Monthly Archives: May 2018

Mindo and the Amazon Rainforest

Posted on by
Reply

My last two weekends in Ecuador were pretty busy.  I traveled 2 hours Northwest of Quito to the small town of Mindo.  I took the first bus out of the La Ofelia bus terminal (7:40 am), which cost about $2.10.  Mindo is known for its diversity among animals, especially parrots, toucans, and hummingbirds.  I stayed at the Dragonfly Inn, which was recommended by previous BSU students, and it did not disappoint.  Another hotel/hostel I would recommend is the La Casa de Cecilia.  The staff was friendly and helpful in suggesting excursions and the food was fantastic.  In two days I crammed as much in as I could.  I went to the Butterfly Garden, took a cable car across a valley and hiked down to several waterfalls, did a chocolate tour, visited a nearby hostel and enjoyed the hummingbirds and animals that came up to the patio, took a night hike (highly recommend!), got up early and hiked to see toucans, and went horseback riding.  All the activities were great and I was pooped by Sunday.

Cable car that went across the valley.

Cacao pods from the chocolate factory.

Night hike – so much fun!

Wednesday Colegio Menor had a half day.  After the students let out the teachers headed outside to a tent set up near the school.  The celebration was part teacher appreciation and part going away party for the school’s headmaster.  Holy moly!  This was the most intricate party set up I’ve ever seen.  The décor, table settings, flowers, and food was fancier than any wedding I’ve been to.  I took a ton of pictures.  Many of the teachers choreographed songs and dances and preformed them for us as a gift for the headmaster.  It’s very clear that the faculty and staff have admiration for Scott, the headmaster, who has been with the school since its beginning.  I asked around and the other teachers say this type of party is normal.  They have a welcome party like this at the beginning of the year and an elaborate Chris tmas party.  There was beer and champagne as well – something you’d never see in the states.  Well, no school in the U.S. could afford a party this extravagant.  There are student teachers from Western Kentucky teaching at Colegio Menor as well and we’ve all gotten to know each other well.  All the student teachers sat at a table and gawked at everything.  We had so much fun!

Tent set up

3-tier rose center pieces

Teachers singing

Friday, we had a bomb threat drill in the morning.  There has been growing tension at the Colombia and Ecuador boarder with FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). There have been kidnappings, murders, and bombs on a daily basis close to the boarder.  (This is all over drugs and Ecuador refusing to allow drugs to be muled through their country.)  The school wanted to be cautious and prepared should anything happen on campus.  However, after the drill an administrator explained that should something happen it would either take the police 30 minutes to arrive or 30 minutes for them to do a sweep of the school.  This was said in Spanish, so I was a little confused.  If it’s the former I guess we’re left to fend for ourselves. LOL This being said, the school is very safe.  There are security walls around the perimeter of the school and security officers at the entrances.  I asked a teacher who has been at the school for 6 years if he felt the need to worry and he said although the school looks nice, security is at the top of the list of important factors due to the families that attend the school and the security officers are trained in such events.

This past weekend was a 4-day weekend due to Labor Day in Ecuador.  I traveled to the Amazon Rainforest for 3 days and 2 nights.  Again, from previous recommendations, I chose to stay at the Huasquila Amazon Lodge (semi close to Tena).  The lodge was a resort in the middle of the jungle.  I have nothing negative to say about the lodge, it was amazing, but I was a little disappointed it wasn’t more of an authentic Amazon experience.  I was originally looking to stay with an indigenous tribe on the river, but it would have been too far to travel for such a short stay.  My “room” consisted of a private bungalow with a thatch roof.  The owners were staying there for the long weekend and brought their kids and some friends.  They are from Cumbaya as well and their kids go to the German private school near my host mother’s house.  They were so nice and I got to know the mom on one of our hikes.  Speaking of hikes, I went on several hikes that consisted of beautiful waterfalls, a pitch dark cave with spiders and bats, a hike to a canyon with waterfalls and swimming, and a night hike.  We went to a local Kitchwa village, where they danced and made food for us.  At night we made chocolate from coca beans and poured the melted goodness over banana slices.  The guide, Miguel, also roasted larva on the grill and we each tried one, which surprisingly happens to taste like bacon.  I had so much fun and loved seeing all the living organisms that make up the rain forest.

