Classrooms

Teaching here is a completely different feel.  Teachers move classrooms instead of students, the available resources are extremely limited, and there is no AC.  The classrooms are all the same size but can vary from 18-38 students.  They all have assigned desks and chairs so if you want to rearrange the seating, students have to carry their desk and chairs to their newly designated area. Here's an example of a classroom:

You can see the teacher standing talking to students.  The windows are all open because that is the only way air circulates through the room.  The desks are very simple, and yes the students have plastic lawn chairs for seats.  They all have to wear a uniform and the dress code is strictly enforced.  The red ties you see the girls wearing designate their grade level (red is 4th form, which basically means that they are seniors).  The walls are plain and the back wall is actually a divider between the connecting classroom and sound travels very easily through it.  The floor is concrete and provides for a lot of noise when movement is required.  Almost all of the students have a bottle of water present with them since it is usually around 85-90 degrees.  At another angle you can see the board that the teacher have to use.  They have a plain blackboard with white chalk to write with.  While there is not much to use, the teachers do not complain and the students are not bothered by anything in the classroom. We rely heavily on electronics and handouts while here they do not even have luxuries like air conditioning.  The most impressive things about the school is the students.  They do not complain and they all seem to want to learn everyday.  They enjoy the lessons and are active in class discussions.  Everyday there is a genuine greeting for their teachers and sit to do their work when asked.

Perceptions

While teaching in the classroom, I have not noticed disabilities.  The students all get along and there is no calling out based on differences.  This makes me believe that there is good inclusion of everyone in the school.  While this is an important topic for school, I have seen more inclusion of people with disabilities in the community.  Everyone on the island treats each other equally.  Everyone is treated the same and there is no blocking out of someone based on a disability they may have.  This seems to be a cultural thing in the area because everyone is extremely upbeat, relaxed, and happy.  One such individual in the community is a local painter named Kurt.  He is partially paralyzed but he enjoys his days painting outside a shop and people come and talk to him just to enjoy his conversation.

Teaching Strategies

While teaching in Belize I have noticed that there are not many things done to help students that may have difficulty in class.  I see a lot of distracted students and the teachers seem to just let them sit there and not work.  In my 2A class I have seen this quite a bit.  In order to help this issue I have started to co-teach with my placement teacher.  I thought that this might keep the students focused since there is more than one person to listen to and the teacher that is not teaching can help students if they need it.  After doing this for three straight days I have noticed that the students are having a better time in class and are paying more attention.  This has also helped me out because it proves to be more fun for everyone in the class.