Home for a Month-Reflection

After being back for a month and getting in the swing of things at home and my first placement, it is really hitting me what a great experience I had abroad. I learned so much about myself, professionally and personally, about another culture and school system, and how great and scary it can be to be immersed in a new culture and place. People always ask what I learned while I was abroad. There is so much that I can’t fit it all into words or even explain everything I experienced in the short eight weeks I was in St. Lucia. Here are a few of the things I learned and have taken away from my student teaching experience in St. Lucia:

-Building relationships with your students is key. It is very difficult to plan lessons for children that you know nothing about. If you know about their likes and abilities, it makes lesson planning easier; you can have the kids in mind that you’re planning for.

-You can easily make friends with people whom you have only known for a short time. These people turned into my family for the time I was in St. Lucia. They were my sense of comfort, support system, and tour guides while I was there. Without the teachers and other people who became my friends, I don’t think my experience would have been as enjoyable.

-Being flexible is key. As a teacher, things change easily and quickly. You have to be flexible and able to think on your feet. If you get caught up in the sudden change or kink in the schedule, you will not only be in a bad mood, but upset the mood of the class. It’s important to learn to go with the flow and take things as they come.

-Being confused and uncomfortable is okay and a great learning experience. The times when you are most uncertain of what is going on or when you step out of your comfort zone can be the times when you learn the most about the place you are in, the people you’re with, and about yourself. Things are not going to be the same as they are at home, but that’s why I went abroad. It was crucial that I accepted that I was out of my comfort zone and that’s when I learned the most.

-It’s important to have support at home. When you’re having a bad day or not sure of what is going on, it’s great to be able to talk to someone at home (if possible). Sometimes all you need is that familiar voice and words of encouragement to realize you can do anything.

– Use the teaching strategies you learned in classes. We have been taught so many strategies in college and I got to use so many of them abroad. I learned to be confident in the skills I had and strategies I learned.

-Make the most of the time. It passes so quickly (as cliché as it sounds, it’s true). Every day I reminded myself that this experience was one that would never happen again. I had to embrace and make the most of every day.

I will never forget the experience that I had while student teaching abroad. I’m so glad I made the choice to go abroad and had an amazing 8 weeks. The people and island of St. Lucia will forever be a part of my life and heart.

Week 7

Saturday marked one week left in St. Lucia. I am going to enjoy this last week as much as possible.

The past week at school was spent doing review and different activities with the students. The teachers are correcting and grading the end of term exams and filling out each student’s report book. There aren’t really any traditional classes or lessons going on, but rather activities or work for the students while the teachers do their work. On Friday the school had their road race. The race is a 5k, and students grades 3 and up (with consent from their parents) ran or walked in the race. The students ran on the roads that are near school. The whole school was divided into 4 houses, green, blue, red, and yellow. I was a member of the green house. Each person that ran and finished the race received points for their house, so the houses wanted as many people from their group to participate in the run as possible. I handed out water and took pictures for the race. It was fun to watch the students be competitive and enjoy the run. Sometime this week the students will find out how they did in the road race. Last week I took pictures with my class and cooperating teachers. Here are a few of the pictures:

   

  

 

 

Since this was my last full weekend in St. Lucia, it was filled with last minute things and enjoying my time as much as possible. On Friday night my host brother and sister took me to the street party in Gros Islet. It was fun to spend time with them; they even had the DJ announce my name and say a little something to me on the microphone. Then on Saturday I headed to the market in Castries to do some last minute shopping with Rachel, Morgan, and Amanda (the Peace Corps volunteer in Monchy). After the market we enjoyed lunch of chicken roti and smoothies, followed by an afternoon at the beach for Amanda and I. Rachel, Morgan, and I always go to the beach on Sundays, so we had to end our last Sunday the same way. We spent a few hours on the beach relaxing, walking, swimming, and reading. We are trying to soak up as much sun as possible before returning home. After the beach we headed to my principal’s house for a cook out with her, her family, some of the teachers from Monchy, and members of Rachel and Morgan’s host family. It was a delicious meal with great company. It was a perfect way to end my last weekend here in St. Lucia.

My host brother, sister, and I at the street party.

Rachel, Morgan, and I at the principal’s house for dinner.

