Hello friends and family! I have now been in the DR for more than two
weeks, and I think it keeps getting better.
This week was much more comfortable for me. I have had a lot of fun
getting to know my host family, as well as their extended family, and I am
finally getting into the flow of everything at school.
For now, I will tell you a little bit about the school I am teaching at this semester, Doulos Discovery School. This school is unique not only because it is in a town surrounded by beautiful mountains, but because they use Expeditionary Learning, which helps students explore information by actually participating in projects that help the community. For example, last year, the students went to a beach for several days where they studied coral reefs and the danger they face. They were able to work with field experts in order to understand exactly what is happening, and what can be done to help. Students also had the opportunity to research different forms of renewable energy, to discover which was the most effective. They did this not simply for research sake, but to help an orphanage choose the best form of renewable energy to use to help them lower their bills each month. Each semester there is a different expedition that students participate in, and the classes will al work together to help students work on their expedition. This semester, I will be helping my cooperating teacher lead an expedition with the 9th graders about poetry. From what I understand, our students will be creating their own poems that will be published in a book. This book will be available in businesses around Jarabacoa free of charge. Next week I will learn more of the details of this project, but I am excited that I get to be a part of this unique learning environment.
The
students at Doulos are 95% ESL students, meaning that for nearly every student
at the school, Spanish is their first language.
Students speak Spanish to one another in the classrooms and on the
playground, but all instruction is in English, and students are expected to
complete all schoolwork in English. I am
working with 9th-11th grade English classes here, which
means I am teaching classes about literature, persuasive writing, poetry, etc.
to classes of students who speak Spanish at home and English at school. Also, many of the students come here on
scholarships paid by sponsors, many of who live in the States. I can definitely tell this will be a
challenge, but I am already starting to get to know the students, and I believe
this will be a great experience for me both professionally and personally.
Please pray
for me as I am here. Pray that I will have wisdom in assessing students based
on their current performance, that I will keep my mind focused on being here while
still keeping in touch with friends and family, and that I will stay healthy
while I am here. (Dengue Fever is in this area, and that would be very bad with
my student teaching schedule).
Next week I
will write more about Dominican culture and the many adjustments I have had to
make!
If you are interested
in learning more about Doulos, or if you are interested in making a donation to
this school (such as being a class sponsor, providing scholarships for
individual students, or supporting any of the teachers who work here by raising
full missionary support) please click this link:
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