Half Way Mark

5/28/14

I try to start out each morning by listening to one random song on my MP3 player to set the mood for the day.  Ironically, today’s song was “Nothing is Easy” by Jethro Tull.

Today was a very hard day for me.  I do not have internet at my house, so I am starting to feel very distant from my family.  It has not been bad so far because I could email and skype with Brian and the kids.  Also, the Costa Rican phone that I rented, ran out of minutes last night.  I had a very emotional day, because at our coffee break time during Spanish class, I was unable to even send my kids an email because of all of us trying to use internet at the same time.  Today has been rough and I am missing my family, especially my babies!  I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.  I came across this quote the other day, and it seems fitting for this day.

 

I must say, that our Spanish class has been much better since that first class on Monday.  Yesterday, our teacher Yamal spent most of the class time, asking us questions, and answering our questions we had for him.  I feel as though I learned more yesterday, through simply having an on-going conversation (he still only spoke in Spanish) than I have since we arrived in Costa Rica.  Today, he started pushing us harder, and I felt as though he pushed us too hard again.  We have been trying to distract him by asking him questions, but I think he has caught on to our plan!  He says that we talk in “Spanglish” and apparently, I talk in Spanglish more than anyone.  I have to say though, I am able to speak a lot more Spanish than I thought I could.  He has been pushing me to stop the Spanglish and only respond in Spanish in the classroom and this is very hard for me, because it limits my speaking to only the words we have learned and Heaven knows, I have so much more to say than that!  Also, I think he thinks I know way more than I actually know!

On another ironic note, when I went to bed, I turned on my MP3 player and the first song that came  on was, “Lonesome Day Blues” by Bob Dylan.

Coffee and Sugar and Cocoa Oh My!

5/28/14

On Wednesday of this week, we visited a typical farm in Costa Rica called El Trapiche.  On this tour we saw sugar cane, coffee, and cocoa plants.  We also learned the process of the coffee bean, from planting to harvesting, to de-shelling, to separating, to roasting.  We also got to learn the process of the cocoa bean, and the sugar cane.

We experienced making our own caramel out of the sugar cane and were given a sample of alcohol made from sugar cane.  We ate a bountiful meal created solely from foods grown on the farm, and we got to experience a traditional oxcart ride.

I found this tour very interesting and informative, and this was a unique experience for me.  Next week we will visit another coffee farm in Costa Rica that is more sustainable rather than traditional.  It will be interesting to compare the two coffee farms.

On a happy note, we spotted another Sloth today during our farm tour!  Still holding out for that magical sloth hug, but in the meantime, I am very content with the random sloth sightings.

A Whole Different Class

5/28/14

On Tuesday of this week we got to visit a “one room schoolhouse” in the small farming area of St. Luis, in Costa Rica.  This school is host to 24 students and is separated into two groups which are 1^st-4^th grades and 5^th-8^th grades.  The school hours are from 7:20 to 1:30.  All of the students are from farming families.

We separated into groups of 2-3 students.  I was working with the 1^st and 2^nd graders on counting and learning how to say their numbers in English. 

Several things surprised me about this schools is that they have a 1-1 ratio for computers to students.  The principle and main teacher is Tito Angel.  They also have a computer/English teacher who is there 1 day a week, and a volunteer teacher who is there 1 day a week. 

Breakfast, lunch, and a snack are free for each student, but the school relies heavily on donations to make this happen.  They use the recreation building as a community building and for fund raisers to help fund the school.

There are no manipulatives or visuals in the classrooms.  Also, there is little to no classroom management being used.  Several of the students, even when working in small groups seemed to do anything to get out of learning, such as washing hands, sharpening pencils, asking the teacher questions, getting a drink of water, etc.  In my classes for special education, we are taught that “escape” is a means of avoiding difficult situations, or fulfilling needs that they are not getting within the lessons. 

So far, because of the teacher strike, we have not been able to speak to a special education teacher, therefore, it is proving very difficult to get my research questions about special education and about autism answered.  I asked the principal/teacher about special education.  He explained they currently have two students who have special needs and that he tries to work extra with them to keep them on an even level with the other students.  I asked him if he knew anything about autism interventions in Costa Rican schools and he told me he had never heard of autism.

I asked the computer/English teacher about autism and she said that students with special needs have it written in their files when they come to the school that they may need extra help with testing.  This is all the information she had about special education.

Our bus driver Janco, explained to us that he went to this school when he was a boy.  He also explained to us that as a small child, he fell and suffered a traumatic head injury, and because of this could not speak until he was five years old.  He had to work very hard to learn how to read and write.  He told us that he worked very hard to become a bus driver, and because of bus driving, he is able to see more of the world, than just his little farming village.  He also said that he takes his job very seriously, because he knows that our lives are in his two hands and that his job is very important.

We will be returning to this school on Thursday of this week.