Se come, se come, se come

Been here less than 24 hours and we have eaten so much amazing traditional Costa Rican food! This morning we had gallo pinto with breakfast, a traditional dish made with black beans and rice and a sofrito of peppers and onions. ¡qué rico!

Last night we had a chicken dish with rice, beans, potatoes, and carrots, maduros-- super ripe bananas/platanos, and a juice made with a fruit called cas, similar to a guava. Yum!!

We are getting ready to head to the bank to exchange some money and then to our first day of orientation on campus...

...en el aeropuerto...

I have made it to the Atlanta airport! My flight leaves in about an hour, so I currently sit chatting with a young college aged girl who is heading to Costa Rica for a volleyball program. It is fun to see her excitement as I too did this at her age. 

It's funny. Ten years ago as a student in college I was fearless. Today, as an adult, I felt so anxious getting through security. Now, though, waiting at the gate, my excitement is building. Hannah Sullivan from Tuscaloosa Academy is connecting here to Atlanta and will be on my flight, so that should ease my anxiety.

When we arrive in San José today, a bus will take us to the University of Costa Rica where our host mom will be waiting for us. I am eager to learn more about her! We have orientation Friday and Saturday, a trip to Poas Volcano on Sunday, and classes will begin on Monday. 

Pictures to come soon! 

¡Adiós!

...it will be here sooner than I think...

Exams have been made, reviews have been done (and done.. and done), and it's time to wrap up another successful school year. I can't believe I have just completed my fifth full year teaching! What a journey it has been! You think you know it all in the beginning, but looking back over the past five years, I realize how much I have grown. Being an educator isn't about just teaching; it's about learning to adapt and adjust, roll with the punches, and enjoy the little "teachable moments". 

In just 41 days, I will be heading to the Atlanta airport to board my flight to Costa Rica. I am looking forward to the next month of rest and relaxation, but excited to embark on this journey. I will be taking Spanish Linguistics and an Advanced Composition Course at the University of Costa Rica. I am eager to learn who my host family will be, but have discovered a fun fact in preparation for my adventure that makes you remember just how small the world can really be. Hannah Sullivan, the other recipient of the NSE Scholarship to Costa Rica, sat right next to me at the AP Summer Institute at Walton High in Atlanta last summer, the very place where Ken Stewart, AP Spanish goo-roo and extraordinaire, expressed to us how important it was to take advantage of scholarship opportunities... oh, the irony.  As soon as our pictured were published, I immediately recognized Hannah and reached out to her via email. We are both excited to have someone we sort of know to make this trip more comfortable... 

Until next time... 

speechless!

So it was just after 2:00 on March 3rd, and I had finally made it to the end of Monday, a feat in itself. With one more class to teach, Jennifer Ricks, our administrative assistant, came into my room and handed me a note to call Kevin Cessna, National Spanish Exam Director. Stunned. I knew it would be this week, but never expected Monday afternoon!

Imagine the tension I felt trying to finish that last class, discussing the wonders and awes of the preterite and imperfect tenses :) Finally, the bell rang, and I was able to return Mr. Cessna's call. 

I got it! I am a 2015 recipient of the National Spanish Exam MLSA Teacher Study Abroad Scholarship to Costa Rica! WOW! I applied on a whim, thinking this could be a great way to spend my summer and get some experience, and now I am really going to Costa Rica!!! Mr. Cessna was so nice, and made my excitement even greater, discussing his personal experiences as a teacher with MLSA. 

So here we go!!!...time to renew my passport! :) 

¿Quién soy yo?

...mi pasión: enseñar...

Aquí estoy con mis estudiantes de segundo año repasando para un examen sobre el imperfecto y la niñez con un juego de Jeopardy.

During the 2014-2015 academic year, I am a teacher at Deerfield Windsor College Preparatory School where I teach one section of Spanish I, two sections of Spanish II, and two sections of Spanish III. This year I have a total of 73 students. All of these students are taking the National Spanish Exam this year. 

...mis estudiantes trabajando...

Aquí se puede ver algunos de mis estudiantes trabajando en el sitio www.lingtlanguage.com/jessica_marshall donde ellos practican de escuchar y hablar. En este momento de la foto, están tomando parte de un examen en la clase de Español II.