Monday, August 4, 2008

...facts!

8.4.08
*Ghana is located in West Africa. I will be both living and teaching in Accra (the capital city of Ghana).

...link to a map of Ghana http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/%7BF9DEAC0C-3677-4E11-B0E6-6F5C9013B892%7D_Ghana.gif

*Since Ghana is located just north of the Equator the climate is warm, humid and sunny. I will be there during one of the rainy seasons which is September to November. I have also learned that the average temperature is between 26 degrees C and 29 degrees C.
*Population (2004) Ghana: 20,922,000 Accra: 1,904,000
*

Ghana!

8.4.08
Becoming a teacher is something that I knew I wanted to do since I was a little girl. I love being around children; playing and helping them learn. A well rounded and solid education is something that every child deserves. As a future teacher, I hope to provide that to each of my students. I hope to not only be there to help them succeed with their academics but also provide for them a safe environment where they can grow as themselves, citizens, friends and family. One of the reasons that I chose to do student teaching in Ghana was to grow as a person and to experience and appreciate an entire new culture. Seeing a different way of life will not only make me appreciate what I am fortunate enough to have; but to also educate and emerse myself in a new culture that I can forever carry with me. As a teacher it will not only help me share with my students a new way of life, but it will also give me a chance to see different instructional techniques, use a variety of resources, and provide me with different tools and materials that I can use in my own classroom.

When I am in Ghana I hope to become a more confident teacher. I hope that going to a country and school that is completely different from something that I have been surrounded by my entire life will help me to adapt to any situation I may have. I want my experience to also help me to relax and feel comfortable with the material and ways in which I share that with my students. In Ghana, I want to also become more independent and grow as a teacher, but also as a person. I look forward to seeing how I grow both in and out of the classroom when my international teaching have been completed!