El año nuevo

Okay, so it's not really the "new year," but when you're a teacher, the "Happy New Year" has a completely different meaning. That said, I know it's October...so it's really not the beginning of the school year either. Give me a break. (Really...a break would be lovely right now.) So much has happened this year, and I just wanted to document and share some of it. 

First of all, I'm planning another trip to Costa Rica!! This time it will be with students! I'll just go ahead and say that planning a school trip is so much more frustrating than planning my own trip. Whew. Thanks NSE for helping that be a not-so-painful process. I'm looking forward to sharing beautiful Costa Rica with some of my best students.

Secondly, I've been trying out some new teaching methods and activities. If you're late to this party, you should keep in mind that I teach everything from level 1A to AP. By the end of the day, I often can't speak plainly in English. Sometimes I can think of Spanish words but can't call to mind the English equivalent. 

Six levels of Spanish + online classes + stress + homecoming week = a brain of mush

Here are a few things that have worked thus far this year:

Spanish 4: Conversation Circle
This has been such a learning experience. I read about using conversation circles at Diary of a Language Coach. I've put my own spin on it, though, and it seems to be working nicely. Each Wednesday, a student or two gives a brief presentation and opinion on an article he/she found online. The article must be related to a predetermined topic such as tecnología, arte, belleza, etc. That student then uses his/her article to determine the topic of conversation for the following Monday. My Spanish 4 students are already required to only speak in Spanish, but the conversation circle allows them to express their opinions and discuss topics that they normally would not have the opportunity to discuss. 

How does it work in my classroom?
Over the weekend, the students write 2 questions they could potentially use in the discussion.
With about 20 minutes left in class on Monday, we get started. First, students sit in a circle. (Mine chose to sit on the floor--still not sure why...but it does make it a bit less formal.) 
The person who presented the article and chose the topic gets to start the conversation with one of his/her questions.
Rules:
1. No question can go unanswered.
2. Only Spanish is allowed. (I'm still working on what to do when they hit a word that they don't know because of lack of exposure. Sometimes their classmates know, but other times, they look to me, which I'd prefer to avoid during this activity.)
3. Each student must contribute to the conversation at least 5 times with a substantial question or comment. I usually listen and keep track.
4. Students are in charge in the activity. They guide the conversation and stay on each question as long as they want.

My students seem to love this so far. It's really amazing (and encouraging!) to hear them tackle topics that they have never had the opportunity to study in Spanish. They recall vocabulary from past years and even help and support each other in Spanish. How many 11th grade students do you know that can do that in their second language?! They definitely aren't perfect, but they are communicating in a way that the meaning is rarely lost, so I'd say this activity is a winner!


AP Spanish: Diarios and Mini-research
My AP students are amazing. I get to spend one-on-one time with them as I teach them, so I'm still surprised when I see how different their levels of skill are. One of them might be able to easily converse with me, using advanced vocabulary he/she just learned this week, while the other one might struggle with speaking only to blow me away with his/her persuasive essay thought process.
In order to better prepare them for the AP exam in May, I ask them to write a journal entry every other week. They choose the topic (from a very long list I provide), and then they correct it after I mark it up. They then look for a news article in Spanish that touches on their journal topic and post the link at the bottom. Their submissions are in Google Drive so we can constantly edit and see each other's comments and changes as needed. 

After posting the link, the students are expected to compare and contrast their journaled thoughts with those found in the article in a 1-2 minute oral presentation. That might not seem like long, but at the beginning of the year it seems like forever to them. This particular activity provides writing, editing, speaking and research practice. Hopefully it will all pay off when they take their exams.



On a completely different note, this time of year is the hardest for a teacher in my opinion. What's more, it's homecoming week. So I like to remind myself of the "little things":

This week, one of my student's parents told me that my class was the only one she had spoken positively about all year.

I might not be able to form a complete sentence due to the mushiness of my brain, but THAT brought tears to my eyes. 

If you're a teacher and struggling through this time of year, hang in there! You never know what's going on in the lives of the students whose eyes follow you every day. You just might be the light they need. 

Bendiciones,
ProfaXploradora

Algunas cosas de Cartago

 A few weeks ago (yep, late again I am) we took a short excursion to Cartago. We saw the basilica there and the ruins of a cathedral (okay...maybe it wasn't going to be a cathedral. I can't exactly remember.) that was never finished because of earthquakes and such. It is absolutely beautiful. If it were in the U.S. It would be a wedding venue. 

Visitors come to the basilica and buy or bring little models of their needs. For example, if they are praying for healing in their hand or arm they might bring something similar to the above items. Sometimes they offer other items that are special to them to "la Negrita"--their patron Saint. It is said that a little girl found a doll in the woods and took it home. Each time it would end up back in the same spot where she found it. The priest in the town decides that the Virgen wanted to remain in the place where the doll was found so they built the basilica in that area.  The holy water from the stream is in the last picture. 

