Feeling the Feels

.... at this point I am definitely feeling the feels. I am feeling so grateful for this experience, and all that it is currently teaching me and what it will continue to teach me after I am home. I am excited because my family will be here in TWO days! I am feeling sad because I have a day and a half left of teaching, and I am not quite ready to say bye to my kiddos (would I ever be?!?!). I am feeling anxious about what this experience is showing me about the future about the kind of classroom I want to be in and where I want to be. I am also feeling really happy because I still have a week to enjoy this beautiful place. So now that you made it through my emotional rollercoaster, you have maybe have an idea of how I am feeling! 

I have been thinking of what this experience has taught me. First, it has made me really thankful for my education. Most of the teachers here do not have any formal training or education, and they are expected to handle so much without any training. I am thankful for the teachers here, and what they have taught and shown me. It is evident that they know and care about their students. They have shown gratitude for small and simple things we have shown them, and they appreciate the resources they have. This experience has given me a glimpse of what my first year of teaching will look like if that is what's next for me. I had to come in and develop relationships with the students while also creating expectations to follow. I will not walk into a classroom that is already established like I did with my internship in the States, it will be more like my experience here. However, I have learned so much about the importance of behavior management. If the behavior is not manageable, the academic learning is not going to be effective. This is most important thing to establish first in my future classroom. Overall, I learned that these students have so much to offer, and I have to provide a safe, engaging, and loving environment for them to learn in. 

But like I said, I am grateful that I have a week to be here with my family and continue to process and reflect on my time in San Pedro and at New Horizon.