Day 14 of Michelle in Belize--Leaving and Going Home!!

Well, I'm home and writing the last entry of my blog. I have mixed feelings about leaving Belize. If someone had asked me the first few days of the trip if I was ready to go home I couldn't have said yes quick enough. Now that the trip is over, I sort of wish I could have stayed a few more days. Observing in the schools and interacting with the students was so much more than I expected. Below are just a few pictures from my last day in Belize.

Going to airport on San Pedro

Loading aircraft that only holds 12 passengers

Scenery from the air

Scenery from the air

Loading airplane in Belize City

Me on the plane heading to the USA

Day 13 of Michelle in Belize--Packing Day!!

Ok, this is my last day in Belize and it has been a wonderful learning experience. I'm so proud of myself for coming out of my shell and traveling to another country, plus participating in all the excursions and activities. With that being said, I'm packed and ready to leave in the morning around 8:30 am Belize time. We should arrive in NC around 8:30 pm US time.

Today is a free day to explore and do things we might have missed. First, we went to see an artist that Kelly that had ordered a painting from. I wish I had taken a picture of his work, but I did not. After picking out what she wanted, we walked around the square and shopped for last minute items. We were tired of eating in restaurants, so we decided to eat from one of the street vendors. As with all the food in Belize, it was great. As we were walking around we saw another iguana just crawling by.

Grilled chicken, rice/beans, slaw and black beans

Lady that made a necklace that I bought and her family

After lunch and shopping, Kelly and I went to join the undergraduates at the beach. The beach and water are just amazing, and we stayed in the sun for at least an hour. We did not want to get too much sun and get have to travel home with a sunburn. The next part of our day consisted of cooling off in the pool and walking to a different part of the island to get a smoothie. Once we got to the smoothie shop we found out it was closed until 6:30, so we walk on a little way to get one of the famous cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately, we found the bakery closed as well. Needless to say it was not our day to get something sweet.

To end the night we ate fajitas at Ciliente's, the same restaurant we ate the first night on the island. It was a nice way to end our time in San Pedro.

Day 12 of Michelle in Belize

This morning we got up and headed to Isla Bonita Elementary School to do professional development with some of their teachers. Our sessions were one literacy and creative writing. My session dealt with graphic organizers and how to use them in the classroom. We only had 4 teachers in our sessions, but they seemed very grateful that we were there. They asked us relevant questions and participated in the activities. As usual it was HOT!!! We had no AC in the conference room and between that and the1.5 mile walk to/from the school I was drenched. We did stop for a cappuccino smoothie and it was extremely refreshing.

Several of us stopped by the hotel to freshen up and get our bikes before heading over to New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Primary School where we did another session of professional development. Before beginning the workshop, the principal came in to introduce himself and lead us in prayer and a song. During the song we went around and shook hands with each other. The process was very similar to being in church. This session was about the same as the first except two of the doctoral students presented PD on classroom management. I didn’t feel as though these teachers were as engaged as the others, but after thinking I feel the group should have been split up due to more teachers participating.  I think if they had been in a smaller group then they would have felt more comfortable asking questions and sharing their ideas. We had fun though and I think they took away some good ideas; we also gave away door prizes, which was nice.

After the workshop we headed back home on our bikes, but I found it “necessary” to stop and get a fresh baked cinnamon roll at a local bakery. This was the BEST cinnamon roll I’ve ever had, and it was huge. I only ate ½ and will finish the other half after completing this blog for the day. I was so tired from walking, biking, and the heat, that I went inside my room around 4:00 and slept until 8:00. I missed dinner with the other students, but I was wiped out. When I woke up I went to the hotel restaurant and found 2 of the doctoral students, so I ate with them. My meal consisted of garlic shrimp, vegetables, and rice; it was very yummy!!! Oh, I had a visitor who wanted to share my dinner. 

My visitor!!!

