What I've Learned So Far

     In the short time that I've been here in Costa Rica, I've already learned a great deal.  I want to share this with others in the hopes that they too will find it significant and relative to their daily lives.

     The people that I've met here very much enjoy sharing their language, culture and perspective.  For these people, it is a great compliment when we share their food, music, heritage and especially their language!  Nothing makes my new friends happier than to hear me speak my "cave man" Spanish!  They are so eager to help me learn more.  Everyone is my teacher wherever I go and perhaps the ones that want to help me the most are those who speak little or no English.  Those that I've met who do speak English very much appreciate my attempts with their language, but are slower to correct me and are more patient with me as they wait for me to finish a sentence before telling me about my mistakes and mispronunciations.  I can feel a different kinship with these people and perhaps it's because they know what it is like to learn a new language and can empathize with me (something that I most certainly will use with ESL students in the future).

  Coming together with another culture has forced us all to deeply consider our own culture and value system in the U.S. and we've already had some interesting discussion regarding this.  What we value at home vs what the people of Costa Rica value is "muy" different to say the least.  This has provided much impetus for change among our group and I can already see an "evolution" of sorts among us all.  I feel that too many of us have lived our entire lives within a very narrow/small cultural walls in which we focus on such a tiny piece of life.  For me, I'm so happy to spend the entire day without having to hear the constant marketing noise of the television!  My family here in Heredia rarely watches t.v. except for the occasional news, preferring to come together as a family every evening and discuss the events of the day.  I feel blessed to have this host family and even more so as they make an attempt to include me in their family dialogue!  I hope that the rest of our group will continue to question the value system that exists in many parts of the U.S. and more closely inspect their own as they experience life on "Tico-Time."
     We've all noticed how well mannered the C.R. people are and how they say; "thank you" and "please" so much.  In fact, their national phrase:  "Pura Vida" (the pure life), has come to mean so much more.  When I say to papa or mama that I'm sorry, they always very quickly reply; "oh, pura vida!"  It means so much more than the literal sense as it replaces phrases such as; "don't worry about it," "that's fine," "I understand," or even "it's all good!"   Earlier today, my partner Matt mentioned that children here may have different time management skills as they approach their school life by living on this "Tico-Time."   That will be an important consideration as I engage future students from other cultures.

Service Learning Activity at La Carpio

                                                         "Poverty can be invisible!"--Gail 

     This morning we traveled to La Carpio which is a piece of land adjacent to the local landfill/trash dump--a neighborhood of 36,000 refugees from Nicaragua and other Central American countries who have been allowed to homestead in the area.  Here, we met Gail who organizes a humanitarian effort to help the women of La Carpio and their families.  The area has a strong smell of sulfur and is very loud as there are over 100 garbage trucks that pass through the area daily.  Sometimes, we could barely hear Gale as she spoke--a condition very familiar to the local students.
     Gail spoke of "poverty as a childhood disease" and stated that we very often "put a mask on it" so we don't have to address the issue and sometimes it is right in front of us but we never realize it, because parents are too proud to ask for help.  It's true that poverty is very familiar to the families of La Carpio.  Gail talked about the strains these people face daily such as; no water/or no clean water, no housing, no food/or no good food, no healthcare, no belongings, abusive family members, and an uncertain future.  As a result the people experience a lot of stress and feel isolated, disempowered and "invisible" because nobody wants to hear their stories.  Gail stated that she tried to keep the long term vision in her mind while she dealt with the immediate needs of the people (her examples included a 13 year old girl becoming pregnant with her husband beating her and having the roof of their house fall apart).  She described the peoples' needs as a hierarchy similar to Masolow's ideas in which basic needs of food and water were the most important and as these survival needs are met, then the people can look more positively at the future in which they might receive better housing, education and employment.  Gail made it clear that she did not live in La Carpio and stated:  "If you live with the people, then you become the people...and then you can't help them."  She descried a learning activity in which the children were asked to draw pictures of what they had eaten that day.  One child drew only one picture--his school lunch, and that was because it was all that he had eaten that day.

