& Just like that before I knew it my time in Belize came and went. My time there flashed before my eyes and it's hard to believe that I'm already back home. My time in Belize now feels like a dream. I mean...Wasn't I just crying in the car on the way to the Airport to leave to go to Belize? I have no idea how those five and a half weeks went by so fast. I have been back in North Carolina for a week and a half now and have missed Belize every single day.
Now...There are a few things about Belize that I won't miss like:
- THE BIKE LOCK.
- The random catcalling.
- The bell ringing at Pedro's.
- Putting toilet paper in the trash can.
- Wearing sunscreen almost every minute of every day.
- The dust from the dusty roads always being in my eyes.
- Fearing I'll be eat up by Sand Flies anytime I'm outside at night.
But there are SO MANY things about Belize that I will miss (& IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) like:
- Sunday BBQ.
- Eating fryjacks.
- The palm trees.
- The incredible sunsets.
- The beautiful blue water.
- The adventurous excursions.
- Relaxing at Caribbean Villas.
- Karaoke Nights at Pedro's with Raul.
- Going to the beach during the School Day.
- Being a 5 - 10 minute walk from the Beach.
- Relaxing in a hammock every day after School.
- Listening to Reggae Music while riding through town.
- Drinking Coke out of a glass bottle ALL THE TIME.
- All of the precious Standard Four Girls I love so much.
- Getting to eat Supper for only $4.00 (US) or less every night.
- The teachers at Isla Bonita that I had the opportunity to get to know.
- Each of the women I formed relationships with from the San Pedro Town Library.
- Always seeing familiar faces while walking or riding my bike around San Pedro Town.
- The students at Isla Bonita I got to work with (Nayeli, Dyanara, Lorena, Genieve, and Julio).
- Walking into the Standard One Classroom and hearing "HUG FOR TEACHER!" which was always followed by a hug from sweet Kevin.
As you can see the list of things I will miss about Belize DEFINITELY outweigh the list of things that I won't miss about Belize. & On that note I am reminded about the first day I was back in Wilmington after returning from Belize. I saw a man sitting in the Student Union On Campus after I finished eating lunch and on his Laptop was there was a Flag of Belize. I looked at him with a sad face and told him that I just got back from studying abroad in Belize. He asked me about my program and why I was there so I told him. It turns out he's from Belize (he was born in Orange Walk and lived in Belmopan) and is here studying at UNCW. As I was listening to him I talk I realized that I missed hearing the Belizean Accent as well. I just couldn't believe that my FIRST DAY back in Wilmington I ran into someone who was from Belize. I mean...What were the odds of that?
When I would see people after returning back from Belize people would ask me: "Are you happy to be back home?!" & I would kind of just look at them for a minute, scrunch my face, and shrug. That was too hard of a question for me to answer. Now don't get me wrong...I love North Carolina with everything in me but I wasn't ready to come back quite yet. I was perfectly fine with being in Belize. My time there just went by too fast and I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do. Which only means I'll have to go back one day and you best believe that I plan on it too. I am POSITIVE that my International Field Experience in Belize was NOT my one and only time there. I already have a list of things that I want to do the next time I'm in Belize (go paddleboarding, eat at Estelle's, go snorkeling off the dock Caribbean Villas, go snorkeling off Ramon's Dock, volunteer at Camp Starfish, visit Sarah's Classroom at Ambergris Caye Elementary School when her students are there, etc.) But anyway...It wasn't that I didn't miss everyone here in North Carolina. Since being back I've realized how much I've missed everyone and everything here but I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE IN BELIZE. I was just so busy since there was always something to do and so much going that I didn't have time to worry about missing home or the people who were here which is a good thing since I never got homesick while I was there. I'm so glad that I was able to make the most of the times that I had in Belize and am so appreciative that I even had the incredible opportunity to go there and was able to call it home for five and a half weeks. I may not have been ready to leave Belize but as I slowly adjust to being back home I can say it is good to be back home.
The main things I've had to adjust to since being back home were:
- Actually putting toilet paper in the toilet.
- The sun setting two hours later than what I was used to.
- Driving again (it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be).
- Keeping up with the hustle and bustle of my life here in NC.