Main Lodge which houses the front desk, kitchen, and dining area. The food was AMAZING!

My bungalow

Cave hike – we used the flashlights from our phones to guide the way. As you wade through water you have to pay attention where you put your hand to steady yourself because there are spider scorpions all along the walls.

Kitchwa village

We did a fun hike to a canyon that consisted of wading through rivers and mud.

Waterfalls, waterfalls everywhere!

I returned to Cumbaya Monday night.  We had an additional day off, so my roommate and I spent Tuesday exploring the artisan market in Quito, buying souvenirs to bring back home.  We met up with Dr. MacMillan in the afternoon and shared our teaching and travel experiences with him.  On the way home I got dropped off at Arianna and Helena’s home and visited their neighbor’s pet alpaca, Cody.  I met their host mother, who was so sweet and gave me a tour of her home.  Cody, the alpaca, is 10 months old and lives in their backyard.  He’s treated like a large dog and even goes into the house and rough houses with the dogs.

Cody, the pet alpaca

On my last day in Ecuador I decided to do a bus tour of Quito.  I had been so busy traveling to faraway places each weekend that I hadn’t been into the city except to go to the bus station.  The bus tour took us around to the popular tourist spots and we were able to hop off and visit.  I stopped at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, which is the largest church in Ecuador.  I climbed the steps of the towers who’s lookouts gave sweeping views of Quito.  I also hopped off at Iglesia de La Compania de Jesus, a church decorated with gold leaf, gilded plaster and wood carvings.  I walked around Independence Square/Plaza Grande for a bit before catching the bus.  The next stop brought us to El Panecillo, a 45-meter-tall stone monument of a madonna that can be seen from any location in the city.  The views of Quito from this vantage point were also spectacular.  I rode the bus until it circled back around to the artisan market and got off to buy more souvenirs, then rushed home to finish packing and headed to the airport.  My Ecuadorean adventures had come to an end.  I had so much fun teaching and traveling around Ecuador, but was ready to go home.  I missed my boyfriend and was looking forward to graduation, which was a week away.  If you choose Ecuador as your student teaching location you will not be disappointed.  Feel free to reach out to me for any questions about the country, school, host families, travels, or experience!

Basilica del Voto Nacional

El Panecillo

View of Quito from the top of the church. You can see El Panecillo on the hill across the way.

Questions for Friends Who Just Finished Up Student Teaching Abroad

Posted on by
5

hi everyone!

 

I know this may be unconventional but I figured I’d take advantage of my ability to post on the EduBlog already, and I’m not sure if anyone will actually see this since you’re all graduated and entering the adulting life (congrats, by the way!) but I’m going to ask anyway . Anyway,  my name is Amelia, and I will be student teaching in Zurich this fall. As I’m reading through everyone’s posts I just find myself with a million questions that I feel like only those who have gone through this experience can truly answer. That being said I have a few questions for y’all and some specific ones for those who went to Zurich.

 

Everyone:

1. Did you experience culture shock, and if so how did you deal with it?

2. Did you save up enough spending money? What did you find yourself spending the most of your own money on?

3.what was the most rewarding moment you had while student teaching?

4. What kind of schools supplies to you recommend bringing (if any), aside from pens/pencils, laptops, papers, and a binder?

5. Is there anything you wish you had brought but didn’t?

6. Is there anything you brought but wish you hadn’t?

7. Any packing tips?

 

Zurich teachers:

1. What do the teachers there wear? Is it business casual like many of our schools, more casual, or more formally business attire?

2. I know Zurich is expensive, but how expensive is expensive? Did you bring enough spending money/ how much would you recommend bringing?

3. Were you able to travel to school on foot or did you have to take public transport? If you had to take public transport how expensive was it?

4. For the meals your host families didn’t provide, did you go to the local grocery store and prepare them yourself? Also, what foods would you recommend?

