This morning I got to visit Calle Hernandez Primary school in Costa Rica. When we arrived, I noticed the school was very small and open. All of the classrooms had doors open to the outside rather than having an indoor hallway connecting them. Other than that, the physical characteristics of the school weren't much different from that of a school in the U.S.; there was a principal's office at the entrance and a small playground for the students.
When we first got to the classroom, we all introduced ourselves to the students in English, followed by the students introducing themselves to us in English. The majority of the fifth graders in the class struggled with simple sentences about themselves. I started working with one student on writing a letter to his pen-pal. He had not written anything yet but was drawing doodles instead. I told him in Spanish what he needed to write and he started working with me. He had to include 10 sentences about himself, so I asked him questions in Spanish and again in English and he answered them. I helped him write the answers in complete sentences in English. I feel like I made a better connection with him as a person, not just a student, because I showed him I was willing to speak his language and embrace part of who he is. We took a picture together on my phone and then he wanted one on his phone, too. He found me several more times before I left and came to give me a hug. I feel like me being willing to speak in both Spanish and English helped us build a connection in which more learning could occur.
On the other side of the spectrum, I started Spanish class at CPI last afternoon. I am in a class with three other students that came to Costa Rica from Missouri State. When we entered the class, the teacher wrote "reglas de clase," rules of the class, on the board. The first one was "no inglés," no English. She also told us, in Spanish of course, that she doesn't speak English. I immediately felt uncomfortable because I didn't feel like the teacher and I had anything in common. Because of this lack of a connection, I don't believe I am learning as much.
In relation to classes I've taken in the states, there is much similarity in this principle. Whenever I have a connection with my teacher, I try harder in class. If I have a relationship with my teacher, I always want to do what they ask of me and learn as much as possible from them. So far in Costa Rica, I believe language is a key component of building that connection. The first step to teaching students should be showing them that you value them as an individual, and I believe that starts with knowing the language, or at least showing you are willing to learn with them.