Post Travel Thoughts

My student at Calle Hernandez

     It's been a week now since we returned from Costa Rica and I can honestly say that I'm still processing the the experience.  There were so many things that happened and so little time to process it while we were there.  The itinerary was very industrious and there was almost no time left to deeply reflect on our daily adventures.  There are times now when I am reminded of what I saw and heard there.  I find myself realizing that at the time, I wasn't fully aware of how much information was coming into my brain and it's only now when I'm sitting quietly that I can sort through it and examine it more closely.  I've had a little trouble sleeping since I've been back as my mind is filled with the voices and sounds of Costa Rica!  It really was a fantastic experience.
     I know that our trip has changed me forever.  I will always think about my time learning Spanish there and I have already adapted my approach as I teach with more patience and kindness.  The cultural experience has also led me to appreciate my family much more than I had before I left.  I find myself planning my day so that I can spend more time with my wife and children and feel closer to each of my family members than I have in the past. 
     I learned so much during my time at the CPI language schools.  Each of our three teachers were different as was their style of teaching.  There were good and bad points, just as there is in all of us.  But, I know that I have a much deeper empathy for a language learner than I could ever hoped to have before.  For me personally, I will allow my ELL students to complete their sentence and train of thought before I correct any of their language/grammar mistakes.  At times, I believe I will not focus on their mistakes at all and wait until they are more comfortable with English before leading them to a better word usage or pronunciation.  I have come to know that there is a certain level of insecurity or shyness that we all share as we learn a new language and just how important it is to ease these fears.  I want to create a safe environment where my ELL students and I can relax and perhaps even laugh about our mistakes.  As a teacher, I've come to know how to better approach teaching students a new language as well.  I believe it's very important to build as much vocabulary as possible as quickly as possible.  It was my experience at CPI that the focus was grammar and I found that to be frustrating so I attempted to build my vocabulary on my own.  Some simple strategies such as placing photos or drawings along with the actual word printed on them and placing them where they can be easily seen every day.  I will help my students create flashcards and will assess them daily in regard to the vocabulary.  My experience in CR has led me to understand how much faster an individual can learn a language by learning words that have a personal connection.  For me, I learned some new words very quickly because they became part of my daily dialogue with myself and others.  Also, as I learned phrases and expressions (many were greetings) I looked at all parts of those phrases to better understand how verbs and nouns were being used.  This is much different than simply memorizing a greeting as it allowed me to begin to form my own sentences using those same words.  In effect this was personalizing my language learning and giving me ownership--two terms that are used regularly in the education world.  For example the verb "estar" is used regularly, especially in question-greetings.  "Como esta?" vs "Como estas?" and "Como estan?"  Everyone in our group memorized this greeting which means; "How are you?"  However, the verb conjugation implies the personal pronoun without actually using it.  One day Javier asked our group; "Como estan?" and it was a personal revelation to me because he used that conjugation which I realized implied us all as a group.  Also, understanding the word; "como" as meaning how, allowed me to begin to form my own question sentences.  It's difficult to verbalize what I mean here, but it was one of those moments when the light bulb switched on for me and I know how important it is to have as many of these moments as possible to learn a new language.  I will find out what my students' personal interests are and exploit them as vocabulary building blocks!  During one of our teaching experiences I worked with a second grader who was obviously way behind his peers in many ways.  He did not know the body part words in his own language much less in English.  However, that boy loved soccer (they say football) and as I tapped into his interest in that sport, I was able to get him to understand and say the word; "foot" very easily.  It's these small things that personalize words in ways that make it easier to remember and learn.
     As a student learning a new language I began to gain more empathy for my ELL students (which of course was the goal of the program). There were times when I was sick or just simply worn out and I really struggled learning Spanish on those days.  Also, at moments my brain simply could not make the adjustment needed to acquire the new vocabulary.  During these times where I "hit the wall" I was a poor learner.  I feel very fortunate to have worked with my first Spanish teacher; Pilar as she was very attuned to her students and often times in the later afternoon would adapt her methods of instruction to include games using materials that she had made herself.  I really appreciated this because we were able to relax a little and at the same time keep learning Spanish.  This is another "tool" I will add to my own teaching as it was so very effective. Thanks again, Pilar !

Remember, you are not helping when you feed the squirrel!

