My First Day in Puerto Rico!

I have just finished my first day in Puerto Rico and I am so excited about what I have seen and learned! I have experienced the food, culture, education and language.

Our day began with Spanish lessons for beginners. It was a real eye-opener when the professor began speaking only Spanish. At that time, I began to feel for what English Language Learners (ELL) students experience every day; luckily, the professor understood our limitations and spoke very slowly and used many visual cues. My question is...do we do the same thing for the students in our classrooms? Do we use cues and terms that are on their level, and constantly check with them for understanding?

The rest of the morning was spent learning about the culture, history, and politics of Puerto Rico. I was struck by the fact that the country's population is basically split in two with half of Puerto Rican citizens living in Puerto Rico, and the other half living on the mainland. To think about the students in our schools and classrooms who do not know their extended family or maybe even speak the same language as them.


We finished our cultural immersion with a walk around Old San Juan. I could not believe the architecture--the brightly colored houses, iron gates, and white-painted shutters. The newly renovated buildings were gorgeous to see and explore; however, many of the buildings are still in disrepair. I wonder if this is what happened due to so many people leaving the island for more economic options.
Overall, today was an amazing experience for all of us. Tomorrow we plan to visit the rain forest. I can not wait to see what the rest of the week brings!