We've had a day of rest and relaxation in Cartagena. We met back up with our friends who taught in this city and had a beautiful dinner and day at beach just resting and talking. The two weeks in Colombia have been amazing, rich and overwhelming. Today has been a good day for reflection. I've learned so much about Colombia and about education here. I've seen amazing teachers and inquisitive, intelligent students. Students really are more similar around the world than they are different.
The difference between Colombia and the US educationally is really a difference of resources and possibilities for further education and development. Colombia doesn't have as many and the US does. That manifests itself in all kinds of ways including that Colombian teachers are extremely limited in the ways they can teach. For example, a teacher was telling us that teachers get two white board markers per year. That's it, then no more. It sounds like a silly thing but in some classrooms all you get is a white board. If you don't have markers than you have no resources at all.
I'm very thankful for the resources I have and for opportunities, like this fellowship, that help me grow and become a better teacher. Can you be a great teacher with few resources and little professional development? Of course, but teachers also need support, encouragement to try new things, resources to help facilitate our teaching and opportunities to grow and learn from the world.