CASEY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
CASEY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
The Mariposa Dominican Republic Foundation is a foundation that was started by Patricia Suriel in 2009. Its main goal is to empower young women to reach their full potentials and accomplish their dreams. Here is some more information on the foundation: http://www.mariposadrfoundation.org/ The Mariposa Foundation has been like my second home for the last week. Every day we took a bus to the foundation around 12pm for lunch. Every single day we had something new and delicious to eat, and it was always a hot meal. Our group and the teachers at the foundation all sat down together at big tables and ate lunch together like a family. Once we were done with lunch, we would have Spanish class every day from 1 to 4. This class was like no Spanish class I’ve ever taken before. We were all split up into three different groups for different classes. One was the beginner group, one was intermediate, and one was the advanced for those who already knew Spanish coming into the Dominican Republic. I was placed in the intermediate group with seven other girls, and our teacher Maria Alexandra. Along with Maria, we were also assisted in our Spanish class by three Mariposa girls; Nikauris, Anabell, and ChiChi. Maria would have them help in our Spanish lessons, while also leaving us time at the end of class to try and have conversations with them. Although there is a language barrier, we still managed to have some pretty entertaining conversations with them. We got to learn about their lives, they asked us questions about ours, and I think we all learned a lot from each other. The reason this class was so informative to me, was because it was taught so much differently than how I was taught in Spanish class back in high school. The way that Maria instructed this class was through only speaking Spanish, at least until we were really stuck on something. She would use pictures and games and real life examples to help teach us Spanish, instead of just reading off words and phrases to us and having us repeat them. The Mariposas also did a really good job at helping out the class. They would answer our questions and teach some of the lessons on their own. Altogether there were eight girls, and I think that even though we’ve only known them for a week, we’ve grown a really great bond with all of them. That’s why today was so hard. Today was our last day at the Mariposa DR Foundation. We arrived at the school around 8:45 this morning, and did a few activities with the Maripositas, or the younger Mariposa girls. We sang some songs, played some games, and then we went into their classrooms to sit in and assist with their health, English language and art classes. It was really fun to get to play some games with these girls, especially because some of them were the exact same games we taught our campers at summer camp over this past summer! Aside from the games, it was really interesting to see the way that they taught the Maripositas and how much they wanted to learn. Once the girls left the foundation for school, we ate lunch and waited for the Mariposas to arrive. While we waited, we all stood in a circle with the teachers, Maria Alexandra, Mary Jane and Alexandra. We used that time to reflect on the Spanish classes and our time at the Mariposa Foundation. Within minutes almost everyone was teary-eyed, if not crying. It was a very emotional time as everyone expressed their gratitude for such a great opportunity, and why they loved the foundation, its girls, and its teachers. As we finished up this reflection, the Mariposas arrived and we started our final activities. We played games in the pool, taught each other dances and sang some karaoke! The dances were my favorite since they showed us their favorite dances to Spanish songs, and we taught them the dances to songs like “Hit the Quan,” “Watch me Whip” and “JuJu on That Beat.” We had a lot of fun with the girls today, and I think it was a great way to spend our last day together here with them in the Dominican Republic. I’m really going to miss them all. Like I said, the foundation felt like a second home for us this whole week. I was nervous about being in another country with people I’ve never met before, but everyone at the foundation made us feel right at home. All of the Mariposa girls and teachers have amazing personalities, and beautiful souls. I am so lucky that I was able to spend time with all of them this week, and that we had as much fun as we did. These girls and these teachers inspire me to be all that I can be as I move forward in my journey to become a teacher, because they taught me so much about teaching and learning within a short number of days. Muchas Gracias, Mariposas. Te extrañare!
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AuthorHello! My name is Casey, and I'm a junior at SUNY Buffalo State College. I am currently working towards my undergraduate degree in Childhood Education, with a concentration in English. I am so excited to have been given such an amazing opportunity to expand my knowledge in the field of education, while simultaneously exploring the beautiful culture of the Dominican Republic. ArchivesCategories |