Aero: Kasey Wesley – Costa Rica 2013 – Life at School
Aero: Kasey Wesley – Costa Rica 2013 – Life at School
Aero: Kasey Wesley – Costa Rica 2013 – Life at School
Life at school was very different from what I expected. I assumed we would be attending a regular university rather than a private school. We were the only ones in our class other than our first day and the last day when Marcos arrived. The classroom was very small with no more than 10 desks. There were fans up on the wall but no windows. The school had 4 classrooms where some students were learning Spanish and others English.
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Oscar, the owner of the school, taught our first class and Ana taught the remainder of our classes. We had class at Zoo Ave as well as one day at the country club. At the end of our trip we took a test to see what we had learned over the past two weeks. The technology at the school was not as advanced as I thought it may have been. I brought my laptop the first day quickly finding out that it was not necessary nor was I able to access the internet. The classroom had one desk for the teacher and two dry erase boards. No overheads, no smart boards and no computers. The school only had on TV that had to be brought in when needed and then back out after the movie was over. I also noticed that Ana was able to dress in her everyday street clothes which to me seemed quite nice. Even though it seemed very odd it was easy to adjust to.
Some of the students were close enough to walk. Shelby and I were out far enough that we got a ride each morning. The school ended up being the central meeting place for everyone. Throughout the past two weeks I also noticed that we did not receive any handouts. Nothing goes to waste in Costa Rica which I assume is the reason for not wasting paper and having each student take individual notes. My overall experience with the school was great. I learned a lot, I really enjoyed my teacher and the students that joined me on this endeavor. The benefits of a small learning environment far exceed that of the amount of physical resources available. We did several learning activities that only required scissors and a newspaper.
– Kasey Wesley
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