All-Inclusive

Jamaica is warm! Not just in the weather, but the culture and the people are so warm and inviting. The resort was really nice! I am so glad we were able to swim in the water and lay on the beach. After the winter we have had, I never want to leave the warmth again. I really enjoyed talking to the workers at the resort. There were 4 people in particular that I talked to the most: Lorree, Sabrina, Jamar, and Marcus. Kacey, Kewan, Autumn, and I talked to them a lot about their culture, their thoughts on Americans, and their music preferences. They were all very shocked that we knew who Vybz Kartel was. After a quick survey, I have come to realize that many people think that Vybz was framed. I asked them why and one of them thought it was because he had such a high pull with younger people that it could be threatening to the government. I do not know much about Vybz, expect the small little things we learned in class. Now I want to read his book even more! I also asked them if they all listen to Bob Marley. They all said they loved Bob Marley! I then asked them if they associate any artist with America as we do with Bob Marley and Jamaica. They said that no one in particular stood out in their mind. Throughout our stay, I could not get out of my mind Here Comes the Sun. I hope and hope that none of the workers had to endure a life similar to Margot while working at that resort.

Blog #3

Working with the children at Alpha Primary in Kingston was one of the best experiences of my life. I was moved to tears on the first day when the entire school sang the national anthem together. I think the Jamaican national anthem is so more humble and powerful than the American national anthem. It is hopeful for the future. It's beautiful. It's funny as I am writing and reading through the blogs I've written as well as texting and calling my family and friends from home talking about the trip I've realized that I've used the words "beautiful" and "amazing" excessively, but I'm finding it difficult not to. I'm love this country and especially the people in it. The students at Alpha were so kind. Throughout the week, they all individually wrote love letters to me and Ally, (we were the "visitors" in their classroom). They give the best hugs in the world. We even were lucky enough to do read alouds and to teach a lesson. Our lesson was on fourths, and it went well. We were expecting to have problems with motivating students and with listening because when their teacher left the classroom, they would become unruly very quickly, but the students surprised us by staying attentive for the most part. They were all excited to participate and very positive. We think they met our learning objectives because as we were checking their work from an M&M activity that we did, they were consistently writing the correct answers. 

Overall, it was so much fun to interact with the students. The students were naturally very curious because we are from a different place, and we look different than they do. They had lots of questions and excitement about their American visitors. Sometimes there were so many students surrounding me, touching my hair, and giving me hugs that it was a little overwhelming and I almost fell down, but I loved talking to them. 

One of my favorite things was talking to the quieter students. Often times, a large group of students would surround us, and most of them were very vocal and loud, but there were always one or two who just stared shyly, and I always liked to reach out shake their hand and engage with them and get them to talk because they might not have otherwise. I saw myself in these students because I tend to be quiet when I first meet people too. One of the students, Amanda was very very quiet and would only whisper at first. She was in fifth grade. One of her classmates came up to me and said that Amanda is the student in the class who gets bullied by everyone. She said everyone calls her names and that sometimes she gets beat badly too and that it makes her sad because Amanda is the nicest in the class. As this little girl was telling me, Amanda started to cry softly and I almost started crying too. I told her that I wanted her to always remember that she’s beautiful, smart, and important and hugged her. It broke my heart a little bit. The bullying at alpha is severe and it happens frequently. Even in grade 1, students were beating each other ruthlessly. I broke up a lot of fights on Tuesday especially. The kids are good kids, though. It’s not their fault that they are in hot classrooms full of up to 45 students, with desks so close they can hardly walk around.

Mrs. L is a great teacher. She taught the first grade class we were assigned to. Even though we didn’t agree with every single thing she did, we learned so much from her. She had outstanding classroom management, especially for having 43 students and while she was very stern, she was also loving. The students respected and listened to her. At the end of the week, she expressed her appreciation for Ally and I helping out, and had the whole class sing “oh she is a jolly good fellow” as well as having two students present us with gifts. She gave us hugs and held our hands while asking us to stay in touch and telling us thank you once more. I am going to miss her and the students so much. Here are a few pictures from throughout the week:

I didn’t cry when we said goodbye to the kids. It was hard to say goodbye, but it didn’t fully hit me until we were leaving for the airport. As our group arranged for a picture with Sister Winnie, I started to tear up. It was hard to say goodbye to Winnie and I’m never going to forget her kindness. I gave her a hug and thanked her for being our Jamaican Mother for the week. As we drove off and I turned out the window to wave back to WinnieI started crying and didn’t stop until we got to the airport. It was so bittersweet as we listened to our favorite Jamaican music on the way to the airport. Emily played “No Woman, No Cry” to cheer us up. I am so blessed and thankful for this trip. I am finishing this last part of the blog on the airplane and even though I am sad to be leaving Jamaica, I think I am returning to America as a better person. Thank you, Jamaica, I have learned so much. You have my heart. 

Blog #2

After our stay in Portland at Sea Cliff with many different  excursions and encounters with locals, we traveled to Trench Town. Our walking tour of Trench Town was amazing and one of my favorite experiences so far. Even though the town is impoverished and facing struggle, there is still so much beauty and culture to be seen, experienced, and felt within the streets. 

It is hard to explain, but I truly believe Jamaica is a special place. The energy is different and so are the people. For example, even though we were walking and in the sun and heat for hours that day, I felt great. In America, sometimes I become irritated or grumpy during this type of weather, but I had no complaints. I feel so blessed to be here. Our tour guide had some very wise words that I loved and have been thinking about a lot.

He said:

"I love, love, one love. The way we walk is right, forward." 

He also made his words into art, and her is one of my favorites:

After the tour, we got to read with students from the Trench Town Reading Center. I read and ate lunch with a six year old little girl named Damelle. I was surprised by her reading ability and maturity. She could read at a level that the some of students in my third grade clinical classroom in America have not yet reached. I was impressed. She also could communicate and hold a conversation easily. She was genuinely interested in talking to me, and even asked me questions too. I'm used to being the one that asks all the questions when talking to children to get them to speak. At the end of our time with them, we hugged, high-fived, and she ran after our car waving to us as we drove away. I really hope to see her again when we visit on Friday.

I've come to the realization on this trip that their truly is beauty to be found within everything and everyone. I am already a positive and optimistic person. However, after these experiences, I feel as if I am learning to become a better person, with a more positive outlook in the sense that I see and focus on the beauty in people and places instead of dwelling the negatives, complaining, and letting small things that are annoying or frustrating ruin an experience. There are some things that are out of our control.. many things actually, but it is what it is and the one thing we can control is our attitude. I think a positive mental attitude is an important choice in life. This sounds somewhat cheesy as I'm rereading it. But I think that these words, even thou they may be cliches are true.

Blog #1 Runaway Bay

When we arrived in Jamaica, it was surreal. I've never been out of the country. In fact, I've never even been on an airplane. There was a lot of excitement surrounding all my other Augustana friends too upon arriving at the all inclusive Jewel resort at Runaway Bay. The beach and buildings were all so beautiful. While at the resort, I noticed a few things. First, most of the people staying at the resort were families with young children. Many of the families were American too, so it didn't really feel like we were in Jamaica completely yet. However, a group of us walked out of the resort along the beach and the locals we encountered (even though they were mostly trying to sell us things) were incredibly nice and genuinely welcoming. I remember one lady saying "welcome to Jamaica, you've come home" and I thought it was very kind. When we drove off the resort, I started to wave to the locals and I would say that 99% of them waved back. I loved it! This would not happen in America. My entire van started waving throughout the trip, too. Even though I really enjoyed the time we spent at the resort, I'm so grateful we went to different places in Jamaica. This way, we gained a broader experience of the culture of Jamaica instead of just one part of it. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Runaway Bay:

