Reflections on our first week in the high school

Without getting into great detail, we’ve had a very successful first week in the high school. Week One began as teacher candidates became acclimated to their physical surroundings, met and observed their partner teachers, reviewed their schedules, and were introduced to their new students. San Pedro High School is a small high school (450 students), but the building and the classrooms are new. And, while the schedule seems confusing at first, it makes sense after a week of attending classes. The language of English is shared, but we have heavy accents relative to the English spoken on campus. And, to make communication more difficult, students have a tendency to mix English, Spanish, and Creole, during one conversation. So, the struggle to effectively communicate is always present, but in general, all the teacher candidates get their message across to the students.


Interesting: The students don’t move from the class to class, the teachers do! So it’s the teachers that rotate, not the students.

The science laboratory is ‘in process’ of being refurbished. The laboratory classroom is one of only two classrooms on the third floor of the high school. There are five sinks and each has water running to it. There is a few shelves of chemicals but many look old. We’re told by the Science Department Chair, Paul Kelly, that teachers often have to use household chemicals as replacements. I asked if there was a chemical company in Belize and he said no. They will periodically order materials from Mexico or the United States, but it is very expensive (more expensive than what we pay). And many of the chemicals ordered from the Mexican company come directly from the US anyway.

Interesting: Available chemicals are ‘difficult to come by’ so many are beginning to explore on-line support (i.e. Chemistry – burette simulations). But teachers make due as best as possible.

The computer laboratories are on the second floor and are air conditioned. This is quite a relief when escaping the outdoor sun and the heat. The computer room is well lit and the students have availability to the computers. The rooms are not sterile like they are in the states. Dust from the outside is always a concern and it often covers some of the keyboards and screen. There are some computers that don’t work, but for the most part, it is a working computer laboratory. John Derian and Margo Ennis led four “integrated science” classes in the computer lab. Their partnership teachers, Mr. Che’ and Mr. Paul Kelly, encouraged them to take the students to the lab to explore volcanoes. Margo and John chose to use a National Geographic Kids website. The students investigated volcanic characteristics using authentic images and small simulations. They classes was so well behaved and each student seemed to really enjoy and learn from the activity. They were able to almost complete the entire worksheet that Margo Ennis prepared to guide the learning experience.
They do have an LCD projector to present information onto the front screen. John Derian had also utilized the tool to give a lecture of the “phases of the moon” on Friday. His students sat around a large table and took notes from the lecture.

Interesting: While the computer lab is very well equipped, the processing speed is a bit antiquated. It is not impossible to use, but one requires patience.

It is interesting as many of the rooms in the high school have candy wrappers and plastic bottles strewn about despite the best efforts of the teachers and the principal to encourage the students to keep their areas clean. In fact, this has become a topic of conversation during the past faculty meeting. The school isn’t necessarily dirty, just very dusty. Tropical breezes constantly flow ashore from the adjacent ocean. In fact, it has been so windy the last week that snorkeling and water activities are difficult. But it is the breezes that keep the school cool. There are few air conditioners. So we aren’t complaining!