Homeward Bound

     It's been a long day!  We woke up early and met in the hotel lobby around 3:00 a.m.  Javier and our driver took us to the airport to see us off.  I will miss Javier and his smile!  I believe he has made us all think more deeply about how we use or misuse the resources of our world and the metaphor of feeding the squirrel will be something that I  will think about forever.  In the future, I will be more careful how I guide my students' learning in the hopes of increasing their own instinct for gathering knowledge.
     The process of immigration and customs took a little to complete and when we finally got on board the plane to leave Houston it began to rain very hard.  This caused a long delay, but it did provide an opportunity to speak with Dr. Aram a great deal about our study away experience.  We all shared our list of "dos and don'ts" and how we felt about the trip. This time spent speaking with Dr. Aram was very enjoyable as we had been very busy in Costa Rica and there were very few times to just sit and chat.  She's a great leader and has a terrific demeanor that makes her a wonderful person and teacher.
    

Everyone tired, sleeping on the plane.
the dog at immigration
very large plane
one last wait in Chicago
Thank you letters
having gotten to know all the members of our group
seeing them all so differently because now we are friends as compared to how little we engaged in the meetings before the trip.

my respect for them all as future teachers and Theresa's being my friend

How i enjoyed learning the language and would like to return some day.

Texting with my new friends Joel and Rubein

San Jose--National Museum and Theatre

 

      After spending the past two weeks in the small town of Santa Elena, I was surprised at how busy San  Jose seemed.  In some ways, this area reminded me of Times Square.  There were so many people and the pigeons...it's actually legal to kill them as they are so abundant here and considered pests.

     Our first stop was the theater.  It's an old landmark here but still active as a working theater.  The architecture is very interesting as is its history.  To be sure, Javier was once again a wealth of information as he pointed to many paintings and works of art in the building.  This was a landmark that President Obama came to see on his recent visit as well.

Eating at the market.

     After touring the theater, we walked for about 15 minutes to a downtown central market area.  This building was filled with many different vendors and the open market of meat and fish was a sight to see!  Herbs and spices and just about anything you can think of were being sold as we made our way to an open area eatery.  By this time, I had learned a traveler's trick and I sat down and pointed at some people who were already eating.  I told the waitress that I would have the same and I was one of the first to get served.  It was a hustle-bustle area and I enjoyed the people watching opportunity very much.  After eating, I walked around the market and kept thinking how much it reminded me of the Ferry Building Market in San Francisco!

Canopy Tour...Zip Lines

    

All geared up!

Last summer, my friend and I went to the zip lines on Hwy 65 near Branson, MO.  That was my only experience with this activity but I felt like I would be able to handle the zip lines of Costa Rica.  After we all watched a live demonstration of the safety protocol and how to prevent spinning, we all rode a short zip line down to the lower level of the park.  At this point, I thought the experience might not be as intense as the one in Branson.  Boy was I wrong!  We all rode a lift up to the top of the mountain and I began to look out and see some other people zipping.  I was shocked at how high these lines were and how incredibly long they were!  On the lift, we could see some of the volcanoes of Costa Rica and the beautiful landscapes. I manged to stay calm and at least act like I wasn't worried but I was getting a lot of butterflies in my stomach by the time we reached the top.  From there, we climbed a three or four story tower and got our first view of a zip line that made the ones back home look like the childrens' rides section of the fair.  Phew!  This was a big test on my nerves! That first zip line (actually the first three) was a little rough as I kept thinking too many "what if" questions.  But eventually, I got over it and had a great time there!  There's something about trusting the equipment for me that was my biggest obstacle.

     I met a man named Justin who was in Costa Rica with his wife and they were from Canada.  He was fun to speak with and we shared a lot about our CR adventure.  Like us, they were thrilled with the country and very happy to be here.
     I'm still wondering how they ever stretched all those zip cables up there!

       

Service Learning Project on a Sustainable Farm

    

 

     Today, we met Guillermo (which is Spanish for William).  I've spoken with three other people here in Costa Rica whose name is also William and it is much easier for Spanish speakers to say as opposed to "Grady."

In the coffee field with Guillermo

     Life Monteverde is a sustainable 42 acre farm that grows coffee and vegetables.  The farm is owned by a group of family members and one friend.  The farm's main focus is conservation and organic agriculture while always keeping in mind how to minimize the farm's impact on the environment. Guillermo invited us all to walk around the farm for 15 minutes asking us to notice how the farm attempts to be sustainable.  After this, we all met back at area that they use as a cafeteria and classroom.  We talked about the many things that we had seen such as composting areas, rainwater collection, alternative energy in the form of methane gas (collected from the pig droppings),  reforesting and much more.  There was even a machine used in coffee production that is operated by a bicycle! 

My new friend at Life Monteverde

Shannon!

     Guillermo asked that we form groups and come up with questions for him about the farm.  There were lots of great questions and he wrote them all down.  He divided our group in half and sent us to work on the farm!  My group worked a little garden area while I used a machete to cut plants to feed the farm animals.  It felt good to be outside working and learning with our new friends.  Afterwards, we toured the entire farm with Guillermo as he educated us all about sustainable farming and ecology in general.  We ended the day with a group discussion in which he addressed all our questions while we drank the coffee from the farm and snacked on fruit and goat cheese!

