June 3rd 2013
This evening at dinner with my host family it dawned on me
just how important good hospitality is.
As the five of us sat around the dinner table and talked about our day,
I realized how comfortable and secure I felt with this family that had been
complete strangers just one week ago.
Although the language barrier was still present and their household was
very different than mine back home, I realize the many similarities we shared
and how we bonded over these commonalities.
I even felt a pang of homesickness as Jose burped and I was reminded of
my own two burping brothers in Missouri!
My amazing host family! Efrain, Natalia, Jose, and Joicelin
The excellent hospitality this family has demonstrated
reminded me of a discussion our class shared earlier that day; being hospitable
to students, especially English Language Learners (ELL), in our future
classrooms.
Learning can occur in an endless amount of combinations or
possibilities. However, I believe meaningful learning can only truly begin once
a child’s basic needs have been met. These basic needs include adequate rest,
proper nutrition, and a sense of security once a child steps foot into his or
her classroom. This thought reminded how
much more difficult learning must be for children living in poverty or when their
everyday needs are not able to reached. I thought about the daily academic challenges
that children at the La Carpio community or even American Title 1 students face
every day.
I began to think how I would apply the hospitality I’ve
experienced here in Monte Verde to future my future ELL students. First and most importantly, I need to make
sure students feel safe in my classroom.
I want to convey a sense of homeliness and comfort within my classroom,
as well as let my students know they can completely trust in my teaching and
judgment. My host family made sure I knew my way around the town before they let
me venture off on my own, gave me a tour of their household, and expressed that
I could come to them if I needed anything at all.
The second point of
hospitality that I will apply is taking care of my students’ basic needs to the
best of my ability. I want to make sure
they have some sort of food in their bellies before class starts or allowing
them time to rest during appropriate periods of the day if they are not getting
proper sleep at home. My family here in Monte Verde provides me with more than
enough nutritious food and a quiet, comfortable place to sleep!
My bedroom in Monte Verde.
Lastly, although I most likely will not be proficient in my
ELL’s native language, I will do my best to communicate with them in any form
to enhance and engage their learning. My
Spanish is nowhere near perfect just like my host family uses limited English,
but they do their absolute best to communicate with me. Often times this occurs through a Spanish-English
dictionary, translations from Jose, or lots of hand gestures. It’s not perfect, it’s not always the same,
it takes several tries, but eventually we understand each other and that’s all
that really matters! I will do my best
to never give up when communicating with ELL even if it takes multiple, varied
attempts.
This study away trip has really shown me that hospitality is
a universal gesture that is much appreciated no matter what age, background, or
language you have. I am inspired and
thankful for the excellent hospitality I’ve had here with my Monte Verde host
family and will use this experience as a reminder for meeting the intellectual
needs of my future ELL students!
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