Ciao Thomas Jefferson School! By Melissa Stallings

I truly cannot believe how incredible fast this trip has gone by.  It seems like it was just the yesterday that I was meeting my class.  It has definitely been a wonderful experience.  My goal with this trip was to keep an open mind and learn and grow as much as possible.  I feel that I have definitely accomplished that. I did not have the chance to talk with my teacher before arriving so I wasn´t quite sure what to expect.  I was greeted by a class full of warm and active children.  At times it was difficult because I could not always communicate with the children like I wanted to, but this led me to find creative solutions.  As I have found to be the case every where I have traveled in Chile, the teachers and staff at the Thomas Jefferson School were extremely welcoming and accommodating.  Both of the teachers in my classroom were always willing to work with me and to hear any new ideas or suggestions I may have.  This definitely made my experience much easier and richer.  I feel that I am returning to Louisiana with a greater understanding of myself as a person and as a teacher.  I am excited to see how my experiences here will impact my life at home.  I feel that these experiences will allow me to be a more mindful and open-minded teacher.  I have so enjoyed getting to know the children in my class.  I am sad I could not spend longer getting to know them all.