I am so happy that I have been given this exciting opportunity to complete part of my student teaching at Balboa Academy in Panama City. In the beginning I was nervous and excited all at the same time. Excited because I wanted to see how Panamanian schools compared to schools in the States. However, I did not know what to expect. Would the students like me, would they understand how I teach, will I understand their way of learning and teaching? There were so many uncertainties, but I couldn't let that stop me.
On the first day I I met the Principal of Balboa Academy Middle School as well as my mentor teacher. Everyone was so nice and I could feel myself calming down. To my surprise the school followed a U.S. system. Although this made me feel comfortable I was excited to see a different system. One thing that was different than Texas however was the use of Common Core.
The first week blew by. The students were just like any 6th graders would be in any school. They love to talk, and you have to give them a little motivation to get to work. The class sizes hardly exceed 20 and the classrooms are twice and even triple the size of classrooms in the states. I was able to teach for 2 full days when my teacher was out sick and it felt amazing. My teacher had no issue opening up her classroom to me and allowing me to get as much experience as possible. All of the students are begging me to stay, and although I can't this gave me confirmation that I was born to teach! I naturally connect to the students and am able to explain things in many different ways that connect to what they need individually.
