Day 8- I am in love with this place! Everything is different and new. We went snorkeling the other day and it was amazing. There were 7 of us who went with our friend Lou. We met Lou at Lola's Pub 2 days before we took him up on his offer to go out on his boat. So we go and rent snorkel gear and Lou picked us up on the dock. We went out to the reef and all jumped in. It was awesome looking at all the different fish. After that, we caught live conch and took it back to Lou's house/ restaurant. He cracked the shell and made us eat the raw conch. I ate a muscle that was still moving when I bit into it. It tasted like spaghetti and looked like it as well. I have been so surprised at how brave I have become. I just don't want to offend anyone as well as, I want to learn the most about their culture. I have tried so many new foods and I have enjoyed most of them; not really the pigs toes though.
Today was my first day of full-time teaching and I was surprised to find out that my partnership teacher is younger than me and that I may be the expert in some situations. I have learned a lot from her and she has learned from me as well. I have a student in my class that is blind in one eye and mostly blind in the other. I was surprised that the school wasn't doing much to accommodate her needs. My teacher is making her papers darker so that she can see it a little better but it doesn't help that much. I decided that I am going to give my teacher some resources and ideas of what to do to help her. My teacher is a first year teacher and loves that I am here to help her as well as learn from her. I was surprised at the teaching style here in Belize because it is not what I have been taught or what I am used to but it seems to work for them. The students are smart and very polite. Everyone is very laid back and they are teaching the sounds first instead of the letters. Yet, my students here have trouble when I tell them to write and a or b, they don't understand. I have to say the sound or they can't put it together which is not what I am used to. I am so excited to learn more about their culture and get to know more people.
This picture of you says SO much! Your comments about experiencing new opportunities, both out of the classroom and in it, are exactly why we so wanted you to have this opportunity! I am incredibly proud of your open attitude towards another world view and different ways of life. This is what college is for!
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