     The service learning project that day was to assist the local "Grandmothers Program" go door to door and hand out flyers to the residents with our leader Rosa.  We spoke to them about keeping the trash indoors until the pick up day (Wed & Fri) so that dogs did not tear the bags and spread the garbage along the street.  The goal was to help everyone understand that keeping the streets clean helps to protect everyone's health.  In La Carpio, the water runoff is on the edges of the street and I noticed how careful Rosa was to avoid contact with that water.  In the future, Gail hopes to encourage the local people to separate their organic waste and recycle it, which is a good idea if it can be implemented.
     It's always tough to be exposed to people living in a poverty-stricken environment.  However, it's something that I see here in Springfield daily.  There are homeless camps in the woods near my home and our city is known nationally as a place that has a big outreach program which in turn, draws many of these people to Springfield.  I think a lot of us wanted to help the people of La Carpio but it's also very difficult to understand.  When I discussed my visit with the local working-class people of Heredia, they were quick to say these people were not invited to their country and most thought of them as "criminals" and "lazy people" who didn't contribute to the economy.  That sounded harsh to me, but I couldn't just dismiss their opinions. I honestly don't know how to help this situation.  However, as a teacher I think I will have more empathy for those children who come to school hungry and cold.  It's heartbreaking to realize that some children only have one decent meal a day and that they get that meal at school.  I guess it's best to take a line from Gale and focus on the immediate need in front of you and try to keep the perspective of the long term vision...it's challenging for everyone, that much I'm sure of.

a neighborhood of 36,000 refugees from Nicaragua and other Central American countries who have been allowed to homestead in the area. - See more at: http://news.co.cr/la-carpio-costa-rica-36000-refugees-from-nicaragua-and-other-central-american-countries/12773/#sthash.PvDBnqup.dpuf

a neighborhood of 36,000 refugees from Nicaragua and other Central American countries who have been allowed to homestead in the area. - See more at: http://news.co.cr/la-carpio-costa-rica-36000-refugees-from-nicaragua-and-other-central-american-countries/12773/#sthash.PvDBnqup.dpuf

a neighborhood of 36,000 refugees from Nicaragua and other Central American countries who have been allowed to homestead in the area. - See more at: http://news.co.cr/la-carpio-costa-rica-36000-refugees-from-nicaragua-and-other-central-american-countries/12773/#sthash.PvDBnqup.dpuf

Teaching at Calle Viquez Primary School

     Today we visited the Calle Hernandez School where Dina works.  She is a very industrious teacher who had previously spoken to us all at CPI (our language school).  Dina mentioned that it is the "love of language" which drives her students to learn English and I found this to be very true with our group as well as her children.  She went on to say that one her main goals was to improve education because even after 11 years of English, she felt the "quality" of language could still be improved.  "English is conceived as a linguistic and cultural tool for communication which compliments education as a whole."  Dina feels that learning another language provides the opportunity to gain a broader sensitivity to other cultures and continually stressed that as teachers we should: "teach the child to love himself."

The Fabulous Sock Puppet !

     In Costa Rica, all public school teachers must teach English.  Preschool children (what we know as kindergarten) receive 40 minutes per day of English learning.  The expected result by high school graduation is that all students will be bilingual.  Dina and her supervisor; Andres described the 4 Main Blocks of Preschool to our group:  -1. Who am I?  -2.  I communicate with others in different ways  -3. I discover and enjoy my surroundings and -4. My relationship with people.  They were both so very passionate about the public education system and went on to tell us that; "Attitude is EVERYTHING in life!  Because even a Harvard graduate can be a poor teacher."
     The challenges these teachers face can be enormous at times. According to Dina; inadequate facilities, lack of classroom space, lack of positive attitude, and limitations of the teacher's own English-speaking ability all factor in how well students succeed in the Costa Rica public schools.  But you won't find anyone working harder than her for her students!
     Everyone in our group was matched with a partner and we all taught a lesson on body parts in English.  My partner (Matt) and I worked with Esteban (Steven) and we were able to develop a good rapport with him very quickly.

