lead you

to where

you didn't know

you wanted to go

Las Detalles - The Details:

*A box of chocolates "just because" from a new friend

*Coming home to a note and a flower in my room from my tica mom

*Getting a phone call from my parents & best friend

*A hug and smile from my students when they see me

*Hot Costa Rican coffee after school

All little things, little details that make life beautiful <3

Tomorrow two of the other student teachers here are leaving, which is bitter sweet... bitter because they're the people I've been talking to and hanging out with the most, but sweet because I'm so happy to have had the chance to meet these girls.  They are both about six years older than me and very sweet.  Jess and I hung out a lot because she lived close, so we would have coffee with Flor, have Latino dance lessons, or go on little get-aways within Costa Rica together.  Rachel was teaching at the same school with me so we talked a lot there and shared all of our classroom/teaching stories.  They both gave me some teaching materials and some books that they don't want to take back with them, which I am overwhelmingly gracious for!  

One of the books was from Jess, and it's one of the best children's books ever: The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  All of these little mishaps through out this kid's day make him so upset and grumpy that he keeps wishing he was in Australia. It's adorable.  Some days when I'm teaching here I feel a little like this poor kid - I think, poor me because I just want to be able to teach how I'm used to, but it's not the way these kids learn.  

Today was a pretty good day, though.  I only taught one lesson and it was extra difficult to keep the kids on task because they were constantly taking turns leaving the room to try on their outfits for their talent show this weekend (I secretly can't wait for this talent show to just be over with already!).  The trick to it is keeping a positive attitude, being firm with out of control students, and giving extra attention to the well-behaving students.  It's such a challenge for my students to be motivated reading in their expensive, beautiful and colorful reading books - why? because it's in English. So I stop every now and then and try to explain what's going on in very simple terms and lots of actions.  I think they think I'm a little crazy.

As mean as I feel like I'm being to them, especially when I give them pages to work on in their workbooks (yes, written in English) during class, I keep reminding myself: this is how they're used to learning... and at least I smile at my students and still try to make learning fun for them, which is more than I personally think some of the other teachers can say.  I don't want to be friends with my students, and it's not the end of the world if they don't like me for disciplining them, but I do want them to know I care about them.  At the end of the day, students aren't going over in their heads everything they learned at school, instead, they're thinking of all the things that made them happy through out the day - and years later they aren't going to necessarily remember everything they learned in fourth or fifth grade, but hopefully they will have good memories with me as their teacher.    

Other things I've been up to lately: I went to a dance club where there was a live Latino band; I sometimes get to have Latino dance classes in our living room because there is a guy who lives in my house who is a dance teacher!; go on weekend and even day trips to the beach (Jess and I went to playa hermosa a few weeks ago and last Sunday we went to playa herradura for the day); going to a really nice pool in Orosi where the water comes from the springs of a volcano; going to the ferria, it's a long street full of stands with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables sold really cheap; learning how to cook some delicious CR meals a la Flor, such as ceviche (YUM); going to a cool movie theatre where the movies are in English with Spanish subtitles and where you can drink things like beer or coffee or you can eat caramel corn; walking two and a half hours to the Basilica in Cartago for the remembrance of the African American angel "La Negrita"; lots of girls nights where we drink wine, dance, do our nails, and yesterday  Jess even gave me a little haircut; celebrating Flor's birthday about three times and mother's day...it was cute because all of the students' moms came to school for some fun activities and then they left school early; going on little trips to the capital, San Jose, to go to the Central Market (it's insane there with all the different things they sell) and going to my new favorite little coffee place here called Cafe Latino with new kinds of artwork displayed every week.

I'm excited because my dad is visiting me next week! How awesome that I get a chance to travel this country with him. Hmm, I wonder if he'll recognize me... for the first time since my birthday in March, I finally feel like I'm actually 22.  Partly because I feel like an actual teacher, partly because I'm pretty much on my own in a different country, and also partly because I've already learned a lot here about myself and the way I want to live.  I've taken a lot for granted back home, and being away from home, you realize things that are so incredibly important - detalles that are hard to miss, even though they were huge and right in front of your face all along.  

I know I'm already off on my biggest adventure yet, but I can't help but plan even more adventures.... except these will be with mi mejor amiga y hermana a corazon (my best friend and sister at heart), Sarah.  The details for this will be determined later but they have to do with backpacking in Europe and seeing what California is all about. 