 

In less than a week’s time I will be back in Wisconsin. It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling. I am ready to return to my family, friends, and first student teaching placement back home, but I am going to miss Monchy, the people I have met here, the weather, and the beautiful scenery.

Week 6

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to my family and friends! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday and ate some wonderful Thanksgiving food.

The beginning days of last week were spent reviewing and preparing the Grade 6 students for their end of term district exams. On Thursday the students finally had their exams. Since the tests lasted all day it was a long, full day of testing. After school on Thursday I was able to skype with my family. My mom brought her computer to my grandparents’ house, so I was able to see all of my aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. It was great to be able to see everyone even though I wasn’t able to enjoy the day with them. On Thursday night one of the teachers invited a few of the other teachers and myself to her house for dinner. We had delicious St. Lucian food and enjoyed great company.

On Saturday Rachel, Morgan, and I finally were able to accomplish one of the big things that we wanted to do in St. Lucia: zip lining through the rain forest. We traveled to Dennery on a bus full of couples at 10 am. Needless to say there was a lot of talk about marriage and honeymoons. The trip was about a half an hour by bus; in total we were in Dennery for about four hours. There were 12 lines total that we rode, with a few short hikes in between. Having never been zip lining before, it was a little scary to look down at the first line and see nothing below me but the forest. That being said, it was one of the most amazing things I have done here in St. Lucia. The view was unbelievable. I can’t say that I thought that I’d ever have the chance to visit the rainforest, much less be able to see it from high above. We were all a little tired from our zip lining excursion, so it was nice to have a relaxing Sunday. Rachel, Morgan, and I spent our Sunday the way we usually do, going to church and then sitting on the beach.

A picture of me on one of the lines zip lining.

Rachel, Morgan, and I in all of the zip lining gear.

Getting my harness attached at one of the lines.

After zip lining, outside of the place where we went to.

 

 

 

 

Since it is Thanksgiving I decided to make a list of a few of the things I am thankful for here in St. Lucia:

-The many bonds I have formed in a short amount of time-People here have taken me in as their own and given me the best St. Lucian experience I could ever ask for. I have formed many friendships and made many memories that I know will last me a lifetime.

-The fresh fruits and different foods- During my stay so far I have been able to try a lot of new foods, many of those being fresh fruits. There isn’t a day that I’m not thankful for the unprocessed, unpreserved fruits that the island has to offer, including oranges (they actually aren’t orange by the way, they’re green and yellow), mangos, golden apples, bananas, sugar apples, and so much more. Without this experience I wouldn’t have been able to try all of the new foods that I have had the chance to sample.

-The scenery-I never get sick of waking up and walking outside to the green, hill covered landscape of the island. When we are driving past different places on the island I can’t help but think “Wow”. There is never a lack of beauty on this island, from the beaches and clear water to the tree covered hills.

-The temperature- Needless to say I am not missing snow that much. On the days when the heat is getting to me all I have to do is remind myself of how cold it is at home. The nice temperature also allows me to enjoy the outdoors, which is an added bonus.

-The daily prayers at school with the children- The days at Monchy Primary are filled with prayers. We pray in the morning when we arrive, at lunch, and before we go home. It gives me a daily reminder to thank God for all He has given me. I love that our school and day is centered around the fact that with God anything is possible and we need to praise Him for the blessings He has given us.

That’s just a short list of things I am thankful for here in St. Lucia. I have to give a special shout out to my family and friends. Without their love and support I wouldn’t be able to accomplish half of the things I have so far. So thank you for your love and support! It means the world to me.

Sincerely,

Sam

Week 5

As of now there are only three weeks left of my student teaching placement here in St. Lucia. It is a very bittersweet feeling. I am excited to see my family and friends, return to SNC, and also go back to my first student teaching placement. However, I will miss Monchy Primary, the people and the bonds I have formed here, and of course the weather. The time will go quickly, so I am trying to make the most of what I have left.

Last week was the last full week of instruction for the Grade Six students. This week we are reviewing and later in the week they will take the District End of Term Exam. This exam signifies the end of the term, which is like a semester in the states. Although there won’t be any more typical class periods, everyone still comes to school. The students work on other work or play educational games, while the teachers grade exams, write students’ reports, and attend meetings. The end of the term isn’t until December 12^th, so school goes until then. I am interested to see what the next few weeks bring, especially since this is very different than how the last few weeks of school are at home.