5. What are the students like in comparison to American students? What are their relationships with teachers like?

Life for students in San Pedro

Posted on by
Reply

Since Hillary and I are in the same classroom setting, and she has spoken about how the school environment is, I want to tell you guys about how life for students is here from what we have seen. There are 6 classes of first form students of about 20-30 students in each room, when you get to a higher level, like forth form (senior year) there are only 4 classes of students. This shows how high the dropout rate is at the high school. Most of the schools on the island are not free so the students parents have to pay tuition, which gets more difficult as the parents get older and have more and more children. The 6 or 7 primary schools in the area all converge into one at the high school so all types of education and levels of wealth are found in the same building. Once the students reach first form they are spread out but not by any sort of class level, so there are many different learning levels in one room with no sort of differentiation set in place for students who may need more help. What surprised us the most in the classrooms was that there would be students ranging from 12 years old up to 17 or 18. It is easier at the high school to keep students back for an entire year than to find out the best way to teach them because the teachers have so many students.

We found that usually once a child is held back so many times or they don’t make a connection with school or the work that is done there they drop out. The island of San Pedro is a tourist destination where the sad truth is that you make more money in the hospitality industry than if you were to stay in school and become a teacher. There is not much incentive for students here to get their high school diploma other than to fulfill wishes for their parents or if they plan to move onto college. The only colleges in Belize are on the mainland and offer no housing, so even if a student does graduate high school they must find a relative or friend to live with in the city while they attend University, which is easier said than done. Most of the teachers we met on San Pedro were amazing and truly want their students to succeed but with the very little resources they have it is difficult to make all your students interested in lets say 1oth grade social studies.

Many of the high school students have siblings at home, usually younger, that they have to take care of sometimes. Their parents are either working all day and night or there are just so many children in the household they just need the help. A lot of our students also help their parents with their work. We saw one girl many times out late at night helping her mother in the park selling food. We now understood why so many students don’t perform well at school because they are so tired. The island is also extremely small and mostly impoverished. The homes that we did get to see inside were very small inside with entire families living in them and sort of makeshift to whatever materials were available to build with at the time. Most people here don’t know any better that their situations are not ideal, and they feel very fortunate for what they have but it makes sense why so many children seek a life out of school for the appeal of quick and easy money. These children grow up around tourist spots and see people partying and drinking every weekend and that is more of a fun lifestyle than staying at school.

Though there are many obstacles facing these children beginning in primary and lasting all the way through high school, the teachers do their best. They offer night school for students who want their diploma but would like to work during the day and they also serve as counselors for students who have no one to talk about their issues with. We are very fortunate to have met the amazing staff and students at San Pedro High School and wish them absolutely nothing but the best, it was such an amazing experience. Hope to visit again soon!

xoxo

Last days in Ecuador

Posted on by
Reply

It is the end of my last week here and I’m so sad that time flew by so fast. I had my last day of student teaching yesterday and today was my last full day here. One of the many things I will miss about this country is the soup. The Ecuadorian soups are just so good!

 

One of my favorite soups- pepper soup and I love to have popcorn in it the way they do here in Ecuador.

 

I can honestly say I learned a lot by being here. Not just about myself but about people as a whole. Everyone we came across in our travels was happy to help us find where we were going when we got lost (and we got lost often). To all the student teachers that are thinking about doing any of the International Student Teaching programs, do it, because you will enjoy it no matter where you decide on going. Also I think you’ll regret it if don’t because you’ll be missing out on wonderful experiences.

A picture of the sunset from Montanita- the coast. Which was taken last weekend

Last Week in Ireland!

Posted on by
1

Dia dhuit (hello) from Ireland!

This is my last week in Dublin, Ireland, and it is crazy how fast the past 6 weeks have gone by. As I reflected upon my time here, I thought it would be a great idea to share some information about the sites, living situation, and school experience for anyone visiting or student teaching here.

First of all, Ireland has the most amazing and beautiful sites. Some of my favorite sites in Dublin were Trinity college, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, Malahide Castle, and Kilmainham Jail. Additionally, there are a lot of places outside Dublin I loved. Go see the Cliffs of Moher, Causey Farm, Howth, and Belfast. They were all fabulous and totally worth it. I am sure there are plenty of more places that are equally amazing, so don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions. Everyone is super friendly and helpful in Ireland.