Anyway, right now I need to figure out how to make this movie with my students about their role models - I dream big, what can I say?... 

that's Teacher Allison to you

I would first just like to say that I'm getting so good at holding an umbrella it's not even funny - yeah it looks easy, and I'm sure you've tried it before when it rains, but it's nothing like Costa Rican rain.  I've got some good methods now for when the wind blows in certain ways like you wouldn't believe.  But my favorite method is when it's raining so hard that you can hardly see where you're walking, I've come up with this great technique: put your umbrella back down into it's compact little state because you're just going to get completely drenched anyway. I might as well pack some shampoo with me at all times, too.

So my first week of teaching - I was so excited because I could tell from the outside that it was going to be a nice school, it's even right next to a coffee plantation ;) And sure enough when I first walked in I was in awe.  Seriously, there are murals, beautiful murals on the walls, painted by the high schoolers. Everything is so open with gates and windows and sky lights letting in so much natural light.  There are separate buildings for the high school, elementary, and pre-primary grades, a building with a little (sad) library and computer room, one for the office, and one for the cafeteria so the students can run right outside when they're done eating.  All these buildings are connected by sidewalks with roofs over the top for when it, obviously, rains.  Even the stairway to go up to my classrooms is open, which is necessary for when its nice, and it usually is nice most of the day. Okay, yes, I did say classrooms - plural - I teach mostly fourth grade (24 students), but a little in fifth grade also (28 students). 

My students were so welcoming - they call every teacher "Teacher" and then their first name, and since Allison is easier for them to say, I am Teacher Allison.  That's only one of the things that took some getting used to.  One of my first thoughts after my first day of being at this school was "I'm so glad I had three wonderful, amazing learning experiences in an American public school" because if I didn't, I probably would have been so lost.  (This is definitely a learning experience, too, no doubt). My mentor, Kim, back home is to thank for the majority of my teaching style - I learned so many good ideas and techniques from her which are definitely coming into use here! My cooperating teacher at this school, Viviana is extremely nice and welcoming - she made it a point to introduce me to all the other faculty.  However, she is new and has only taught preschoolers... so we are helping each other quite a bit, which is actually kind of awesome for me to voice more opinions.  My second day at the school I actually found out 45 minutes before class started that I was going to teach the lesson... about the book I didn't even read, and with no lesson prepared... but it actually went really well after I quickly skimmed through the book and made up a little story map activity - not the best by any means, but it worked considering the circumstance.

Alright, so I realized that teaching here is like teaching a whole class full of English as Second Language learners - talk about veryyyy good practice.  All of the students are native Spanish speakers, clearly, well except maybe like 3 of my students but they primarily speak Spanish.... BUT in this school, they learn every subject in English (except of course Spanish and French classes).  I think this is a unique idea, except that some of the students know very, very little English, if any I'm beginning to realize.  Also, they are used to copying notes from the board for pretty much everything, so I had to gradually start implementing my more hands-on approach - but I don't get to use it nearly as much as I would like.  This is for 2 reasons: 1. there are very little teaching materials (mostly just paper.. and everything else I have to bring), and 2. some of my ideas are too abstract for them, as it would be for anyone learning in a different language.  I have found out that my students LOVE acting and dancing (perfect match?) so I try to let them act out scenarios in most subjects and to incorporate their favorite things when ever I can.  It's so adorable how my students try so hard to talk to me in English, but sometimes I even get to practice my Spanish with them - especially with the ones who don't exactly know English.  It makes me feel like I'm actually helping them, like when cute little J.J. had a question on his test, I said it in Spanish and suddenly he understood it (go figure, right?).  My first week I thought my students would hate me because I expect them to be quiet when I talk so I don't have to yell, which I don't think they're exactly used to.  I told them I don't want to feel like I have to scream over their voices, and my voice sounds a lot nicer when I'm not yelling.  Also, I push them so hard to think and to question rather than just try to get points for copying something down; I take away minutes of their lunch if they take away our teaching/learning time because they're out of their seats goofing around; I call on students to answer questions if they weren't listening (ooo that's the worst); I do all these things that are sometimes pushing the boundaries for me, but I am actually a firm teacher, I have to be. At the same time, when they're good, I try to be extra nice, I always try to be caring, and sometimes I'm a little silly in my teaching.  I definitely got some laughs when I pretended to be Queen Elizabeth this week, but hey, it got their attention and now they know where she lives and hopefully some other things about the United Kingdom.  