Blog 3: Last Day at Alpha

Goodbyes are always so hard especially when you fall head over heels in love with these kids and there’s a slim chance you’ll ever get to see them again. Our last day at Alpha is without a doubt a day I will never forget. Dana and I got almost two hours with our 3rd grade class to do a little lesson with them on relationships with other countries as a part of the integrated studies unit that they will begin next week. We started talking about tourism and how we were tourist last week and showed them pictures of the places we went to in Jamaica. We also asked them if they have ever been tourists and different places they’ve gone. It was so exciting because all of the kids were so engaged and interested in the lesson. One of the boys that had behavior issues all week and couldn’t focus or sit still was jumping up with excitement to answer some of our questions. To give them a break we taught them a camp song and played heads up seven up which both seemed to be big hits. We also showed them some tourist attractions in America such as Disney and the Statue of Liberty to let them learn a little bit about our country as well. After their lunch break we did an interview session where we interviewed them questions about Jamaica and they interviewed us about America. All the students were extremely interested in what kind of work we do. Overall the lesson went over well and it was amazing to get to experience that in a classroom at Alpha. The end of the day was full of bunch of sad and tearful goodbyes, but like I kept telling my students, it was great to get to meet them and form this connection even if it was just for a short amount of time and I will always remember and carry these kiddos with me in my heart because they have made such a lasting impact on me.

Alpha Primary School Experience

My experience at Alpha Primary school is one I will never forget. I had the unique opportunity not only to embrace a new culture, but to see how how the influence of culture shapes education; a topic I am very passionate about as a future teacher. I am honored to have bonded so closely with the students I encountered, and even after only a week, they truly touched my heart with their energy, curiosity, and love. Going into the experience having student taught in a third grade classroom in the United States, I was looking forward to identifying similarities and differences between diverse school settings. Right away, I discovered many differences. In Jamaica, the class sizes were about twice as large as we typically see at home, with the classrooms themselves having a lot less space. It was hot, cramped, and uncomfortable. The students were not supplied with as many resources, many of them not having pencils, crayons, books, etc. Technology was nonexistent. The teachers were not warm and welcoming. The children were constantly rough-housing both in the classroom and out in the schoolyard. Really, it was a night and days difference when compared to what one would see in a formal educational setting in the United States. Initially, I thought to myself, "How does this work?" Despite the conditions of the school, the students proved to me that they are bright kids who are fully capable of learning because of their willingness to learn. They were some of the brightest and most thoughtful children I've ever met. When the teacher asked a question, everyone knew the answer, and they often all responded in unison. Second graders already knew which high-schools they hope to attend. Third graders proposed deep questions such as "What is it like to be a black person in the United States?" Their eagerness amazed me, and their spirits reminded me how important the teaching profession is. With all odds against these kids, as many of them have difficult home lives, broken and/or blended families, low socioeconomic statuses, etc., they still showed up to learn. I began to understand that even these young children recognize the value of education and have a strong desire to better their lives. In turn, this helped me realize that I want to work in a place like this where I can help make a positive impact on those who not only need it, but want it most, rather than in a place where education is taken for granted. With that being said and in consideration of all the above, I find myself dreaming of teaching in Jamaica and very much look forward to searching for opportunities to turn my dream into a reality.

Trench Town

One of my favorite aspects of our trip was experiencing Trench Town. Prior to visiting Trench Town, I was unsure what to expect partly because of what we learned in class, about the vulnerability of ghetto populations as well as the high risk for crime and violence, and largely due to the reactions of people when I told them we were going to be spending time in that community. Most people gave me wide-eyed looks, and voiced their concerns about the dangers to be found in Trench Town. As we pulled up to the Culture Yard for the first time and I looked around analyzing the environment, I felt a little uneasy. There were groups of people gathered in different areas along the streets, sickly looking animals roaming around, and all the homes and buildings appeared to be falling apart. However, as I soon discovered, this run down neighborhood is a beautiful, wonderful place, and home to some of the strongest and most loving people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. As our tour guide, Breezy, led us through the streets of Trench Town, he explained the history of the community, the struggles that have been overcome, the willingness of the people to work together and provide for one another, and the passion they have for creating a brighter future. The way that Breezy talked about his family and his community commanded my respect. As time went on, and I met with more people including Stone Man, Garfield, and staff and students from the Reading Centre, I realized that Trench Town is an amazing place full of strong and passionate leaders, who are stepping up making a difference in society. I will forever cherish my time in Trench Town, and can confidently say that it is a place with so much more to offer than what simply meets the eye. Following this experience, I would encourage everyone to keep and open mind and open heart, leaving room to embrace the beautiful surprises life has in store.