This Spring 2018, I aimed to have an abroad experience that would encourage me to grow into a more informed and better equipped teacher to foster student engagement in my classroom. My two months spent volunteering in Guatemala was everything I could have hoped for. Throughout my time there, I worked daily at an orphanage, or group home as we would refer to it in the US, and returned home to my host family each day to share meals, help with homework, and learn about the Guatemalan culture. During my free time, I explored Xela, the city I called home for two months, traveled to various parts of the country, and met travelers from around the world. This experience allowed me to practice Spanish and connect with a welcoming culture while developing in the communication and self-awareness sub-categories of being a global citizen to better serve my future students.
The home environment I spent my experience in required that I be fully immersed in another language. My Spanish skills allowed me to communicate any essential conversations to live with the family and my lessons throughout the experience deepened my understanding and knowledge of the language, but many times my actions had to speak where words failed. I was always willing to help my family with chores and spend time tutoring a variety of subjects or playing games with the siblings in my host family. Within the Global Citizenship rubric, obtaining a level four understanding of communication is indicated by demonstrating an understanding of differences between verbal and nonverbal communication as well as recognizing what learning a second language has done for one's cultural education. My new knowledge of the meaning behind “provecho” (Week 2), observing how other volunteers communicated with the girls at the group home with their various language skills (Week 5), and reflecting on my entire experience as an adopted member of a Guatemalan family (Week 8) have all contributed to my attainment of level four competency in communication. This understanding and experience with language has seeped into how I plan to foster a welcoming classroom environment. My awareness of hardships and challenges my students may face that I am unable to visibly observe has been heightened after experiencing many new challenges with communicating in a new culture.
Communication is vital in an educational environment whether it occurs between educators, students, or a combination of both. My experience has not only improved my communication skills in a second language, but also made me realize my own privilege in learning and communicating in my primary language. I struggled in Guatemala daily with communication because I had never been challenged to this extent in an area of my life I use constantly. The Honors program expects its graduates to achieve a level of self-awareness of their personal prejudices and recognize why understanding those from different backgrounds is difficult for them. My Guatemala experience allowed me to function in a new environment where I was a part of the minority in a community which pushed me to ask why my level of understanding and acceptance varied between my experiences. The constant challenge of adapting to a new culture where I had very little that reminded me of home left me mentally drained on a regular basis. I tackled challenges everyday that my family was unaware of and I could not help but to relate my inner struggle with those that my students will face whether or not I observe any signs of their battles. During my first week in Guatemala, I met students from California that had a negative experience (Week 1) which I discovered their perspective was slightly skewed after speaking with my host family because of their lack of commitment to understanding a culture different from their own. In order to understand their perspective, I took into consideration their upbringing and cultural background from California. In comparison to my own background and upbringing, I found my experience and first impressions differed greatly from their less than positive experiences. My return to the US also fostered the growth of my self-awareness where I recognized differences in my perspective and empathy with those I interact with on a daily basis (Week 9+).
My two-month experience in Guatemala is one that I am still learning from every day. The experience taught me a lot about language and a new culture that I had never interacted with before. I also learned about how my perspectives, assumptions, and background influences my daily interactions with others. My understanding of and experience with a second language is an avenue of personal growth that pushed me into a zone of proximal development where I was supported by resources, but attacked challenges I had never been exposed to. I cannot wait to return to my Guatemalan family and continue developing my skill set that will allow me to facilitate a welcoming and engaging classroom.
The home environment I spent my experience in required that I be fully immersed in another language. My Spanish skills allowed me to communicate any essential conversations to live with the family and my lessons throughout the experience deepened my understanding and knowledge of the language, but many times my actions had to speak where words failed. I was always willing to help my family with chores and spend time tutoring a variety of subjects or playing games with the siblings in my host family. Within the Global Citizenship rubric, obtaining a level four understanding of communication is indicated by demonstrating an understanding of differences between verbal and nonverbal communication as well as recognizing what learning a second language has done for one's cultural education. My new knowledge of the meaning behind “provecho” (Week 2), observing how other volunteers communicated with the girls at the group home with their various language skills (Week 5), and reflecting on my entire experience as an adopted member of a Guatemalan family (Week 8) have all contributed to my attainment of level four competency in communication. This understanding and experience with language has seeped into how I plan to foster a welcoming classroom environment. My awareness of hardships and challenges my students may face that I am unable to visibly observe has been heightened after experiencing many new challenges with communicating in a new culture.
Communication is vital in an educational environment whether it occurs between educators, students, or a combination of both. My experience has not only improved my communication skills in a second language, but also made me realize my own privilege in learning and communicating in my primary language. I struggled in Guatemala daily with communication because I had never been challenged to this extent in an area of my life I use constantly. The Honors program expects its graduates to achieve a level of self-awareness of their personal prejudices and recognize why understanding those from different backgrounds is difficult for them. My Guatemala experience allowed me to function in a new environment where I was a part of the minority in a community which pushed me to ask why my level of understanding and acceptance varied between my experiences. The constant challenge of adapting to a new culture where I had very little that reminded me of home left me mentally drained on a regular basis. I tackled challenges everyday that my family was unaware of and I could not help but to relate my inner struggle with those that my students will face whether or not I observe any signs of their battles. During my first week in Guatemala, I met students from California that had a negative experience (Week 1) which I discovered their perspective was slightly skewed after speaking with my host family because of their lack of commitment to understanding a culture different from their own. In order to understand their perspective, I took into consideration their upbringing and cultural background from California. In comparison to my own background and upbringing, I found my experience and first impressions differed greatly from their less than positive experiences. My return to the US also fostered the growth of my self-awareness where I recognized differences in my perspective and empathy with those I interact with on a daily basis (Week 9+).
My two-month experience in Guatemala is one that I am still learning from every day. The experience taught me a lot about language and a new culture that I had never interacted with before. I also learned about how my perspectives, assumptions, and background influences my daily interactions with others. My understanding of and experience with a second language is an avenue of personal growth that pushed me into a zone of proximal development where I was supported by resources, but attacked challenges I had never been exposed to. I cannot wait to return to my Guatemalan family and continue developing my skill set that will allow me to facilitate a welcoming and engaging classroom.