     Matt loves to interact with the kids, and is a youth sports coach.  He was able to engage them as they played soccer (futbol) and I'm sure he enjoyed it all just as much as the children.  We walked around the playground with Estaban encouraging him to point out colors and shapes as he spoke in English.  There were many children who were especially interested in us men, and on our second visit here two days later, they quickly sought us out and visited with us.

     When we came back the following Thursday we taught a different child; Johan.  He had been removed from his family by the local government due to an abusive situation.  Johan was a fast learner and afterwards during the group session he proudly answered each question posed by all the other teachers of our group.

     After we were finished teaching, one of the mothers prepared some fruit with jello and served it to the children and all of us.  Later, while speaking with Dr. Aram, I received a beautiful compliment from Dina as she turned to Dr. Aram and said:  "This one has that spark we spoke about!"

Day 1 Of First Home Stay In Heredia

     As we all gathered around to await our names to be called out so that we could be matched up with our first host family, I scanned the crowd of people...looking at all the faces and estimating which ones matched the description that I had received in the email that described my new family. It didn't take long for me to find Wagoner and Annabelle and as they stepped up in line, I immediately began walking toward them--before my name was called, I turned to Theresa and said:  "That's my family!"
     Wagoner is a big man, a former high school soccer goalie with a fast smile and a firm handshake.  There was always a little bit of sweat on his brow, as if he had just finished working really hard.  As I walked up to greet them both, he stepped in front of his wife and stuck out that big hand of his--a hand that I couldn't quite wrap my fingers around and it always seemed to swallow mine.  I was maybe 3 or 4 inches taller, but clearly outweighed by a good 50 pounds.  His smile disarmed me completely as he turned to introduce his wife; Annabelle.  She was equally charming and I knew immediately that any concerns or worries that I might have were unwarranted.  I tried to sit in the back seat, but Wagoner wouldn't have it.  I was their guest of honor and in the days to come I would come to find just how much they truly valued me as their guest.  During every meal only Wagoner and I sat at the dining table where mama always served me first as I sat at the head of the table.  The rest of the family took their meals at the kitchen table and only after Wagoner and I had finished.  The food was "muy que rico pero mucho!" Eventually I convinced mama to let me put my own portions on my plate and papa would happily eat the rest.  They are a modest family, and yet were willing to share all that they had with me.

My tico papa!

     Wagoner is taxi driver, but he might just as well be a racecar driver.  He maneuvers his car through the maze of traffic with such little effort, that it makes his riders relax and lose any worries. He drove us to the home--all the way talking and laughing, quite unaware of just how little language I understood as I strained to hear his words.  But words aren't the only part of communication, and the rest was quite clear to me.  I laughed too, and shared what little Spanish I knew and all the while felt at ease and comfortable.  This family would be a joy, I knew that immediately.
    In just a few short minutes we arrived at the house and were met with an iron gate that enclosed the entire home.  Before I could manage a word, Wagoner was out of the car and unlocking the gate...as he slid it back on its rails I looked into what appeared to be a patio of sorts with a tiled floor and long hallway filled with several chairs.  I would come to know the first door on the left as Rubein's room (a student who rents from the family and my new friend), the second door on the left as my room and the rest of the home followed that hallway as one door opened to Evelyn's room, another to the main dining area and the last one to the kitchen (cocinar en espanol).  Wagoner quickly drove us into the space and once again jumped out and closed the iron gate and locked it.  Within a few short minutes, I found myself escorted into the home, shown my quarters, and then immediately engaging with the entire family!

     The parents are:  Wagoner & Annabelle, they have 4 daughters and 1 son.  Children in chronological order are:  Elizabeth, Carlos, Evelyn, Mariella and Wendy.  Wendy is 19 and lives at home. Evelyn is in her 30's and married to Eduardo they also live in the home and have two children:  Fabian (12) and Sebastian (8).  However, Mama Anabelle watches all the grandchildren during the day, so everyday after school I would be greeted by as many as 16 family members who would all gather in the patio area to speak to me and each other! This was a new found joy for me and I quickly resolved to adopt this habit upon my return home.  Here, family was very important and respected deeply.  We rarely watched television (except for a little news), preferring to share with each other what we had experienced that day.