One of my main concerns about coming home was having to get used to busy-ness of life here in the States again but it hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be. I believe I was still on Island Time when I got back so I had to pick up my pace JUST A LITTLE BIT but I honestly believe (and hope) that a part of the Island Life ALWAYS stays with me from here on out for the rest of my life. I am not the same person now that I was when I left to go to Belize and I know that I've changed for the better. I may not be able to pinpoint all of the changes and things I have learned that are now a part of me at the moment but I'm sure as time goes on I will slowly but surely figure out the impact my time in Belize had on me and I'm looking forward to discovering what those will be. I honestly feel like I could just ramble on and on about the amazing time I had while I was in Belize but then this post would probably be even more confusing and all over the place than it already is (I hope you've been able to bear with me). I'll just go ahead and say that the five and a half weeks I spent in Belize were honestly the most incredible five and a half weeks of my life. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I have officially left a piece of my heart in Belize but I look forward to the day that I'll be going back to visit again!
Now...A lot has also happened in the short time I've been back home. I have been catching up with friends and family, I went to the Dentist, I picked up the keys to my new apartment I'll be living in next year, I paid for my first month of rent at my new apartment, I picked up my Cap & Gown, I picked up my Summa Cum Laude Honor Cord, I tried picking up my Study Abroad Stole (they were out so hopefully they come in sometime between now and Friday), I finished filling out the Paperwork for my Teaching License at my Final Seminar, I celebrated my 23rd Birthday, I shopped for new dresses to wear for my Graduation Weekend, I attended my Neighbor's Wedding, and I also took my Cap & Gown Pictures. If that sounds tiring to you imagine actually going through it...I've been pretty exhausted since returning back to the States. & The thing is...The craziness isn't even over yet. I still have to finish up my Final Assignments, attend The Red Carpet Event where our Belize Cohort will be showing our Documentaries, Graduate College, move out of my current apartment into my new apartment, and celebrate my Graduation at my Graduation Party. By Mother's Day all of the Graduation Festivities will be over and I will begin getting settled into my new apartment before starting a Summer of work in the following week. It would be pretty accurate to say at this point that REALITY HAS OFFICIALLY HIT ME. I am graduating College and am one step closer to entering into the real world. Granted...I'm still staying in Wilmington for one more year to take more courses for a Licensure Add-On to my Degree and will technically still be a College Student but I WILL STILL BE A COLLEGE GRADUATE. & THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM POSSIBLE. I feel like I just transferred here to UNCW and it's hard to believe that after a long, hard, but amazing three years here I am almost a Licensed Teacher. I have worked so hard to get to this point and I can't believe it's happening and as each day passes I continue to get closer and closer to achieving my dreams. I have been a basketcase of mixed emotions ever since the day I left Belize but I hope through it all that I'm able to soak up every minute (mixed emotions and all) and enjoy this huge accomplishment that I have acheived and will be celebrating this week.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Some Final Thoughts...
As my time in Belize came to an end our Cohort was given two questions by Dr. C to think about and answer. (I believe I was supposed to answer them before I left Belize but my last week there was my busiest one yet so it just didn't happen. Plus...I also wanted to have a little time to sit back for a minute and reflect on my experience in Belize before answering these questions so I waited until I was home to answer them).
The first prompt is: What have you learned from your partnership teacher that will help you be a better teacher in the US?
- One thing I learned while I was in Belize that I would like to incorporate in my classroom in the U.S. is to use some inspiration from the behavior management system that I have seen used in the classrooms at Isla Bonita. In the Standard One Classroom the teacher has what's called a PAWistive Daily Behavior Chart on the board at the front of the classroom that she uses. The Behavior Chart has seven levels that are: "Outstanding!," "Super Choices!," "Good Job!," "Ready To Learn!," "Slow Down!," "Think About It!," and "Parent Contact!" Each student has a clothes pin with their name on it and everyone starts at the ""Ready To Learn!" level each morning. Throughout the day the teacher moves the students' clothes pin on the chart (either up or down) depending on their behavior. I really like this chart because it is easily displayed for the students so that they know exactly where they are at behavior wise at any given point during the day if they have any questions or are unsure about it. I also like it a lot because some behavior management strategies that I have seen in the States are very limited in the sense that the kids have less chances to correct their behavior and I believe this Behavior Chart provides students with multiple opportunities to improve their behavior if they're not behaving as they should as well as it encourages students to continue behaving well so that they can be "Outstanding!" I mean...Who doesn't want to be considered outstanding?? Since I'm a Special Education Major it will depend on the population of students that I have in my classroom on if I can use this particular Behavior Chart or not but it is something that I would like to try to use one day. I probably wouldn't use it as exactly as it is because just like everything else in Special Education...I would have to adapt this Behavior Chart to meet my students' needs as well. With this Behavior Chart I would like to have small rewards with each level above "Ready To Learn" to provide an extra incentive for students to have positive behaviors in the classroom. This type of Behavior Chart will be a really good way to help teach my students the expectations that I have for them in the Classroom. This Behavior Chart may not work exactly as it was used in the Standard One Classroom for my future classroom but with some tweaking here and there depending on the students that I have in my class I am sure that I can use it as a starting point to help guide a Behavior Chart that I can use in my future classroom that I hope will help me to be a better teacher in the US. Classroom Management is one of the most important skills a teacher must have to teach their students and using a Behavior Chart is one component of Classroom Management.
