We FINALLY made it to the beach! And let me tell you, it was worth the wait. We're in Playa del Coco and we've discovered that it gets its name because the beach looks like millions of Swiss Miss packets have been dumped out. It gets this effect from the several volcanoes in the area. The beach we're at is in Guanacaste, one of the provinces of Costa Rica, in the Northwestern part of the country. It's beautiful.
The town is so fun. There are several street vendors and restaurants, all serving delicious snacks and for cheap. Our hotel is perfect too. We found a hostel out of town a little bit for $45/night. It has a hot shower, a/c, and a pool. The owners just took it over last Saturday so they're in the midst of updating which is great because it's not busy.
The ocean is gorgeous. Rachael and her dad went scuba diving this morning and said they saw tons of awesome fish! I would have gone, but I don't have my scuba certification. Oh well, snorkeling soon? I think so. The water temp is right around 80 degrees. Perfect.
The only thing our hotel doesn't have is internet, which is fine because almost evey restaurant in town does.
It's day 2 here and we'll be here until next week Wednesday. Then we'll head to the province of Puntarenas which kind of looks like Chile. It goes up the West coast of the country. We'll be on the Southern part in Dominical for a week. We found a great vacation rental that is beautiful! 2 master suites, balconies, beach side, and lots of activities. I'm pumped.
Well everyone, I think I'm off to the pool. I know you're all probably cold up there, but it's 85 and sunny here...with a light breeze and the occasional cloud. Vacation well deserved? I think so.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Ten Year Olds and Espresso
Well, my time teaching has come to an end. Here's a recap of what the last week and a half of school was like.
The field trip to the coffee plantation was amazing. I found out that it is owned by the founder of the school. Upon arrival, we were separated into 3 groups, each with a private tour guide. We got to see all of the inner workings of the plantation and the students got to roll around in the coffee beans. After our tour, the students were given an orientation on coffee picking and got to go into the fields with traditional baskets, and collect the berries. I say berries because I don't really know what else to call them. I've never seen coffee prior to being picked before but I can only describe it as looking like cranberries growing in a HUGE vineyard. The beans are inside of these, and now due to technological advances, they have machinery to shuck out the beans.
On the property, there is a fancy little restaurant that overlooks gorgeous botanical gardens and a mountain lake. They catered a traditional lunch for us that consisted of gallo pinto (guy-o pin-toe) which is basically white rice, black beans and some spices. They mix it all together and serve it in a banana leaf...very traditional and a staple in Costa Rica, and very yummy.
The bus ride back was...interesting. It took 2 hours and the 10-year old 4th graders had been eating coffee beans all day. Now 10-year olds are balls of energy on their own, but fill them full of fresh espresso beans and then put them all together on a bus? INSANITY! They wanted to sit, they really did, but their little bodies betrayed them and it was like they were shaking out of their skin. Us teachers were more than relieved when we released them to their parents. Luckily, most of them had soccer or tennis practice after school, so they could burn some of their energy off.
For the record, I did get to have some fresh Costa Rican coffee and I have to say, as a coffee lover, I don't think I'll ever be able to drink coffee in the states again. It's everything that every coffee lover hopes to find in that morning cup, but never quite gets. It's euphoric.
Last week on Friday, the principal came into my classroom and observed me teaching a lesson on persuasive writing. It went AWESOME! The students did great, my classroom management methods worked incredibly, and she loved it! On Monday morning, she pulled me aside, told me how nice it was to see a young teacher with so much passion and to see someone who "gets it." This is a testament to the program at River Falls. I say this because the school in Costa Rica has had students from several other universities but never from RF. She said she's shocked that student teachers can seem so comfortable and prepared, and teach such effective lessons. She offered me a 2-year contract on the spot. Her exact words: "I want you to teach here. I want you bad."
Now I'm not one to toot my own horn, but that was pretty cool. I couldn't believe it! I'm not in a position to be able to accept her offer, but I was so flattered and graciously thanked her for her time and feedback. She's said she's going to write me a fantastic letter of recommendation, which is wonderful. It's a good feeling knowing that the hard work put in was acknowledged and appreciated.
The last day of school was amazing. Each grade level did skits including songs and dances, traveling through the decades. This year marks Pan-American's 40th anniversary and the students did an amazing job illustrating the growth over time of the school. Songs and dances included things like The Macarena, Thriller, and some crazy song that my 4th graders were break-dancing to. It was AMAZING!
The 5th graders had their graduation ceremony, and while time consuming, it was so well done. Each 5th grader, upon receiving their diploma, was read individualized comments written by their teachers. These comments highlighted accomplishments, positive personality traits, and things that make the students unique. They felt so uplifted by the end of the day, it was really incredible to be a part of.
