Day Fourteen





 

Tuesday 05/23 @1:45 p.m. 

For the final bit of my project today I spent some time doing some research on Santa Elena, Ecuador, where I will be travelling this summer with my mom and her colleagues to work in elementary schools. For the bulk of my hours this past Saturday, I completed some orientation training through the organization the service trip is through. Most of the training talked about how to properly prepare for the trip as well as safety and how to be successful in traveling to a foreign country and experiencing a completely different culture. For the preparation aspect of the trip, the training suggested taking some time to research the country, the geography of the town we will be visiting, and some aspects of the culture. Santa Elena is a Spanish-speaking province on the west coast of Ecuador, right on the Pacific Ocean. I do not yet know the exact place we will be staying but after reading and looking at images of the area, it looks beautiful. The beaches are very popular and there is a famous cathedral nearby. I am unsure of how much free time we will have, but the nearby city supposedly has many great authentic restaurants and other attractions. I am getting excited about the trip and I look forward to getting to experience a new culture and speak some Spanish. I certainly feel ready for the challenge of working in elementary schools in Ecuador after my project!  


Hours Today: 3 


Total Hours: 58ish








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day Eleven

  Friday 05/19 @1:30 p.m. I think that kindergarteners are my new best friends. I received about 8 million hugs today, and as my new friends would say, I am all hugged out! I spent the morning helping some kids with their letters and spelling which was really fun but also exhausting. With this being my last day working in one of the schools, the amount of gratitude and appreciation I have for teachers is inexplicable; their patience and dedication are beyond impressive. The little dude I worked with today kept getting frustrated, as he was struggling to write his letters and spell some words. I was doing my best to help him and keep him motivated but it was significantly harder than I would have thought. Thankfully, the class’s spelling and writing block came to a close shortly after. As someone who isn’t the best at comforting little kids, I was glad to move on to something else as I didn’t feel fully equipped to try and help him with his work and keep the kid from getting so upset.
Read more

Day Nine

  Wednesday 05/17 @11:00 p.m.  Hugs, high fives, and holding hands oh my! I was back in elementary school again today, which is a HUGE change from working in middle school. Yet, I think I prefer working with elementary students as opposed to middle schoolers, which is not at all how I expected to feel. I love how the smallest things bring them so much joy. The middle schoolers I have worked with are caught up on their phones, social media, and lots of senseless drama, whereas the younger kids have yet to succumb to the pressure of technology. Their happiness is so pure and I love experiencing their days with them, the happiness it brings me is inexplicable. My day was very short, so I helped out with a gym class, which was slightly brutal solely because it was outside. However, I got to spend time with my kindergarten friends which is always fun and they remembered me from the previous week. I feel this massive sense of accomplishment when they ask to hold my hand or for my help and
Read more

Week #1: Reflection

Week one of my senior project, Educating in Ecuador Preparation, was a challenging yet fun, and exhausting yet exhilarating learning experience. The week had its ups and downs, and there were certainly points where I wanted to sit down and stop. However, the feeling of utter reward after working with kids and being an impactful part of their day, outweighed the difficulties I encountered. The valuable life lessons I have learned from students and educators in a mere week are unmatched.  After observing and helping a handful of teachers in both Hanover Street Elementary School and Lebanon Middle School, I have seen quite a variety of teaching styles. Teachers who offer more constructive feedback and try to push kids towards solutions when they are struggling or there is conflict are more times than not, successful. Gentle criticism, especially with younger elementary school-aged kids, was far more productive than abrasive yelling or critiquing. Little kids respond positively to suggesti
Read more