The second prompt is: What is one thing you are going to tell people about your experience in Belize (what is the first thing that comes to mind)?
- I've seen quite a few people since I've been back from Belize and one of the first things they ask me when they see me is: "How was your trip?!" & The first thing do is get a huge grin on my face. I then pause for a minute trying to find the words to say and I finally say: "It was amazing. I had the time of my life there and I miss it so much. I wasn't ready to come back." & It's so true. I then proceed to go into AT LEAST a five-minute ramble (if not more) of how incredible my time in Belize was. In each of these conversations I have had about my time in Belize one of the things that I find myself coming back to and always telling people is that you can visit a country for a weekend or a week, but you don't truly get to know the people there or really experience their culture until you live and work with them for an extended amount of time (like five and a half weeks). I've only been out of the U.S. one previous time in my life before going to the Belize and it was to The Bahamas when I went for Vacation on a cruise with my Grandparents when I was in Midde School. Looking back on my vacation to The Bahamas and comparing it to my International Field Experience in Belize I was simply a tourist in The Bahamas and didn't get a genuine feel for how life in The Bahamas really is. Now while being in Belize...That was a completely different experience. (I'm of course thankful for both though!) I felt like I truly got comfortable living life there and almost fit in with all of the locals in a way. I remember I felt so clueless during my first week in Belize. All I had was American Money on me, it would take me a minute to figure out the correct amount of money to give the cashier (I always wanted to give WAY MORE than what was needed), I didn't know any of the streets or how to get ANYWHERE on the Island, I took pictures of EVERY LITTLE THING that was new to me, and honestly just seemed like a tourist (I was a temporary one anyway). By my fifth week in Belize all I had was Belizean Money on me, I would hate it when cashiers told me the cost of my purchase in US Dollars since I only had Belizean Money on me (I would then ask how much it was in Belize), I knew how to get around San Pedro Town (for the most part) and go to all of my favorite places, I was able to give directions to tourists, and I didn't take as many pictures around town because none of it was new to me anymore and I was actually living there. I remember my trip to Belize City with THE SPED Girls was VERY DIFFERENT during our fifth week in Belize compared to our first week in Belize. During our first week we went to Belize City with Dr. C and I took pictures of everything. During our fifth week in Belize The SPED Girls and I went to Belize City withOUT Dr. C and I almost laughed when I saw a tourist taking pictures while riding on the Water Taxi because I had already been there and done that. It was the moment where it hit me that I wasn't just a visitor to Belize anymore. I felt like I a part of Belize and I guess when you live there for five and a half weeks that kind of happens to you. It was a very humbling moment for me because I don't think I realized when I left to go to Belize how attached I would get to it. I mean...I knew I would fall in love with the country and leave a part of my heart there when I had to leave (since I always do that wherever I travel) but I did not expect to get as connected to the country and the people who lived there as I did and I am so glad I got to experience that. It is something I will always keep with me too because as I travel in the future I want to keep in mind that the Tourist Locations are neat and worth seeing but I want to make sure that I dig around and find some of the Local Places to see too because THAT is when you truly get to know a way of life that is different from your own. As of right now I have to say that is one of the main takeaways that I feel like I have been telling people about my experience in Belize and will continue to tell people about my experience in Belize.
The first prompt is: What have you learned from your partnership teacher that will help you be a better teacher in the US?