Sugerencias y cosas que he aprendido

First of all, let me give a "shout out" of sorts to my students reading this. You chic@s are the best! 

Also, my Mom, my Dad and my Aunt 'Laine have done an exceptional job helping take care of me this week. Thank you!!! This brings me to number one...

1) If you come to Costa Rica, bring some cash. I don't mean a few bucks. Bring about 75-100 bucks for each week. You can change the money easily at a bank. Also call your debit/credit card companies and make sure they know you'll be using you card in a foreign country. That said, I DID bring cash, but I needed to use my card to get some cash for the last two weeks. I tried at least 4 times, and it wouldn't work. I then called my mom and got her to check on my account. We found out that someone has been using my card in New Orleans...since I've been here. What?! Praise God that we caught it when we did. Had the ATM worked, I still wouldn't know. My precious mom (with the help of my aunt who has an iPhone and can talk to me) got my stolen money back. 

2) Don't be afraid to ask for help. I have a class with a guy named Max. I found out early on that Max is a Believer, and every time he gives a presentation in class, it somehow hits home with me. He isn't ashamed to share his faith, but he does it with grace.  When he found out about my money predicament he didn't hesitate to offer to loan me money. I am so grateful the Lord put him in my path. 

3) The hot water in the shower is heated by an electrical apparatus. ¡Ojo! It takes some finagling to get the warm/hot water. You have to turn the knob pretty far, then turn it back slowly towards the point where it makes the "pshhhh" sound. (Jaja! Yea...I just said that). I shaved with cold water for probably the first week. That was not fun. 

4) One word: batidos. You guys. This is in my top 5 fav things here. They take fresh fruit, ice, sugar and either milk or water and mix it in a blender. We have these for breakfast lunch and dinner. I am such a fan!!

5) Don't count on a nap if you live across the street from a recycling plant. You read that correctly. Sometimes I need a nap after class. But it is so hard to sleep when I haven't really got a wall (There's an open window in my bedroom inside the house.). Then there's an open window on the outside wall that is ALWAYS open--rain, shine, exhaust fumes, dog barking, what have you. I've learned that apparently, to recycle glass, you have to break it manually here. I really don't know, but that's what they're doing. Imagine having a pile of 20 glass bottles and smashing them with a hammer. That should give you the background noise for my attempted nap.  

6) Bring sweaters and pants and close-toed shoes. It's chilly a good portion of the time, and it rains. Wearing pants and close-toed shoes helps you blend in a bit more with the locals. I said a BIT more. Just don't wear Tempos, flip flops and workout attire to class. Okay? Good. 

7) The lit classes require a considerable amount of work in comparison with the other classes. That's all I'm going to say about that right now. 

8) Try to avoid the extreme touristy locations. They are beautiful, but there are less crowded options at times. And da I mention my distaste to cheating taxi drivers?

9) Learn where your fellow MLSA students live. 

10) This is a big one. GO TO THE DANCE CLASS the Spanish language department offers. I had SO much fun yesterday. We danced bachata, merengue, salsa and cumbia/swing. It's even more fun if you can find a guy who can dance! 

I'm sure I have more to add, but I'll have to save it for next time. 

(Oh! I recently found out my AP students did AMAZINGLY well on their exams. I'm so proud!)

Una mezcla

Again, I'm sorry for la tardanza of my post. It has been SO busy here!! 

I had two presentations an a midterm exam this past week. I made a 100 on the lit exam and got full credit on my presentation. I'm still awaiting the last grade. My presentation was on a short story titled "Eva, la sucia" by Jorge Franco. It's about a woman who refuses to bathe, clean or generally take care of anything until her husband returns. He doesn't return because he has been kidnapped by a group in Colombia. 

I was definitely in my element. I basically got to lead discussion and teach the story. Dare I say I enjoyed it? Okay okay. I did. 

We didn't have classes on Friday so we decided to buy bus tickets to Manuel Antonio National Park. We stayed in Tabulia Tree Hotel. I wouldn't recommend it. We were without water for an evening. That was interesting. 

We did, however, get to see monkeys, iguanas, toucans and a sloth (oso perezoso)!!

We did get to go to la playa Espadilla a couple of times. The sun isn't out as much as, say, at an Alabama beach so the beach days are shorter. 

We did eat some delicious food. I had some of the best nachos I've ever had. The chips, by the way, are thicker, but they are so good. I also had a good bit of seafood, which I love. My madre tica never cooks fish. She is allergic and begins to feel "fatal" if she eats it, so I have to get it elsewhere. 