I also want to share a little bit about my living situation. I lived in an apartment above the library at Marino Institute of Education (MIE). MIE is a beautiful small campus and the staff is super helpful. For anyone planning on student teaching here in the fall, I don’t know if the apartment will be available to you, but if it is, here is what you need to know. You do not need towels or toiletries (MIE provides them), but you do need an Ireland/UK adaptor. The laundry facilities on campus has a washer and dryer, but it does cost money and you have to use your own detergent. There is a small kitchen in the apartment, a cafe on campus, and a small dining hall (only open until 2pm). One of my favorite restaurants, that is close by, is Twenty2. There are a lot more restaurants in the city center, which is easy to get to by bus or taxi. Download the Dublin bus and my taxi app. They are pretty easy to use and super helpful when navigating around Ireland.

Furthermore, let me tell you about my school experience. I taught at St. Brigid’s Girls National School in Killester. The school is an all girls school starting with pre-kindergarten and goes up to 6th grade. Currently, St. Brigid’s Girls National School has 436 students and 26 staff. There are only two classes per grade and the class sizes tend to range between 25 to 30 students. I student taught in a second grade class I did most of my student teaching in the second grade class, but also spent some time during the morning in the infant classes (pre-k and k). Everyone at the school made me feel welcome, and I learned a lot about how to be an even greater teacher. The students are also equally amazing, and I will miss my second graders very much. For anyone student teaching here just know you may be placed at another school though.

Overall, Ireland was, as they would say it, a “grand” experience, and I really hope to come back someday. If you are thinking about visiting or student teaching in Ireland, then you are going to have a fabulous time. Feel free to contact me if you have an questions. I hope you enjoyed my last blog and thanks for reading!

Slán (goodbye)

Brittney St. Germaine

Hong Kong Packing List

Posted on by
2

Greetings from Hong Kong!

I cannot believe Ginger and I fly back to the USA on Saturday (crying real tears). I am going to miss this beautiful place SO much and I really, really hope anyone considering teaching abroad will come to Hong Kong because it is seriously the best place in the world (I might be biased, but I really believe it!!)

When living abroad for a few months, there is a lot to remember to pack! Here is a packing list Ginger and I put together to make any future HK teacher’s life a bit easier:

Carry on:

  • Passport
  • Travel documents (your HK visa, EdUHK official acceptance letter and any housing information that is sent to you)
  • Wallet
  • Phone
  • Laptop
  • iPad
  • Phone charger
  • Laptop charger
  • iPad charger
  • Portable battery
  • Sleep mask
  • Ear plugs (if you are sensitive to sound!)
  • Head phones
  • Neck pillow
  • Gum
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Tissues
  • Extra clothes (teaching clothes may be best in case you lose your luggage)
  • Prescription medications in their original bottles!
  • Non prescription medication (Advil, Airborne, etc)
  • Book/Journal

Toiletries:

  • Feminine products
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Soap/body wash
  • Loofah
  • Razors
  • Shaving Cream
  • Moisterizer
  • Sunscreen
  • Shower shoes (flip flops)
  • Towels
  • Tooth brush
  • Tooth paste
  • Floss
  • Retainers (if you have one)
  • Face cloth
  • * You can buy shampoo, conditioner and body wash here very easily, but the sizes are HUGE, so better to save yourself some money and pack some stuff from home*

Bedroom:

  • Twin/Twin XL sheets
  • Blanket
  • Pillow
  • Pillow case
  • Hangers
  • Dish towel
  • * I brought sheets and pillow cases with me, but I bought a blanket and pillow at IKEA when I got here to save room in my luggage!*

Clothes:

  • One pair of jeans
  • Leggings
  • One long sleeve shirt
  • One sweatshirt/sweater
  • Warmer jacket (North Face)
  • Rain jacket
  • Shorts
  • T-Shirts
  • Athletic clothes (shorts, T-Shirts, leggings, tank tops)
  • Socks
  • Underwear
  • Bras
  • Sports bras
  • Belt
  • Tank tops as undershirts
  • Sneakers (athletic and casual- black converse are very popular here!)
  • Flip flops (very important for shower!)