My final event for the day is trying to complete this blog. I'm extremely frustrated because my pictures/videos will not load. I’m pretty sure that they are too large because I’ve been taking them with my iPhone. When I was uploading them from my camera I did not have this problem. With that being said, I will upload the related pictures at a later time. Stay tuned for Day 13….the day I pack!!!

Day 11 of Michelle in Belize

Today I overslept, not by much, but I had to find my own way to work. I went off the beaten path just a little, but I made it. In the 2nd grade class the student teacher was doing an activity involving letters from her NC classroom; the students loved reading the letters. I did have a meat pie and horchata (rice milk) for breakfast at the school. The observations were interesting and most students were engaged, but there was some "sit-and-get" in the upper standards, but there was still good conversation going on. The chart below is an example of a classroom management technique presented in the professional development yesterday.

I had not visited the high school, so after lunch one of the other doctoral students and myself decided to go observe. There was no AC, but classrooms had ceiling fans and a nice breeze from the ocean. The students were very friendly and seemed eager to answer our questions. The rest of the day was spent catching up on my blog and working on professional development. 

A typical Belize HS classroom

HS students eating lunch with an ocean view

Day 10 of Michelle in Belize

Today I spent the day in classrooms at Isla Bonita and also attended a professional development session with the teachers on classroom management. A group of teachers/administrators from Onslow County, NC are here as part of a global initiative that the county has started. This is the second year that they have sent several administrators/teachers down to do professional development with selected schools on San Pedro based on what the schools have expressed a need for.  I actually got some great ideas to use in classrooms at home.

Next, I talked with the assistant principal who has been in education for 21 years and is getting ready to start working towards a bachelor’s degree. He also works as a part-time policeman on the island. We talked about the school and its history; it was completely destroyed several years ago by a hurricane. They do not have a library currently but are getting one next year. He is also a teacher at the school. I asked about teacher maternity leave and he said that teachers get 3 months off with pay and sometimes get a stipend of $1,000 dollars as well. As for sick leave, a doctor’s note is required (it is free to go to the doctor), and if they do not have a note then they do not get paid for the day.

Classroom Library

After work we planned for the professional development that we have to do as one of our assignments. I will be talking about and demonstrating how to use several graphic organizers.

Once again we went out to eat dinner; there is just too many places to eat here and the food is wonderful. We ate pupusas at a place called Waruguma. They are made from cornmeal stuffed with what ever you want and then grilled. They were not my favor but after I added tomato juice and cabbage they were pretty good. All the food here is made fresh to order and I can really tell the difference compared to home. I have been trying to eat authentic Belizean food the entire time. After dinner we went shopping, AGAIN!!

Day 9 of Michelle in Belize

Today we had to rise early to catch the 6:00 am water taxi to Belize City. Before we left San Pedro we stopped at a deli and got Johnny Cakes, a type of biscuit with whatever you wanted in it, for breakfast. The water taxi was about a 2-hour ride, and once we were in Belize City we traveled by van for another 3 hours to Dangrigo. Our purpose for traveling this distance was to see a school where students are taught the Garifuna language; this is the only Garifuna school in the country.  I can only say that it was amazing to see students learning in this environment, and to see teachers that are fluent in 3 languages (Garifuna, English and Spanish) teaching with such enthusiasm. Students were reading in English and Garifuna while engaged in learning. The students did several performances for us including singing, dancing, and playing the drums. As we observed, it was quiet different from the schools in San Pedro in that the children were all so well behaved. I asked the teacher of the 3-year-old class about the behavior and she told me that the students are expected to behave from the beginning that that this is re-enforced daily.

4 year olds that speak English and Garifuno

Toy boat

After visiting the school we were taken on a tour of the museum that explained the history of the Garifuna people. The guide explained about the customs, spiritual beliefs, food, and dress. The pictures below show just a few aspects of the Garifuna culture. It was a small museum, but presented a wealth of knowledge and interesting facts. I was so impressed with the effort put forth by the people to keep their heritage alive and making sure the culture continues.

