28Jan
I have been in Medellin for nearly three weeks, and school is getting into full swing. While I feel like things are still very much a work in progress, it does feel like each day things go a little smoother. Adjusting to a different educational approach and a different school culture on top of the general cultural differences here in Colombia has proven to be bumpy at times for me, but everyone involved at the school and the foundation have made me feel welcome.
While we are still working out some kinks in my schedule, I will be working mostly with the primary school and hopefully arranging some teacher training with the school staff. I think that it will be a challenge, but I am happy to be working with Marta Lily, the English teacher at the primary school, since she seems to be both hard-working and fun. I hope that each week we get a little better as a team and give our students the skills they need to attain the goals we set for them.
13May
Además de las actividades propias del acto de enseñar, nuestros voluntarios trabajan en traducción de documentos, hacen tareas de oficina y promoción de los estudiantes. Durante el primer semestre de 2009 contamos con la presencia de tres voluntarios extranjeros: Lina Marcela Schappacher, (Alemania); Brian Asher (USA) y Henry Wellington (USA).
Si tú estás calificado, también puedes ser maestro de inglés asistente voluntario en nuestra escuela. Contacta en los Estados Unidos a Maureen Orth (Orth.Russert@gmail.com) y en Colombia a Luís Fernando Sánchez (Lufesa2mail.com) y comparte tu experiencia con nosotros. No podemos pagar ni transporte, ni alimentación ni ningún otro estipendio.
Be Volunteer:
You can be volunteer as an English teacher in our school, if you are qualified. Contact Maureen Orth (Orth.Russert@mail.com) or Luis (Lufesa2@gmail.com) and share your experience with us. We do not pay transportation or room and board.
08May
El vuelo fue cambiado y la visa está en proceso. ¡Qué buenas noticias para mí! Ahora tengo la oportunidad de quedarme tres meses más para seguir disfrutando en este colegio. Casi no puedo creerlo, pero ya pasaron 3 meses, y hasta ahora puedo decir que he tenido un tiempo maravilloso; además también estoy aprendiendo cada día un poquito más.
Pero lo más importante: poco a poco se puede ver que los niños están aprendiendo, y lo disfrutan. Es claro que es un proceso muy largo y que ellos no van a aprender todo de una vez, pero todos son curiosos y también me preguntan muchas veces: Lina: ¿Cómo se dice………en inglés? Eso me alegra demasiado, por que sé que la curiosidad es una de las herramientas más importantes al aprender un idioma.
I’m also looking forward to see how it will go with the new house, which now is part of the great progress that is happening here.
14Apr
Its now been two months here in Medellin at the Escuela Marina Orth and the experience so far has exceeded all of my expectations. All of the great things about the kindness of the people here and the beautiful cities and villages that I heard about Colombia from family friends, employees at the Colombian embassy in Washington D.C., and different travel guides have proven true. Our host family, our co-workers at the school, the friends that we have made here and the kids at the school are all very generous and it’s easy to see why Colombians have a reputation of being incredibly welcoming and kind. In addition, Medellin and its surrounding villages are surrounded by beautiful mountains and green valleys. I’m convinced that a great view can be held almost anywhere in Antioquia, the department that Medellin rests in. The energy at the school and support from our host family have made the move to a new country and the travails of learning a new language and teaching for the first time much easier to handle. Working with another English teacher at the school has been a good experience. Through her, I’ve improved my Spanish speaking and learned different ways to manage the classroom, a task I’ve found to be quite difficult and frustrating when teaching 1st thru 5th graders who don’t speak my native language. All in all, the past two months have been great. My spanish continues to improve, I’m enjoying living in Medellin and I even think about how I’d like to be at the school on weekends so I feel lucky to be here and look forward to the rest of my time here.
17Mar
The first month here is over and it has gone by so fast. I have had a lot of fun getting to know all of the kids and teachers here at the school. It is really a great group of people. The school such a beautiful place and the people are so much fun. I look forward to going to work every morning. I have been learning a lot all at the same time, between Spanish, teaching, and adjusting to a new city. That has been very rewarding for me. I feel like my Spanish is getting better all the time. Most important, I am improving my teaching and I can see the students understanding more English. I hope that by the time I am done here they will be more confident in their abilities and have a desire to continue learning and improving. Overall, I am very happy here. I am living in great house and being taken care of very well, I am working in a beautiful setting everyday, I am learning new skills, and I am interacting with great people.