Now that school is done, Rachael and I are on to our next adventure. We are rewarding ourselves for all of our hard work with 3 weeks of travel! We will be going to Guanacaste for about 2 weeks, and then Dominical for the last week. We are so excited! Although we've been to each coast once, we haven't really explored that much. We will be on the beach, taking tours, exploring local charm, doing the tourist things, eating great food, and having a lot of laughs. We're not completely sure what activities we'll be doing but they'll most likely include things like volcano exploring, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, 4-wheeling, zip-lining, maybe horseback riding, swimming, and of course sun-bathing.
The last several years in this program have been a lot of work for the both of us and we are so excited for this treat to ourselves. It's going to be amazing. I'll keep you all posted with descriptions of our tropical adventures, but I'll try not to rub it in too much...I hear there's a blizzard in MN/WI. Stay warm! I know I will! :)
The field trip to the coffee plantation was amazing. I found out that it is owned by the founder of the school. Upon arrival, we were separated into 3 groups, each with a private tour guide. We got to see all of the inner workings of the plantation and the students got to roll around in the coffee beans. After our tour, the students were given an orientation on coffee picking and got to go into the fields with traditional baskets, and collect the berries. I say berries because I don't really know what else to call them. I've never seen coffee prior to being picked before but I can only describe it as looking like cranberries growing in a HUGE vineyard. The beans are inside of these, and now due to technological advances, they have machinery to shuck out the beans.
On the property, there is a fancy little restaurant that overlooks gorgeous botanical gardens and a mountain lake. They catered a traditional lunch for us that consisted of gallo pinto (guy-o pin-toe) which is basically white rice, black beans and some spices. They mix it all together and serve it in a banana leaf...very traditional and a staple in Costa Rica, and very yummy.
The bus ride back was...interesting. It took 2 hours and the 10-year old 4th graders had been eating coffee beans all day. Now 10-year olds are balls of energy on their own, but fill them full of fresh espresso beans and then put them all together on a bus? INSANITY! They wanted to sit, they really did, but their little bodies betrayed them and it was like they were shaking out of their skin. Us teachers were more than relieved when we released them to their parents. Luckily, most of them had soccer or tennis practice after school, so they could burn some of their energy off.
For the record, I did get to have some fresh Costa Rican coffee and I have to say, as a coffee lover, I don't think I'll ever be able to drink coffee in the states again. It's everything that every coffee lover hopes to find in that morning cup, but never quite gets. It's euphoric.
Last week on Friday, the principal came into my classroom and observed me teaching a lesson on persuasive writing. It went AWESOME! The students did great, my classroom management methods worked incredibly, and she loved it! On Monday morning, she pulled me aside, told me how nice it was to see a young teacher with so much passion and to see someone who "gets it." This is a testament to the program at River Falls. I say this because the school in Costa Rica has had students from several other universities but never from RF. She said she's shocked that student teachers can seem so comfortable and prepared, and teach such effective lessons. She offered me a 2-year contract on the spot. Her exact words: "I want you to teach here. I want you bad."
Now I'm not one to toot my own horn, but that was pretty cool. I couldn't believe it! I'm not in a position to be able to accept her offer, but I was so flattered and graciously thanked her for her time and feedback. She's said she's going to write me a fantastic letter of recommendation, which is wonderful. It's a good feeling knowing that the hard work put in was acknowledged and appreciated.
The last day of school was amazing. Each grade level did skits including songs and dances, traveling through the decades. This year marks Pan-American's 40th anniversary and the students did an amazing job illustrating the growth over time of the school. Songs and dances included things like The Macarena, Thriller, and some crazy song that my 4th graders were break-dancing to. It was AMAZING!
The 5th graders had their graduation ceremony, and while time consuming, it was so well done. Each 5th grader, upon receiving their diploma, was read individualized comments written by their teachers. These comments highlighted accomplishments, positive personality traits, and things that make the students unique. They felt so uplifted by the end of the day, it was really incredible to be a part of.
Now that school is done, Rachael and I are on to our next adventure. We are rewarding ourselves for all of our hard work with 3 weeks of travel! We will be going to Guanacaste for about 2 weeks, and then Dominical for the last week. We are so excited! Although we've been to each coast once, we haven't really explored that much. We will be on the beach, taking tours, exploring local charm, doing the tourist things, eating great food, and having a lot of laughs. We're not completely sure what activities we'll be doing but they'll most likely include things like volcano exploring, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, 4-wheeling, zip-lining, maybe horseback riding, swimming, and of course sun-bathing.
The last several years in this program have been a lot of work for the both of us and we are so excited for this treat to ourselves. It's going to be amazing. I'll keep you all posted with descriptions of our tropical adventures, but I'll try not to rub it in too much...I hear there's a blizzard in MN/WI. Stay warm! I know I will! :)
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