Honestly, after my first two weeks teaching here I had some doubts in myself, especially when my students claimed they at times they didn't understand me.  I have to talk so clear, and slow, use simple terms a lot, even though sometimes I think they understand more than they say. Already, midway through my third week, I feel like I am gaining more respect from them, because I also try to use Spanish translations when I can and I show interest in knowing how to say something in Spanish. It's definitely a challenge teaching in this kind of environment, but I have 12 weeks left to make these kids mine and to get them a million times more motivated about learning because right now I'm just having a hard time seeing it.  Trust me, it WILL be there by the time I leave.

TODAY:  A couple days ago I asked Viviana what she thought about us having "finish early activities" for when the students are done with their work to keep them quiet and basically just preventing the chaos whenever they get a chance - to which she agreed was a good idea.  So I made these four folders (I got the idea from Teaching Esme) that say "If... you... finish... early" and then right below it translated "Si... usted... termina... temprano" and hung them up on the wall.  I was hoping to use them right away on Monday, but of course things never go as planned with schedule changes and all sorts of things constantly, so they've been hanging there.  Ever since I put them up, the kids had been asking me "Teacher Allison, the folders? What for?" It's adorable how they are so intrigued by this new little addition.  I kept telling them that if they are good listeners and we get our lessons done I can explain what they are and fill them.  Well, two days passed and we didn't get to them, but I told them it wasn't my fault and I got a big "BUT TEACHERRRRR!" Haha I wanted to laugh but that might have been mean.  So today (Wednesday) I FINALLY just took a little time before the lesson to show them all the different kinds of QUIET at YOUR DESK activities they can do whenever they are done with their work instead of getting up and talking to their friends.  Today they didn't get to use them yet because we had to cut the lessons short to practice for their talent show, but at least now hopefully it will motivate them and keep them quiet.  

Pura Vida in Costa Rica

If I were to explain culture shock, I would define it as simply as overwhelming sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and all sorts of feelings. For example, this computer I am using in an internet cafe is extremely different, I dont know how to use most of the punctuation on this keyboard, not even an exclamation point. Also, Spanish words are constantly floating around in my head and in my ears and trying to escape from my mouth. I never realized how much I took for granted communicating whenever I wanted or needed to... but culture shock isnt necessarily a bad thing, just very different. I really cant complain tho... Costa Rica is absolutely amazing. Everywhere I look no matter where I am outside here, there are mountains and exotic plants and markets full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
So far I have traveled around the little town I live in, Tres Rios, with a friend, Jenny who leaves next Monday. I have taken so many buses to a couple other cities, like San Jose, San Pedro, and Cartago to see other markets, shops, and people. Last week I went to Pueblito with my aunt Kathy. It consists of 18 houses all put together like a little community for children without parents, or parents who can afford to take care of them. We played soccer and basketball, jump roped, played cards and they taught me some dance moves... really they just need affection and friendship. They dont have a lot, but they have the biggest hearts. I will be going back there quite frequently I hope. When I left, a lot of them gave me little presents, like one of their stuffed animals or a bracelet they made, but my favorite things are their hugs.. and when they call me allison, because its easier to pronounce than allie... but when they say my name it sounds like allie-sown.. haha i love it.
Over the weekend, Jenny and I took an adventure to Montezuma, which is on the peninusla. We took a few buses and a ferry, eight hours later we arrived and decided to stay in a hotel right on the beach of this small town. I cant really think of anyone else i know, besides maybe my brothers, who would want to stay in that hotel, but it was awesome, no matter how small and kinda dirty. So there we were, hanging out in the hut outside and attached to our hotel on the beach, drinking a costa rican beer Imperial, listening to Bob Marley music while a guy in a hammock played the bongos. It was raining, one of the things I love about it here is that it is usually sunny in the mornings and rains later on in the day or night. It was so relaxing being there. Jenny and I made a lot of friends there and ended up playing cards the whole night and walked on the beach. The next day we went to this girls really nice hotel where we went swimming in the pool where only a few yards away were mango trees with monkeys swinging from them and throwing the mangos down to the ground... it basically made my day, possibly trip in CR to see those monkeys!! (hey i figured out the exclamation points!)
The ride home was much better because we got to take a jet boat with some of the girls we made friends with there... don{t worry, I took a short video of it if anyone wants to see it!
Okay, on request, I will tell you about my host mom and her house. Her name is Flor, shes my tica mother.