Note to anyone traveling to Manuel Antonio. Be aware of how taxis normally work in Costa Rica. The taxistas should run the "maria" or meter to give the correct mileage/charge. They tried to cheat us numerous times. You guys know that I hate being treated like I'm stupid so that didn't go over well. Let just say an old man started yelling at us and there was basically an agreement amongst some of them to NOT help us. Needless to say, I was pretty angry. 

We got back to the city (San José) Sunday evening. I still had reading to do...

P.S. I was so proud of myself for packing light! This is an achievement worth documenting. If only my hair would look as good as it did in MA sans a hairdryer on a regular basis. Jaja

La semana pasada

Wow! (According to my housemate I use that word a lot. You come to notice idiosyncrasies like that when you live in close quarters with people you barely know, but I digress.) 

It's been a busy week, and I'm tired, but I have got to update you guys and gals on my trip. Last Sunday, we went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens and to visit the Poás Volcano. We couldn't really see the crater at the top of the volcano becauSe it was cloudy (we were in a cloud forest), but the tropical surroundings are beautiful. The waterfalls themselves were worth the trip. We also stopped for some strawberries along the way. Interestingly enough, they offered to put sweetene condensed milk and chocolate syrup on top. Try it. It tastes like a sundae. 

We then started classes on Monday. My first class, Contemporary Latin American Literature is from 8-10:20. Let me just say that that is a long time. I love a good literature discussion; don't get me wrong, but this becoming a student again is tough business. My next class is from 10:35-12:50. It's an advanced conversation class and the Profe is younger than I am...not that I'm old. It's just a bit (okay, maybe a lot) nerve racking to have someone tweaking and grading my conversation, grammar and pronunciation skills. I had to give a 10 minute presentation on a topic of my choice on Friday (July 3rd), and I was so nervous!! I'm a teacher, yes, but I'm also a perfectionist. When I'm the student that combination equals stress even though talking to people and guiding them verbally along a learning journey (like that? Learning journey?) is my job! So glad that presentation is over. I talked about teaching ESL on Wednesdays and the people I've met and how I involve my regular school students.  I got a 95. Praise God! I have another one coming up this Thursday. Say a prayer. :)

Below are some pictures from our cruise (via catamaran) to La Isla Tortuga on Saturday. It. Was. Spectacular.

You guys, it was so beautiful. We rented chairs, went snorkeling (I saw A fish), ordered fresh coconut water still in the coconut and had a DELICIOUS lunch. I want to take my friends to this island. 

It was a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July!! 

Sunday we visited Café Britt to learn about coffee growing. Coffee is a huge export here in Costa Rica. Did you know...

A coffee plant grows for 3 years before it produces a crop. 

It produces good coffee for only 25 years, but can live about 100 years. 

Colder temps mean harder and heavier beans, which give a more even roast. 

The volcanic soil here is ideal for coffee plants. 

Coffee plants are from the gardenia family. 

Gourmet coffee beans are picked by hand. Only 20 percent of the coffee bean is used for actual coffee. 

So cool. Or "chiva" as they say here. 

I have a few interesting facts/things to share, but I'll have to put those in another post. 

Volcán Poás y La Paz

I'll have to add information about these pictures later. They absolutely do not do God's creation justice. Grandeur just cannot be captured in a picture. 

Orientación en la U y más info sobre comida

An interesting thing about the meals that my madre tica prepares is that it has more of a "meat on the side" feel. (<--I'm pretty sure I stole that phrase from the Food Network jaja) it works for me because I don't eat much red meat. Perfecto!

In the photo above, you can see the black rice and bean mixture. It's a very popular dish here called "gallo pinto" spotted rooster, more or less). It is normally eaten for breakfast. My madre tica explained that in the poor areas of the country, workers wrap their food in tortillas and call it a "gallo". But she was reluctant to say it's the same as a "burrito". I've also learned that the bananas here are FAR superior to the bananas in the U.S. I actually like them here. At home I eat them slightly green because I don't like them ripe and extremely sweet. 

The second photo is another meal--dinner. The veggies are carrots and green beans of some sort with a little beef mixed in. Black beans are a staple, of course, so I'm getting used to eating those. 

Today, Saturday, we had orientation at la U (the university). It rained most of the day, and I've decided that by the time I leave, I'll likely not care about hair or makeup much at all. Así es la vida aquí...pura vida! It's laid back and I feel excessive worrying about such things. Anywho, we met our profesoras, an I think I'm really going to like both of mine. My conversación avanzada prof is quite energetic! And my literatura contemporanea prof is sweet. Okay...I have to go eat again...jaja. Hasta pronto.