Traditional dress of the Garifuno people

Once leaving Dangrigo, we headed back to Belize City to meet with four representatives for the Ministry of Education. First, they told us about 4 of the main issues of concern for education:

1.     Principal leadership—They feel that principals are not leading the way they should or not being instructional leaders based on observations. Also they stated that around 90% of principals are not formally educated.

2.     Literacy—struggling readers

3.     Teachers are not formally trained, but is has just started being a requirement to earn an associates degree and obtain a license. About 35% of the teachers have been formally trained.

4.     Special Education is a huge problem here mainly because the students are so scattered throughout the country and again, the lack of trained teachers.

 Next, we were able to ask questions about education in Belize. One thing that stood out to me was that teachers are only evaluated 2 times per year, even though most are not trained. As stated above most of the principals are not trained, nor are most of them considered instructional leaders, but they are evaluating the teachers. If teacher do not “pass” their evaluation then they do not receive their yearly pay increase.  The Ministry representatives did state that some principals just fill out the evaluation form with high ratings no matter how effective the teacher is.

Belize does give yearly assessments after Standard 4 (5^th grade) called the Belize Jr. Achievement Test in Math and ELA, and after Standard 6, which is the Primary School Exam (PSE).  Each school administers their own assessments, but not required by the government. The test scores are used to assess the needs of the schools, but teacher evaluations are not reflective of test scores.  After spending about 2 hours discussing and comparing educational issues in Belize and the US. The water taxi ride was nice and peaceful, and I just listened to music the entire ride.

Day 8 of Michelle in Belize

Today was probably the best day so far, because I went into a private elementary school called Isle Bonita and was able to observe 2nd grade (Standard I) students. First, we arrived at school around 8:15 after walking about 1.5 miles (no bikes today, but I will have one tomorrow). With the heat and exercise I was soaking wet by the time I got to work. School started at 8:30 and we all went into the courtyard to say the school prayer all together. Afterwards the students and staff recited the school pledge and any birthdays were recognized. 

Prayer and Pledge

Students playing basketball before school starts.

The bell rang at 8:30 for all students to report to class and the learning began. Inside the 14 ft. x 16 ft room was 15 students, a student teacher from UNC-W, me and the teacher; we had no AC because it was broken. I was really the only one that was having trouble dealing with the heat, and the teacher just went right on with her math lesson. During the lesson on standard and non-standard measurement I heard some great conversation between the teacher and the students. The students were so eager to participate and excited about learning, and the questioning from the teacher definitely activated their prior knowledge. The classroom management was quiet different that what I am use to as a teacher and assistant principal. There was a rule that called for students to raise their hands before speaking out or answering a question, but it was not enforced by the teacher. We have been asked to do some professional development and one of the sessions will be on classroom management.  I found out that one of the students who if 10 years old had never been to school before this year. Also, these 2nd graders ranged in ages from 7-11. 

Around 10:00 we took a 30 minute break where a bell rang and the students just went out on their own, except for the students that had not completed their work; they only went out when they had finished. During the break the cafeteria was open and I had tacos and rice milk which was wonderful. The kids here eat horrible snacks that are not nutritious. During the break the students were unsupervised and the teachers either worked in their room or stood around talking. After break, content teach continued and once again there was great conversation and the teacher had excellent wait time with the students. We went outside to conduct a scavenger hunt for non-living and living things. The students had a great time being a "scientist". After science we had an hour for lunch where some of the students went home for lunch, some parents brought lunch for the child, students had brought food from home

The school has around 112 students, 8 teachers with one being the assistant principal, 2 cafeteria workers, and a principal. There were no custodians, secretaries, media specialists, or electives teachers.

Children waiting in line for lunch at the cafeteria window 

UNC-W student teacher helping a group of 2nd graders

Students are eating lunch at picnic tables. A lot of the students go home for their hour long lunch. 

Lunch consisted of cucumbers, rice/beans, fried chicken and ketchup on the side. 

 After work we rested and then ended the day with a nice dinner at Calienta's which consisted of chicken/pineapple and fish tacos.