Skip to main content

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 teachers/staff. The environment is very welcoming and my students were excited to have me in their classroom! So far I have been helping wherever needed and assisting students when needed. The classroom looks similar to classrooms in the states, but it is much smaller.  There are many breaks throughout the day and teachers are provided with long periods of time where they do no have students. My class has a total of 22 students and one head teacher and one teacher assistant. I look forward to seeing students grow as learners while I am in their classroom! 
Class Schedule 
First-Grade Classroom 
High Frequency Word Wall
Front of First-Grade Classroom 

 Since I have only been in Ecuador for a short period of time I have not traveled far. After school the other WKU student teachers and myself walked to Parque de Cumbaya, which is the center of Cumbaya. We grabbed pizza and milkshakes and explored around the area. Hopefully we are able to make other weekend trips soon that are further outside of Cumbaya and Quito! 
  
Parque de Cumbaya

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 3 at Colegio Menor

This past weekend I traveled to Banos, Ecuador; which is almost four hours away from Quito. I went with other WKU students and we took a bus early Saturday morning. We had a very adventurous weekend swinging, zip lining, and enjoying delicious food and coffee! We stayed overnight in Banos before heading back to Cumbaya Sunday evening. Here in Ecuador we had a four-day weekend, so we had plenty of time to rest and venture out in Cumbaya and Quito! Casa del Arbol (Swing at the End of the World!)  My time in Ecuador has flown by and I have enjoyed learning and living the culture that is found here. One thing that I have still not gotten used to is greeting everyone with a hug and kiss on the cheek.   When this first occurred, I was caught off guard and I was not prepared for it. Students at school also love to touch you and they also greet you with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Although this does not happen in schools in the US, it is accepted here and parents wan...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 l...
Post a Comment
Read more