One of my students’ favorite things to do before school, if they don’t have homework to go over, is play card games. I brought a few games with me, including Uno and Apples to Apples. Uno is definitely the favorite, especially among the boys of the class. Occasionally I will play with them, but usually there are already quite a few people playing.

Enjoying Uno before school starts

The games can get pretty intense.

I realized that I never included pictures of my classroom, so here are a few. My classroom is on the second level of part of the school building, with hallways open to the outdoors on both sides.

This is the view when you enter the classroom form the door in the back.

The view from the back of the room by the teacher’s desk. There are 32 kids in the class, so there are a lot of desks and people in a small space.

The hallway on the second floor that leads to our classroom.

Some new words/phrases that I have learned while here:

Burst-to break something

vexed- to be angry with someone

quarrel- to fight with someone

For true?- For real?

chick- boyfriend

pear- avocado

okay- fine, good

Are you okay?- Are you doing well?

nice- good (when used to describe food)

As always thank you for reading my blog. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4

I apologize for the late blog post. It was a busy weekend, followed by a busy first few days at school. I am finally finding the time to sit down and write, in between preparing things for school of course.

Last week at school the 6th graders continued to learn about the weather. We started out the week by studying hurricanes and students made plans for what they would do if a hurricane were approaching. It was very interesting for me to study hurricanes with them. The students really taught me about hurricanes and what it’s like to live in a place where they could experience such a storm. I enjoyed learning from them just as much as they enjoyed teaching me. During the lesson on rain the students made rain gauges in pairs. They really enjoyed the hands on activity and it was great to see them so excited about class. We are working on finishing up our weather unit this week.

Students working on their hurricane plans.

Two students working on their rain gauges.

Students putting their rain gauges around the school compound.

A student working on his rain gauge.

In the composition portion of English students are working on writing their narrative essays. I read a few of the essays today and realized that we still need to work on a few aspects of narrative writing. After some review students will take another try at narrative writing. During the language mechanics portion of English, which is like grammar, spelling, and vocabulary, students worked on the apostrophe and homophones. This week we are continuing to work on narrative writing, as well as reviewing homophones and working on prefixes.

This past weekend Rachel’s parents were able to come and visit the island. I spent the weekend at Rachel and Morgans’s house because, although their house isn’t too far away, finding a ride isn’t always easy. It was great to spend the weekend with them and to see Rachel’s parents. Rachel’s mom brought me a few requests that I had asked my mom for: chocolate, peanut butter, and bug spray. To others these may seem like silly requests, but peanut butter and bug spray are very expensive here. With the amount of bug spray that is applied daily you can never have enough. As far as chocolate, I was just missing one of my favorite foods. On Friday night the principal at my school, along with a few others took all of us to Anse La Ray for their Fish Friday. Unfortunately they were out of fish by the time we arrived. We then traveled to Gros Islet for the street party, which was filled with people. Saturday we were able to take a bus tour around the island. We began in the north, toured our way down one coast, and then returned up the other coast. While on the tour we were able to go to a waterfall and visit the sulfur springs. It was so cool to stand under a waterfall in the rainforest and take a nice mud/sulfur bath at the sulfur springs (the sulfur bath is very good for your skin). On Sunday we had a little more of a relaxing day. We started our day by going to church and then went to the resort where Rachel’s parents are staying. Despite a few passing clouds and minutes of rain, the weather was perfect for swimming in the ocean and laying on the beach. There is no better way to end the week than spending some time on the beach with great company.

Going under the waterfall!

Rachel, Morgan, and I enjoying our time under the waterfall.

Seeing the Pitons (in the background) for the first time.

Mud bath time!

Enjoying the sulfur bath.

 

 

 

 

 

My time here in St. Lucia is halfway through and I can’t help but to reflect on all the things I have learned and experienced. I feel as though I have just arrived here and yet my time is coming to an end. I can’t help but to think about all the great people I have met, things I’ve learned, places I’ve visited, and new things I’ve tried. I can’t wait to see what the next four weeks brings me on this beautiful island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3

As I am writing this post it is currently pouring outside will no signs of letting up. This will most likely be my first full day of rain here on the island. Usually it rains for about 5 to 15 minutes and then passes; here it is referred to as a “passing cloud”. Rain is very unpredictable here and happens at any moment, so I have learned to always carry an umbrella just in case.

