Day 2 of Teaching: Red Bank Village

         As we end our second day of our teaching experience in the pre-school classroom we are overwhelmed with emotions. We teach 30 students each morning and 17 in the afternoon session. It is absolutely amazing how excited the students are about school and how happy they are to see us when they enter the classroom! At the beginning of today’s class, students were practicing writing. We were able to introduce new strategies to the teachers in order to better meet the needs of the students. This was an exciting experience for us to use what we have learned at UofL to help fellow teachers. After the writing lesson was complete, we were able to talk with the teachers and discuss other strategies to take their students learning to the next level. The teachers also taught us about a couple of ways to teach the same content with limited resources. After only two days, we have already encountered so many eye opening experiences that have really made us reflect on how much we take for granted back home. 
          During math instruction, we were able to use various hands-on materials to enhance the instruction. This seemed to help students really visualize the math content and make the learning more concrete and real. We have also began to use positive reinforcement with our students to increase student participation during activities. Our students really enjoyed our use of movement and music throughout the day. Due to the heat, students tend to get tired and keeping them moving is the best way to keep them attentive and engaged throughout the day. 
          During the school day the students are given a short break for snack. Since the school receives no money, other than teacher salaries, the parents are asked to bring things in for snack if possible. The food that is brought in comes fresh from the village. The teachers like to keep the snack healthy and local. Today the morning snack consisted of oats, and the afternoon snack was boiled plantain. As we were talking to the teachers about the different foods, we were given the opportunity to try the different snacks that were brought in. This was very exciting for us because these are not traditional snacks back home. We enjoyed having the opportunity to sit with the students, eat the same snack, and truly feel a part of the culture that surrounds us. It amazed us that something so simple as being able to try different foods can make such an impact on your understanding of culture. 
          To end the school day, we got to make a few stops around the town of Independence. From the teaching supply store to the coast of the Caribbean Sea, we were able to get a short tour from Dr. Pentecost to learn a little bit more about the town that we are staying in. She showed us around another village close by, pointing out the library, police station, medical center, and school. The resources in all of these places are so scarce, but the people here are so full of joy. There is so much that can be learned from the people of Belize. We are so fortunate to live in a place where we worry so much about things such as our iPhone’s dying that it can be easy to forget how much we have to be thankful for. We are not even half way finished with this trip and we can already tell a difference in the way we will look at the resources and people in our life from now on. 

-Amy Baumert and Mallory Clark: Preschool