Teaching Clothes:

  • Dresses (past fingertip length)
  • Tops with sleeves (no shoulders showing)
  • Cardigans (especially if you bring tops/dresses showing shoulders!)
  • Two pairs of dress pants
  • Nice “teaching” shoes (flats)
  • * Ginger and I are writing this from a woman’s point of view, but if you are a guy coming here: men wear long sleeve dress shirts and chinos and nice shoes (classy sneakers are fine) No tie is required!)
  • * You spend the heavy majority of your time here teaching (40 hours per week!) so be sure to bring teaching clothes that you are comfortable in and are weather appropriate- it is very humid here and for the past few weeks has not gone below 80 degrees, so I wish I brought more spring teaching clothes)

School supplies:

There are stores in Tai Po (where you live) for these things, but we didn’t stumble upon them until recently, so to save yourself the trouble:

  • At least two red pens (grading will be your life!!!)
  • Box of pens
  • Pencils
  • Spiral notebook
  • Daily planner
  • Stickers
  • Tape/glue
  • 2 gifts for your teaching mentors from USA!!!! This is so important and something Ginger and I wish we had done. It is expected you give them a gift and we would have loved our gifts to be from the USA (At JCPS, you have 2 mentors and at ECLC, you have 1)
  • If you’re interested, one or two special books you would like to teach. The English library here is limited

Miscellaneous:

  • Cross body bag (purse) that fits your passport, phone and wallet!!!! This is definitely a life saver!!!
  • Backpack for school
  • Smaller backpack for travel/adventures
  • At least 2 reusable shopping bags (plastic bags are not available most places and, if they are, they cost money!)
  • Sunglasses
  • Camera/Camera charger
  • Hat
  • Umbrella
  • Hair elastics
  • Make up
  • Make up remover
  • Bobby pins/clips
  • Headbands
  • Refillable water bottle (very important! The tap water is not drinkable here, so you will fill your water at a refillable station on campus)
  • Bathing suit(s)
  • Letter from doctor saying you are trained and cleared to use the gym (cannot access gym without one!)
  • Acquire about 1500 HKD before coming here to make your first days much easier (AAA can exchange the money for you!)
  • Travel card (AAA or Visa)
  • Debit Card
  • Credit Card (not necessary, but may be helpful. Ginger had one and I didn’t and both were fine!)
  • Mac and Cheese/Western foods you will miss (I miss microwave popcorn so much)

Things to buy/where to buy them upon arrival:

  • IKEA (Sha Tin)
    • Plates, utensils, Tupper ware
    • Hangers
    • Blanket
    • Pillow
    • Clips for the clothing line
  • Wellcome (supermarket located next to campus)/Wet Market in Tai Po
    • Groceries
    • Produce
  • MTR Station (any)
    • Octopus card (very, very crucial for your life here in HK!

Other info:

Pack anything that is part of your daily routine! For example, I use coconut oil as my make up remover and moisturizer, so I packed a small amount. Now is not the time to try and kick a habit!

You will be required to pay money to EdUHK’s housing office within one week of arrival. This was very confusing/stressful to Ginger and I, so just to clarify this process: depending on where you live (we recommend Jockey Club Student Quarters) you will have to pay a housing fee in HKD. Our fee was 6,900 HKD (about 880 USD). To settle this fee, when you first arrive, housing will give you a slip you must get signed by the bank and return. You can take cash out of the ATM on campus for a few days until you have obtained the housing fee total. There is a Bank of East Asia office branch inside next to 7/11 and the canteen where you will bring the cash, have it deposited and have the teller sign your slip. You return the slip to housing and ask for a copy of the receipt and that’s it 🙂 It will appear much more confusing on your admittance document, but this is all you have to do!

We have two ATMs on campus, so you will be able to take out HKD once you are on campus.

We have a 7/11 on campus, so if you need anything you can find it there.