La Paz Waterfall Garden & Poas Volcano

     On Saturday and Sunday (sabado y domingo), we had guided tours of the La Paz Gardens and Poas Volcano which were absolutely stunning!  The bright colors of the wildlife made them seem to "jump" out of the vegetation, especially the toucans that they put on our shoulders. And we were all amazed with the beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds!

     After our working breakfast at the La Condesa Hotel, we met up with our guide; Javier!  Javier would prove to be a wonderful companion during all of our excursions and is a man who speaks 4+ languages and constantly educates everyone!  I especially was very fond of how he spoke to sustainability and respecting our environment.  I feel like he left a lasting impression on us all and transmitted a message that our group will continue to consider and pass on to others.

Kudamundi

     Everyone had an opportunity to try out their rain gear and umbrellas at the waterfall gardens, but the showers were short and it never rained too hard.  The hike to the waterfall was my favorite part of the day and while I was walking behind the group I heard a noise in the leaves.  Much to my surprise a kudamundi came out of the forest and walked to the other side of the path! At the end of the hike we made it to the waterfalls and they were equally fantasitc, or as the locals would say:  "La vida es magnifico!"
     

        The following day we visited Poas and were able to see some good views of the volcano there.  This trip offered a little bit more in the form of a serendipitous "teachable moment" when we came across a group of tourists who were feeding the squirrels even though the signs were posted in many places which read: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS.  Javier explained that when people do this, the animals eventually lose their instinct for foraging and often suffer or even later die when there are no tourists to feed them.  This really stuck with me and I thought about it a great deal during the entire trip.  In many ways, we are faced with that moment when we are tempted to feed the "squirrel"--especially as teachers!  One part of Cambourne's Model of Learning talks about expectations and this was also something that Dina (lead teacher at Calle Hernandez School) mentioned.  As teachers, we have to have high expectations for our students, and by doing so, we instill that same expectation within our students.  Students who believe they can and students who believe they can'--have one thing in common...they are both correct!

Pre-Travel

    I am going on this study-away trip to Costa Rica in hopes of discovering more about the language, culture, and people.  I enjoy meeting new people and I hope to make new friends and discover ways to relate to my future students who come to the U.S. and must learn English! I'm looking forward to experiencing a different lifestyle with the hope that I can learn  more about myself.  I want to see how people in Costa Rica spend their time and interact with their environment and their family.  I'm hoping to slow down and spend my moments absorbing my surroundings so that I can develop new habits that will continue once I come back to the U.S.--because I feel that my current lifestyle is too fast and impersonal.
    Occasionally, I feel a little anxious about meeting my new family and living with them in their home.  I hope that we will make a connection and that I will feel comfortable in my new surroundings!  I also hope that my new family will feel comfortable with me so that we can come together and share our cultures and lifestyle.  I know that we will have differences, but I hope that by coming together, we will become greater than the sum of both of us!
    I believe the experience will give me valuable insight in regard to students who come to school in the U.S. without fully understanding the language and culture that they now find themselves experiencing.  I also believe that the experience will give me a new perspective on daily living and afford me the opportunity to slow down and become more aware of my surroundings and the people that exits there.  Right now, I'm thinking back to 1986 when I traveled to Guatemala with my good friend Dan.  The people of Guatemala were so accepting of us and made us feel so genuinely welcomed to their country.  I have a feeling that Costa Rica will be similar.
    I know that my fears are generated from the unknown and the lack of control that exists concerning this upcoming experience with my new family.  What if they don't like me?  What if I don't fit in?  As an non-traditional student who is much older than the others, how will this affect  my new family's perspective and how they view  me as a person?  I keep telling myself that it will all work out, but there is some level of uncertainty that keeps nagging at me and making me worry.
   I'm certain however, that no matter how it turns out...I will have learned a great deal.  There is no doubt in my mind that I will be able to apply this new knowledge in my classroom and that it will always serve me well as I introduce students to new ideas and help them overcome their own personal fears.

We just cleared customs and met Justin!  Most awesome, amazing guy EVER!