Just When We Thought it Couldn't Get Any Hotter...

Yesterday was another great day of teaching and working with the learning coaches. Margaretrose ran a repeat session on cooperative learning and Sandra did a repeat session on differentiated instruction. We combined all of the secondary teachers together at the end of the day for the discussion session. This left me to float between the classes of learning coaches for most of the day and it was fun to observe them in action. They are doing great! At the end of last week I felt that they had gotten a lot out of our sessions. After spending yesterday watching them I know that they got a lot out of our sessions. They were presenting to their colleagues like pros.

Yesterday was certainly the hottest and most humid day that we have been here in Dangriga. I think I drank an entire water cooler bottle of water. On the first day here I laughed at the little folding Japanese fan that Margaretrose brought along, but yesterday I envied her as she kept herself a little cooler with her fan.

After we were finished teaching Miss Grace took us to see Guilisi, the Garifina Museum, which tells the history of the Garifina People in Belize. It was very interesting. We had yet another fantastic meal where Marie and Miss Grace prepared some of my favorites Central American dishes for me again - fried plantain and sour sap juice.

Today is our last day of teaching and I will miss working with this enthusiastic group of teachers, but I am also looking forward to getting home and seeing my family. Tomorrow Margaretrose and I head to Belize City and then we fly home on Friday. Sandra's family is meeting her here on Thursday and they will spend a week or so in Belize before heading home.
--Stan

It has been absolutely fabulous presenting to the high school teachers as well as the groups last week. They love the practical, interactive sessions. They all have indicated that there are strategies they will be taking back to their classes as soon as school starts, for most of them that is August 23rd. I had a teacher ask me "Can I ask you a personal question, What do you take to have so much energy. "She made me laugh. She couldn't believe it was all natural. Another high school teacher came up and said, "I was very skeptical about coming to these sessions, but this has been the BEST PD I have had in the last 23 years. This is Really Good. This is really very good." - and he repeated it 4 times. I thanked him for the feedback, but it really shows that the teachers are passionate about teaching and WANT to improve their teaching practice. WOW!! This is so great!! It is a reminder that we are in the best profession in the world. We make a difference and have huge impact on the future, one student at a time!!
-- Margaretrose

Dangriga has certainly been a hopping busy place for educators! We have 150 primary teachers and just over 80 secondary teachers with us for the second day in a row. The sessions are intense, so much information in such a short time! The energy from so many enthusiastic educators has been phenomenal and not only are they all gaining useful and applicable information and tools, they are all also having FUN! You should hear the laughter coming from the classrooms as they work together, share ideas, and discover new possibilities! I don't think this week could have gone any better...
~ Sandra :-)