• Tranquila is her way of life, which means relax and go with the flow.
• She loves to dance and has taught me the salsa and the merengue! Shes a riot.
• Her food is very healthy and sooo good, it reminds me of being home. All her foods are made from fresh fruits and vegetables.. I highly recommend making a watermelon batido, or smoothie. Also, she loves coffee just as much as my mom and me.
• She has herbal remedies.. did you know that old coffee grounds and eggshells blended with water is nutritious for plants? haha, yep. Also, she took care of my irritated eyes by making tea nice and hot, then chilling it and dropping it into my eyes.. then I had to rest, and felt all better when I woke up.
• Finally, she is always giving advice and words of wisdom, along with interesting lessons during dinner with lit candles for a romantica atmosphere!

Her house, like most houses here, has a garage with a barred door where you enter. Right when you walk in, there is a seating area and to the left is her 30 year old sons room. In this room there are her some of her babies.. aka, plants. In her kitchen, there are things you would find in any other kitchen, but her best cooking appliance is oddly enough, her blender. There is a little back patio where she hangs clothes to dry and where there is a hammock to take naps in and also, more flowers. My room is actually very nice, with a big bed, and my window overlooks the patio, but when Jenny leaves, Ill have her room, and with that is my own bathroom. There are 2 other bedrooms, Flors and her nieces, and then a living room and one other bathroom. I guess Ill have to put up pictures at some point because its hard to describe it all.

Anyway, next week I will begin student teaching.. this week I am helping out at a different foster home where there are 37, yes 37, children.. its muy locisimo, or crazy, if youre muy rusty in spanish like my dad, haha. Hasta luego, Until Later!

Por que? Porque. (Why? Because.)

People ask: Are you nervous? (no - well yeah, of course I am, a little) Are you excited? (obviously!) What language do they speak there again? (Spanish) Do you even know how to speak Spanish? (un poco...) Won't you miss everyone back home? (no I'm trying to get away from you all - just kidding, but email me!) So, why did you choose to student teach in Costa Rica, anyway?

...Now this last question is one that I'm not even really sure of what the answer is. Do I really have to have a very logical reason for choosing a different country to teach in other than the easier route of picking a "regular" school nearby?  How about, "it's different; it sounded like it would be fun; I've always wanted to study in another country and I finally got my chance"? 

Another reason I might use is, "My aunt Kathy used to teach Spanish and would take her classes on trips there. I've heard a million stories of her adventures there, and she has always wanted me to go. Not to mention, she'll introduce me to the friends she has made there, so I'll have connections..."

I'm not really sure any of these answers are necessarily good enough - I mean, when I'm interviewing for jobs, will my interviewers think that after teaching four months in a Spanish speaking private Montessori school, I won't have enough relevant experience to teach in their American public school? (Which I assure them, I do! I do!)

The truth is - I'm not one hundred percent sure why I am going, but there is something that is calling me to go. I'm sure going on my mission trip to Juarez, Mexico in 2004 gave me a little push in this direction... after all, I learned more about myself, my faith, and friendship in that one week alone than I have at any other given time in my life.

So again, I want to "get away" and "try something new and out of the ordinary" (all those cliche excuses for wanting to do something and making it sound reasonable), but really, it's not something I can even begin to decipher, not just yet. 

It's almost as though at the exact moment my professor a couple years ago mentioned to our class that we could student teach in a different country, almost any country we wanted, it was like someone came up behind me, tapped me on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "That's YOU she's talking to, ya know..." to which I asked, "who? ME?? WHY?!" and then I got this response, "you'll see." And then who ever that was, left and ever since then, whenever I think "yeah, I'm not so sure -" the thought stops dead in its tracks, it gets cut off, like I never even thought it.  Any bit of uncertainty that I might feel, and suddenly I get a little nudge back in the direction... the one towards Costa Rica.

Lately I have been asking myself if I'm really suitable enough for this - I mean, I'm still learning Spanish! I'm very directionally challenged, I might get lost!

Then again, maybe that's just what I'll learn while I'm there (a new language and how to navigate in foreign places... as well as a few other things). 

I'm not too sure, but I'm willing to find out.

I'm naturally a very curious person (this used to irritate my older brother because I was always asking him "why?" over and over again).

So I'm going to stop asking, "Why am I going?" and I'm just going to go and physically discover this answer for myself (and then report it back here).

So here I go, after I pick up the fine art of packing lightly, I'll be off on the biggest adventure of my life so far - I'll be "gathering up bits of the world" and journaling it here, Thru My Eyes.