Submitted by Lindsey Auerbach on the 2019 winter session program in Barbados sponsored by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and the Department of Hospitality Business Management…
This is my placement location. I am working with 6-7 year olds. In Barbados, they do not go by “Grade 1, 2, 3…” they go by “3-4, 4-5, 5-6.” So far I have been helping out with math and comprehension. I am so amazed at the education level the children have. They are all so bright and so smart. They do not let the few resources the school has stop them from constantly learning. I keep thinking to myself “different, not less.” This was a quote we learned when we had our orientation. The children are not less than me, I’m not trying to save the world, I’m just learning about differences in education. There is nothing wrong with the way teachers educate children here, it is just different from the United Sates. I am so overwhelmed with joy when I step into this classroom because I know that I am doing something that betters me, and if my presence can put a smile on one child’s face for the day, then I know I have succeeded. I have started to have a new level of respect for teachers. Elementary school teachers teach students the core basics in order to advance. Writing and reading is second nature for us, but the teachers in Barbados have to teach them every step. And that is something I am amazed by.