This week at school the students wrote narratives based off of the movie “The Blind Side”. I put the students in pairs and together they had to write a narrative based off of the main character in the movie, Michael Oher. We had watched the movie the week before to give students some more experiences that they could possibly use while writing a narrative. It was great to see what the students can do with writing, and what still needs to be worked on. The students really enjoyed watching the movie, and I think it was a great way to build experiences for their first narrative. We are still working on the elements of a narrative and how to make the narrative entertaining for the reader. Next week the students will begin working on brainstorming and drafting their next narrative. One of the major components of this narrative unit will be building students’ writing stamina. For the Common Entrance Exam that 6th grade students will take at the end of the year they must be able to write a full essay or narrative in 30 minutes. Throughout the unit I will slowly be working the students towards being able to complete a well written narrative in that amount of time.

In science this week we began the unit on weather elements. In the lessons this week we did a general overview of weather and a lesson on clouds. I put the students into groups and had them write their own weather forecasts. Many of the forecasts turned out well, but from listening to their presentations I realized we have to work on the temperatures for different types of weather. Some of the students had it snowing when they said the temperature was hot, and it sunny and hot when the temperature stated was cold. Next week we will begin looking at precipitation, hurricanes, and temperature. The students are very excited to learn about winter and what winter is like in Wisconsin. They already have many questions about what it is like and many questions about how true the portrayal of winter is in movies that they have seen.

Last weekend Rachel, Morgan, and I went to the Friday fish in Gros Islet. Usually the line for fish is very long, but it wasn’t too bad when we went. The fish was delicious and afterwards we tried a drink called sea moss. It is made from weeds in the sea and is supposed to be very good for you. It was surprisingly good and very rich. Then on Saturday we visited the market in Castries (Castries is referred to as town here) on Saturday. It was cool to see all of the different crafts and things that people sell in the market. There is also a market for foods, like fruits and vegetables. Mangoes and oranges have grown to be my favorite fruits here, and there are always plenty of stands selling both. While in Castries we also saw a few of the government buildings, the cathedral, and the central library. On Sunday we went to Pigeon Island and hiked Pigeon Point, a hill in the national park. The national park at Pigeon Island has old military base ruins on it, with one of the main attractions being Fort Rodney at the top of Pigeon Point. The view from Fort Rodney was breathtaking and like nothing I have seen before. After the hike we enjoyed some time cooling off in the sea.

The market in Castries

Half way up Pigeon Point

One of the views from Pigeon Point

At Fort Rodney, the top of Pigeon Point

Fort Rodney

Next week marks the halfway point of my stay in St. Lucia. It is crazy that so much time has passed already. I feel like I had just arrived yesterday on the island. I miss my family and friends at home, but I am enjoying my stay and the experiences I am having here.

Week 2

Happy Halloween!

Halloween isn’t celebrated here, so I am looking forward to talking to the 6th grade students about the traditions of Halloween. We are even going to do a little “trick-or-treating”. School has been going well. I taught my first few lessons on narratives this week. Next week I will be teaching composition and science. I am enjoying getting to know more about the students, the other teachers, and the educational system here. I am very grateful that the students and teachers at Monchy Primary have taken me in and made me feel so comfortable not only in the school, but in St. Lucia.

I am still adjusting to the cultural differences, especially the differences of the concept of time. In the U.S. people are very aware of the time, when things begin, when things end, how long things take, and so on. People are often rushed and there is a set amount of time for everything. Here in St. Lucia, people are aware of the time, when things begin and when things end, but everything runs on “island time”. Things rarely start on time, end on time, or last the amount of time that they are said to be lasting. To some this may seem annoying or like a burden. I, however, enjoy “island time” I enjoy not feeling rushed and living at a slower pace. I have realized that life doesn’t need to be so fast paced or have such set boundaries of time. I have learned to enjoy my time, no matter how long it is, to relax and take a few breathes. The difference in the concept of time has taught me that there are few things in life that should be rushed through, but rather enjoyed to the very last second.

