Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Final Reflection


Once I had returned to the United States I had found a lot more resources and different things that I had either taken for granted when I was here before the trip or things that I missed about Costa Rica. It is hard to really say what it is that I miss the most either from the United States or from Costa Rica. One of the harder adjustments in both cases was difference in language. Once I had finally settled in with my host family in Heredia I really understood just how hard it was going to be without really knowing a whole lot a Spanish. Then after having to return to the United States I never thought that I would find it difficult to speak English but I really had a difficult time trying to say things in English that I had no problem saying before I left to returning and not being able to remember the word or words to say what I wanted to say but piecing it together like I did when I tried to speak in Spanish to my families. Even now a couple weeks after the fact I am still having trouble trying to type up this paper without unknowingly throwing in some Spanish words here and there just because they have become second nature.
I found that one of the most beneficial things to come from this trip would have to be the fact that I learned a lot about myself. I was pushed to the limit at times and really had some struggles within myself when it came to not being able to communicate with others. I thought that because I had worked with children from a Spanish speaking culture that I would be able to pick up quickly where I had left off. I felt as though I had to swallow some pride and admit that I did not know as much as I thought I had. That within itself was a huge learning experience just because not many people can admit when there is a time that they need to swallow their pride and do what is needed. I have learned that it is more than okay to fail at times and that getting back in there is what really matters. And yes, there were times when I felt frustrated and completely burnt out but once I was able to go home sleep it off or just have time to myself I was able to come back refreshed and ready to begin the new day.
While I was learning Spanish I felt that the classes did help me learn more of the language but what I felt worked the best for me was when I would go home to my families and come back the next day having to figure out a way to say something that I really wanted to get across to my family. I found that having that drive to want to learn is what really helped me as a student. Also there were multiple games throughout the classes that helped to break up the constant sessions of just sitting there wanting nothing more than to stare out the window. I can remember when we would all come back from our nights with our families and share stories on how we said something that we thought was the right word or phrase for something to only find out that, that word or phrase stands for something completely different. This especially helped all of us learn from one another in regards of what not to use if we needed to say the same type of phrase. Especially in our class I felt that if the teacher could not explain something than another classmate would be able to break it down in a way that I could understand. It seemed as though all of our teacher instincts would kick in when we saw that one of our classmates were struggling and we wanted to really make sure that they learned that material as much as the rest of us.
Before this trip I thought I had insight to English as a second language learners but I really had no clue as to what it really meant to be a struggling language learner. I had a really hard time trying to separate Spanish from my English after I had left school or on the weekends while talking to others on the trip. I found that it is really hard to tell your brain to stop thinking in one way or another. I felt really lucky that I was able to go to school as Spanish as a second language and come home and have the support of the Tico parents supporting me in my Spanish learning. I do not know how I would cope had I not been able to have that experience after school. I felt that I was really able to learn more because I had to learn the language in an everyday use where as the students who are learning English may not have that type of a support system at home or anywhere besides at school. Also I found that it was really tough to just let my brain relax on the weekends or when I had free time. It was very difficult to not think in Spanish and at times that was very frustrating not being able to just turn that part of the brain off. If I ever have the chance to teach these types of students I really want to find a way in which they can truly have that time on the weekend or when they are not having to use the English language to be able to not think in Spanish and give their brain a rest.
Some of the ways that I would try to make things easier for my students would be to give them homework in Spanish at times when I can see that they have reached their breaking point. I do not feel that it would do anyone any good to give all of their homework in Spanish but when I could see that they really needed a break that is how they would get it. Also I would try to put some Spanish speaking games into the mix of learning whether that meant that we would do math facts in Spanish as a class so others could see the difficulty in trying to do everyday things in a different language and so that the Spanish speaking child can take pride in his language. Also we could try some games that he/she played in their country that may be different from the ones that we play here. That way everyone else is learning and he is being able to take a break of sorts.
I feel that this experience helped me as a teacher because I was able to be put into a situation where I was really struggling. There were times when I felt that others did not understand me and I felt at times that I just would never get the material because I could not comprehend what everyone else was understanding. I was able to be put in the shoes of not only a second language learner but also as learners with disabilities. There were times when I wanted to jump out of my skin to go some place where I understood everything again. Yet kids with special needs may always feel that way but never have that place that they can go to because they are always stuck in the same place.
As of right this moment if I was given a choice in a type of classroom I would chose that of all lower income children. With the Spanish that I have right now I do no feel as though I could give the children who speak English as a second language the right kind of education. I think that I would also be able to relate better to the students of a lower income because I was there at one point and I would be able to understand what they have been through. Maybe if I was more educated in Spanish then I would feel better about being a teacher for students as English as a second language.
As a teacher I will try with the best of my ability to be able to incorporate the second language learner as much as possible. I will try to get them to contribute in class by any means that they can at the time being. I will want for the student to feel as though he can raise his hand whenever in order to feel as though they are just as part of the class as the next student. I will also try to make sure that my students learn from one another since they will have a valuable resource right within our means. I would also want the student to be able to learn about English through the other students and not just from me in the way that I was able to learn Spanish from my family and from the experiences that I had where I had to use Spanish.
To anyone that would be attending this trip in the future I would tell him or her to embrace the families that they are going to stay with. That the families that they stay with are a very valuable source of information as well as learning from them. Even though the classes may be long and painful at times try to come in with questions about what you want to discuss with your families. Also that to just take everything in as your doing it and learn as much as you can. This is a once in a life time experience and there may never be the opportunity to do it again. I loved the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat. Also the family relationships that I now have with my Tico family is something that I will always have.

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