Dear Family and Friends,
I hope this finds you well. As many of you know, I embarked on a leap of faith a few years ago and went back to school for my Master of Arts in Elementary Education while going through a difficult time in my life. Many thought that I should go back to corporate retail, but it has long been my dream to teach, to make lives richer, rather than 'someone' richer. I persevered and am now in my second year of teaching as a 4th-grade teacher in Barrington, Illinois. I have never looked back or regretted my choice. As much as I love teaching my students, I love learning from them also. Every student has unique gifts to offer our classroom allowing each of us to grow in many ways.
Through my district mentor, I now have another opportunity to give of myself as well as learn from others. A team of teachers and I will be traveling to San Jose, Costa Rica where families struggle with daily hardships attributed to living in poverty, especially a lack of access to quality education. Children growing up in this area face unique challenges and teachers do not have the training to address the academic and social/emotional needs of these children. Our team will be preparing and presenting professional development workshops for teachers who work with students from schools located in the township. This area of extreme need is populated with families who struggle with daily hardships from lack of running water in their homes to lack of access to quality employment. Our visit is also timely as the country's curriculum and public education now require, for the very first time, the inclusion of students with special needs. As a team, we will help facilitate awareness and teaching tools to help educators within San Jose prepare and implement special education strategies in their daily practices.
As a team, we are also studying Eric Jensen's book, "Teaching with Poverty in Mind" to help us prepare appropriate materials to adequately address the needs described by the teachers in this area of Costa Rica. As we spend time with educators and community leaders, we will also gain an understanding of the challenges they face and learn from their experiences. This is where mutual learning takes place as well as the relationships we will establish as we continue to foster our global initiative.
As I learn about the history and culture of the community in which we will work, I will also be looking for ways that I can bring this experience back into my own classroom and develop connections within my curriculum where possible. Poverty, culture dissonance and hardships affect each of our schools in various ways. Our team will share our experiences with our respective school staff to further provide strategies for Barrington 220 teachers to engage diverse learners effectively. I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to be of service to others, to learn from the communities we serve, and to share my passion for teaching and helping children.
Would you be willing to help support my team to cover the expenses and resources for this service opportunity? This is a volunteer service trip facilitated by the non-profit organization INGAGE UNLIMITED. All contributions are 501(c)3 tax-deductible donations and can be made online at https://give.ingageunlimited.org/CostaRica2019 and then you can put your donation amount in the field next to my name. Your donation will assist with our travel and provide support for the teachers, families, and students with whom we engage along the way. I will also be sending out Tweets, pictures, and video updates following the trip to share our experience. I can't wait to share my experience with you!
Thank you very much for your support.
Blessings and Peace,
Natalie