Last Saturday I was able to travel to Pigeon Point with Rachel and Morgan, the other two girls from St. Norbert here. We enjoyed our time relaxing on the beach and talking about our experiences thus far. On Sunday was the Jounen Kweyol festival on the island. Lucky for me, one of the main festivals on the island was held at Monchy, the town I live in. I attended church in the morning and then walked around the festival with Morgan and Rachel before returning home. There was a lot of food, and even more people at the festival. Jounen Kweyol celebrates the Creole heritage here on the island, so it was exciting to see the different Creole foods and other traditional Creole aspects. There were many people, including myself, dressed in the traditional Creole dress/fabric.

My host sister and I ready for Jounen Kweyol

The beach and mountain at Pigeon Point

As always, thanks for keeping up with my blog!

 

Week 1

Me on my first day of school

I have safely arrived in St. Lucia. My first week went great! Monday was my first day of school at Monchy Primary. Most mornings there is a whole school assembly, where a few of the teachers talk and everyone prays together before school starts. On Monday, after the assembly, the principal took me to meet all of the teachers and students. I then went to the sixth grade classroom, where I will be teaching while I am here. There are over 25 students in the very small sixth grade room. All of the students call me “Miss Lensmire”, “Miss L.”, or “Miss”. Students here are to address their teachers as “Miss” or “Sir” and each time they talk to the teacher, they end the statement in “Miss” or “Sir”. This week I observed the two sixth grade teachers, Mr. Nestor and Mrs. Jn. Baptiste. Next week I will begin teaching composition.

While observing I noticed many differences from schools in Wisconsin to schools here in St. Lucia. For one, in Wisconsin most classrooms have internet, computers, and other forms of technology. At Monchy Primary School there is internet, but there aren’t computers or other technology available in every classroom. The teachers write on the white or chalk board. Here the classrooms are open to the outdoors and the hallways are more like walkways or sidewalks. There is no air conditioning, but there is always a breeze to cool of the classroom. I have also noticed that most of the instruction is teacher  directed. The students take notes while the teacher lectures and writes on the board. There hasn’t been much student directed learning that I have observed yet. The sixth graders in St. Lucia are getting ready for the Common Entrance Exam at the end of the year. It is a very serious test that determines where they will go to secondary school here on the island. This affects much of the instruction and learning that takes place in the sixth grade.

One view of the school

The courtyard where assemblies are held.

One of my favorite things to do is watch the children play. After school you can find them running, jumping, and playing cricket. This week is the Creole Celebration Week at school, so each day there has been some form of a Creole component. The week ended with the big Creole Lunch and activities today. There was a lot of food and each class put on a different Creole show. It was fun to try the local foods and learn more about the island’s Creole heritage. On Sunday the whole island will celebrate Jounen Kweyol. I’m looking forward to going to the celebration.

My outfit for Jounen Kweyol.

My home here in St. Lucia.

 

2 Days Until Take Off

There are officially two days until I begin my student teaching journey in St. Lucia! Almost everything is packed and ready to go for my flight on Friday. I am finishing up the first portion of my student teaching placement in Pulaski. It will be bittersweet to leave my kiddos. I am excited to being my student teaching experience in St. Lucia at Monchy Primary School. Knowing these two months will go by quickly, I am looking forward to embracing and enjoying all that St. Lucia has to offer.

One of my roommates, Rachel, will be going to St. Lucia with me and student teaching at a different school on the island. Rachel and I have each gotten a Norby the Knight doll that will travel with us to St. Lucia. He will be a little piece of St. Norbert while we are away. We are so excited to take pictures of Norby in different locations around St. Lucia as we travel.

The next time I post will be from St. Lucia!

 

22 Days Until Departure

There are approximately 22 days until I leave for St. Lucia. Time seems to be moving at lightening speed; it seems like just a few days ago I began my first student teaching placement. I am really enjoying the experiences I am having and teaching in second grade, and I will miss the students, teachers, and people at Glenbrook while I am away. I am also enjoying learning about and preparing for St. Lucia. I have began making my packing list and thinking about what I want to bring. I know that soon I will need to actually start packing. But for now days are filled with teaching, lesson planning, and preparing for the big adventure that is not too far away.