- One thing I learned while I was in Belize that I would like to incorporate in my classroom in the U.S. is to use some inspiration from the behavior management system that I have seen used in the classrooms at Isla Bonita. In the Standard One Classroom the teacher has what's called a PAWistive Daily Behavior Chart on the board at the front of the classroom that she uses. The Behavior Chart has seven levels that are: "Outstanding!," "Super Choices!," "Good Job!," "Ready To Learn!," "Slow Down!," "Think About It!," and "Parent Contact!" Each student has a clothes pin with their name on it and everyone starts at the ""Ready To Learn!" level each morning. Throughout the day the teacher moves the students' clothes pin on the chart (either up or down) depending on their behavior. I really like this chart because it is easily displayed for the students so that they know exactly where they are at behavior wise at any given point during the day if they have any questions or are unsure about it. I also like it a lot because some behavior management strategies that I have seen in the States are very limited in the sense that the kids have less chances to correct their behavior and I believe this Behavior Chart provides students with multiple opportunities to improve their behavior if they're not behaving as they should as well as it encourages students to continue behaving well so that they can be "Outstanding!" I mean...Who doesn't want to be considered outstanding?? Since I'm a Special Education Major it will depend on the population of students that I have in my classroom on if I can use this particular Behavior Chart or not but it is something that I would like to try to use one day. I probably wouldn't use it as exactly as it is because just like everything else in Special Education...I would have to adapt this Behavior Chart to meet my students' needs as well. With this Behavior Chart I would like to have small rewards with each level above "Ready To Learn" to provide an extra incentive for students to have positive behaviors in the classroom. This type of Behavior Chart will be a really good way to help teach my students the expectations that I have for them in the Classroom. This Behavior Chart may not work exactly as it was used in the Standard One Classroom for my future classroom but with some tweaking here and there depending on the students that I have in my class I am sure that I can use it as a starting point to help guide a Behavior Chart that I can use in my future classroom that I hope will help me to be a better teacher in the US. Classroom Management is one of the most important skills a teacher must have to teach their students and using a Behavior Chart is one component of Classroom Management.
The second prompt is: What is one thing you are going to tell people about your experience in Belize (what is the first thing that comes to mind)?
- I've seen quite a few people since I've been back from Belize and one of the first things they ask me when they see me is: "How was your trip?!" & The first thing do is get a huge grin on my face. I then pause for a minute trying to find the words to say and I finally say: "It was amazing. I had the time of my life there and I miss it so much. I wasn't ready to come back." & It's so true. I then proceed to go into AT LEAST a five-minute ramble (if not more) of how incredible my time in Belize was. In each of these conversations I have had about my time in Belize one of the things that I find myself coming back to and always telling people is that you can visit a country for a weekend or a week, but you don't truly get to know the people there or really experience their culture until you live and work with them for an extended amount of time (like five and a half weeks). I've only been out of the U.S. one previous time in my life before going to the Belize and it was to The Bahamas when I went for Vacation on a cruise with my Grandparents when I was in Midde School. Looking back on my vacation to The Bahamas and comparing it to my International Field Experience in Belize I was simply a tourist in The Bahamas and didn't get a genuine feel for how life in The Bahamas really is. Now while being in Belize...That was a completely different experience. (I'm of course thankful for both though!) I felt like I truly got comfortable living life there and almost fit in with all of the locals in a way. I remember I felt so clueless during my first week in Belize. All I had was American Money on me, it would take me a minute to figure out the correct amount of money to give the cashier (I always wanted to give WAY MORE than what was needed), I didn't know any of the streets or how to get ANYWHERE on the Island, I took pictures of EVERY LITTLE THING that was new to me, and honestly just seemed like a tourist (I was a temporary one anyway). By my fifth week in Belize all I had was Belizean Money on me, I would hate it when cashiers told me the cost of my purchase in US Dollars since I only had Belizean Money on me (I would then ask how much it was in Belize), I knew how to get around San Pedro Town (for the most part) and go to all of my favorite places, I was able to give directions to tourists, and I didn't take as many pictures around town because none of it was new to me anymore and I was actually living there. I remember my trip to Belize City with THE SPED Girls was VERY DIFFERENT during our fifth week in Belize compared to our first week in Belize. During our first week we went to Belize City with Dr. C and I took pictures of everything. During our fifth week in Belize The SPED Girls and I went to Belize City withOUT Dr. C and I almost laughed when I saw a tourist taking pictures while riding on the Water Taxi because I had already been there and done that. It was the moment where it hit me that I wasn't just a visitor to Belize anymore. I felt like I a part of Belize and I guess when you live there for five and a half weeks that kind of happens to you. It was a very humbling moment for me because I don't think I realized when I left to go to Belize how attached I would get to it. I mean...I knew I would fall in love with the country and leave a part of my heart there when I had to leave (since I always do that wherever I travel) but I did not expect to get as connected to the country and the people who lived there as I did and I am so glad I got to experience that. It is something I will always keep with me too because as I travel in the future I want to keep in mind that the Tourist Locations are neat and worth seeing but I want to make sure that I dig around and find some of the Local Places to see too because THAT is when you truly get to know a way of life that is different from your own. As of right now I have to say that is one of the main takeaways that I feel like I have been telling people about my experience in Belize and will continue to tell people about my experience in Belize.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)