Do not bring US dollars!! They will be totally useless here and at the US airport you can just use your debit/credit/travel card.

 

I hope this is helpful to any future HK student teacher! If you ever have ANY questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me and Ginger!! Dr. MacMillan or Dr. Marvelle can give your our contact information. My friend who came here before was so helpful to me before coming and we want to support you all the same way! Don’t be afraid to reach out 🙂

 

Signing off from Hong Kong,

Jen 🙂

Hanging out in Old Town

Image

Reply

 

Last week was busy with parent teacher conferences. I also got a lot of feedback from one of the teachers I work with about one of the interventions. She told me what I did well and what I need to improve upon. Two weekend we hung around Quito for the first time and we did a walking tour of Old Town.

This is a picture of some cool street art.

It was so much fun!

Also we took a teleferico which is a cable car that takes you up the mountain of Pichincha. Which was scary for me because of the sounds the gears was making. Overall it was a great time. We also did some hiking and I couldn’t wait for this past weekend because we went to the beach for the three day weekend. This coming week is our last week here and I am so sad to leave.

I’ll be posting more pictures from our last week here.

This is a church we saw while hiking

 

Almost done in Ireland!!

Posted on by
1

Today was my second to last day here in Dublin, Ireland. It’s hard to believe that eight weeks have gone by. This experience was more difficult than I had anticipated due to the two week holiday back in March/April which left us with only four weeks in the classrooms here. It was difficult to really form personal relationships with each of the students because of the time constraint, but I’ve done what I could. The students I’ve worked with are genuinely sweet, kind children that have been given a crappy hand, making them a bit guarded and hard to get to know. In the first two weeks I had a tough time getting through to the students because of their guarded nature, it almost made me give up trying to get through to them but I kept pushing and I’m so glad I did. Each of the students brighten my day as they all have something different to offer. I will miss them so much when I leave.

This past week has been crazy busy finishing uplast minute assignments and observations but I’ve still made time to see a bit more of Ireland before leaving. Kate and I finally went to the Guinness Storehouse today (only took eight weeks, haha). On Sunday I took a guided tour to the Wicklow Mountains. I went with Hill Top Treks and it was incredible. Their tours are kept small, no more than fifteen or so in a group so it is much more personal and you can get to know everyone you’re with (guide included). I opted for horseback riding through the countryside– there were three other options: to either have a tour through The Powerscourt Gardens, have a guided walk or have a cycling tour. The horseback riding was amazing. I was a real beginner, having only riden a horse once when I was ten. The staff at the stables was so kind, friendly and helpful. The countryside, where we rode, was breathtaking. (I’ve included some pictures below.) After riding we met back up with the tour guide to grab lunch in a little cafe in Enniskerry, (the film location for “P.S. I Love You” and “Leap Year“) a small village in Wicklow. We carried on with a few more sight-seeing spots, Wicklow Mountain National Park, The Sally Gap, Lough Tay, the Guinness Lake, Glenmacnass Waterfall, Glendalough and its 6th century monastic site (St. Kevin). As you can tell, the day was packed with so much to see. The tour was about eight hours in total and it was well worth it. I went on my own and it was great as it allowed me to branch out and talk to other people.

 

For anyone coming in the future I have only a few bits of advice:
1. Go out and see as much as you can. Just as it is important to spend time in the schools and get your work done, it is also important to take in the beauty of Ireland. (You never know when you’ll be back!!)
2. Don’t give up on connecting with the students if it doesn’t happen right away. Some of them might make you work for it and some have been through and seen more than we can imagine.
3. Have fun with it! A lot of the work done is through textbooks so try to mix what you’ve learned back in the States with what they do here! Don’t stress if it doesn’t work out the way you planned, you’re doing great–keep going! (Just like Dory, remember to “just keep swimming”)
4. Last but not least, take some time for yourself and don’t be afraid to go out and see/travel by yourself. You’ll be glad you did, trust me.

 

I hope you all have an amazing time here. You will all do a great job and before you know it, it will be time to return home. So, enjoy yourselves. (:

Best of Luck—-Brennah