Skip to main content

Overall Reflection

My last day of International Student Teaching! 
It is hard to believe that my time spent in Ecuador has finally come to an end. I will be flying out tonight and will be back home early tomorrow morning. I have faced many challenges while here, but I have enjoyed every second of my trip and it has only allowed me to grow as an individual! I will forever cherish the memories made while at Colegio Menor and while in Ecuador.

Before coming I knew that the language barrier would be difficult for me. Although there were still many times that I was unaware what was being spoken or what I agreed or disagreed with, I still managed to keep an open mind and never shut down. I relied heavily on my translator app, which was very helpful! The first-grade students helped me learn important words that they thought I should know one including ice cream! As I was helping students learn, I was in return learning just as much.

Throughout my experience in Ecuador I have learned that it is always best to keep an open mind. Not everything will be able to go your way and you will not always agree or like what is placed in front of you, but at the same time that is simply life. By keeping an open mind while here it has made it easier for me to accept what surrounds me.

I am beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to travel while still pursuing a college degree that I had always dreamed of receiving. Although saying goodbye to the sweet first-graders that I knew for such a short period was difficult, I look forward to returning home to wrap up a very important chapter in my life. I hope that others have the opportunity to teach abroad, so they can experience the impact it has like I did!


Now it is time to graduate! See you soon, Kentucky!
My last day at Colegio Menor! 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Week 2 at Colegio Menor

I cannot believe that I have already been in Ecuador for two weeks, the time has flown by! This past weekend I spent time traveling! On Saturday, I went to Termas Papallacta with two other WKU students and relaxed in pools filled with water from natural hot springs! Sunday, we went to Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (the Middle of the World)! Since our trip to Ecuador is short, we make sure to spend the weekend traveling as much as possible! This coming weekend is a Holiday weekend, so I will be traveling to Banos, Ecuador for a few days!  Sunday at Ciudad Mitad Del Mundo monument! College Menor is a great school and I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to spend the remainder of my student teaching here. As far as my involvement goes in the classroom, I mainly help with individual students. I make sure to circulate throughout the classroom and help students whenever needed. I have not had the opportunity to lead whole class instruction because students have

Week 1 in Cumbaya!

I have almost successfully survived my first week in Ecuador! I arrived late on Saturday night and spent Sunday exploring around Quito and Cumbaya with my host family. My host home is actually located in Cumbaya, so that is where I spend most of my time! She speaks very little English, so I have relied heavily on a translating app to communicate with her. I am still getting used to the food, but I have been trying new foods when possible! I ride a bus each morning to school with my roommate who is from Massachusetts also here student teaching. A bus is provided for teachers that need transportation, so the bus is filled with other teachers and student teachers.  I am completing student teaching in a first-grade classroom at Colegio Menor, which is a private school located near the center of Cumbaya. Students are bilingual speaking both Spanish and English, but they speak only English while in my class. The school days begins at 8:00am and ends at 2:45pm for students and 3:45 for tea