Maggie!

Cloud Forest School

 
Today, we visited the Cloud Forest School which has 230 students who study English much more extensively than the public schools do.  The school is also focused on sustainability and reducing the environmental impact which I found to be a common theme here in Monteverde. With grade levels from preschool to 11th grade, the facility is diverse both in ages and population. It is located on 106 acres which are protected from development by a permanent easement. The children learn much here, and our two guides were well versed in English as well as ecology.  The school has many native plant gardens and a nursery, organic vegetable gardens, a greenhouse, recycling centers, a worm composting house and a biodiesel shed.  All in all it's a wonderful model for ethical living as even the germination beds use biodegradable containers.  Dr. Powell pointed out some trees  (reforestation) that were planted by her students from earlier visits.  These students learn not only how to meet the needs of their local community but also the process of becoming a "global citizen" in our world. I can't overemphasize how well they meet the requirements for teaching our youth to understand the necessity to reduce our global footprint on our world.
     More than 90% of the students are from the local community, however the school is an open door to children from all around the world.  International students come to learn here and English/Spanish is taught regularly.  While most of the natives can't afford to pay full tuition, there is an opportunity for scholarships and 75% of the students receive financial support.




composting

the garden and using biodegradable containers

No cafeteria and eating

the soccer field with astro turf

the steps with staained glass

teachers

La Fortuna...Arenal Volcano

    

Learning with Javier.

It was a long bus ride from Monteverde to La Fortuna.  In order to get there, we had to drive around Lake Arenal.  Corey spotted the volcano long before we reached our destination and there was a tiny wisp of smoke that we could see off in the distance.  The drive around the lake was very beautiful and since the road is not paved, we had to drive more slowly which gave us an opportunity to see more of the local homes and even some wildlife.  At one point our driver (now Julio) had to come to a complete stop and navigate around a giant pot hole of mud that nearly covered the entire road.  I watched out the window as Julio carefully guided us around this obstacle and little did I know that we would all come to know why the local inhabitants have been pleading with their government to pave the roads between Monteverde and Arenal.
 

My wonderful lunch!

   After stopping in La Fortuna for an excellent lunch (I had a great pork casada meal) we all hopped back in the bus and headed to our hiking destination; Sendero Silencio.  Javier led us on a narrow path through the forest and once again pointed out its inhabitants (many of which would have otherwise gone unnoticed)!  I have to say again how much he impressed me and I was thinking about how lucky we were to have him as our tour guide.  Here in the forest, we saw several exotic birds and some monkeys as well.  As the path begin to wind around I noticed how our pathway had been very carefully constructed so as to prevent any erosion from travelers hiking here.  Ecology and sustainable resources were common theme on our entire trip and while this is something I actively study, I learned a great deal.  For many of our group these ideas were new and I'm confident when I say they were also impressed and will be thinking of how they can implement some of the strategies we learned once they get back home.  It was a little humid that day and one member of our group began to feel a little lightheaded, so Javier stopped for her and gave her a little bit of candy.  In about 5 minutes her blood sugar came back up and we were off...Javier to the rescue!  He would have made a good member of our boy scout group in Springfield as he was always prepared and knew just how to handle a sticky situation.  As our hike was nearing the end I was walking with Matt at the very back of the group and we saw some monkeys high up in a tree.  While we watched the monkey leaping from branch to branch I was impressed with how agile and powerful he was.  I told Matt that I thought it would be funny if the our driver; Julio had snuck around to the end of our hike only to spring out of the forest and surprise us all!  We snickered about this and much to our surprise Javier had hidden himself behind some trees.  As we rounded a corner (now way behind the front of the group) Javier laughed as he startled us by shaking some branches and making an animal sound.  Ha!  What a great time!

Our cabin!

     After our hike we headed to the Arenal Hot Springs resort that was the perfect ending for our long day.  There are several pools of differing temperatures and our cabin was excellent.  I especially liked our shower which had a skylight that gave it a feeling of being outdoors.

All of cabins were top-notch and the
buffet-style dinner and breakfast were absolutely fabulous!  I could not get enough of the Costa Rica coffee and I must have bought ten bags that I brought back home with me.  The waters of the pool provided us all with some relaxing down time and I spent the rest of the afternoon walking the grounds and admiring the gardens (there was even a greenhouse filled with vegetables used for the resort meals).  Julio took the opportunity to clean the mud off the bus and we spoke for several minutes.  He was very patient just like Andres and was happy to let me have the opportunity to practice my Spanish.  As the sun began to sink and the light was fading, it was time to meet for dinner.  I enjoyed more excellent native food and good conversation with our group members and some of the resort staff.