Day 14

It is hard to write down all of the memory’s I’ve made through these amazing two weeks in Belize because I feel like words wouldn’t be sufficient to express what I’ve experienced. I have met wonderful people, heard the stories and struggles of their lives, grew closer to the girls who share the same passion as I do, and, most importantly, fell in love with the country and people of Belize. Going into this trip I thought that I was going to be giving back to the people of Belize. Little did I know that I would be taught so much more than I could have taught them. I learned to say “yes” to new experiences. During our first week in Belize, we were given opportunities to participate in a variety of activities. We were able to snorkel at the second largest barrier reef in the world. I saw many species of different fish and sea life that I didn’t know existed. It made me realize that there is much more to life than meets the eye. We kayaked in Ranguana Caye, where the waters were clear enough to see fish and massive sting rays float right under you without a care in the world. We swam with nurse sharks and sting rays off the coast of the Caulker Caye. Though I squeaked and squealed every time a shark swam right by me, I am really glad I was able to witness these harmless animals in their natural habitat. “If you respect the animals, the animals will respect you”, said the tour guide. We went tubing into ancient caves that held many years of Mayan beliefs. I was in awe of the vast size and beauty as we floated in the same area the Mayans had worshiped their nine gods of the underworld. We went ziplining through the jungles and over rivers appreciating the nature that was right beside us. We visited the Belize zoo which housed animals that were rescued or endangered. I was able to take pictures of “Junior” the leopard as he stood three feet away from the fence that separated us. Last, but certainly not least, we visited Altun Ha. The Mayan Ruins and history was overwhelmingly beautiful and so rich with history and culture. All of these experiences may be once and a life time for all of us and I am really glad we had the opportunity to experience them. I learned not to take things for granted. During our many road trips to different cities within the country, I would observe the local people outside of the window. Most of what I saw broke my heart. Many of the houses had palm branches as roofs and open windows and doors because there was no air conditioning. I wasn’t even sure if some of these homes had indoor plumbing or electricity. It made me realize how little I think about the things that are second nature to me. I don’t have to worry about the rain or wind destroying my home or if I’m going to have a warm meal at night. I don’t have to worry about clean water or how I am going to get from place to place. I also don’t have to worry about something as simple as a sharpened pencil at school or splitting an eraser because there is only one for the whole classroom. Those who were around me may have to, day in and day out. I learned how to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I met many people during my trip and each one of them had a different story to tell. I met a fisherman who would fish for weeks on end, unable to see his family until his job was done. I met tour guides who desperately wanted to continue their education to better themselves but could not quit their job because they were the only source of income for their family. I met a local shop owner who desperately wanted to learn English to provide him and his family a better life and fearing that his children will have a hard time finding work because of their lack of English. I met a young girl at one of the schools we visited in Punta Gorda. She spent her entire Christmas break working with her mom to provide food for her family. All she really wanted was to be at home for her break and not work. Though my heart hurt for many of those I talked to, I found myself falling in love with the values and drive that most of them possessed. I will always keep their spirit in my heart. I learned to be confident in myself. Though our first week of experiencing the country’s activities was great, the second week with the students at Stella Maris was the reason this trip was unforgettable. As a beginning clinician, I always wondered if I was really making a difference or if I even knew what I was doing. But as soon as I was able to interact with my classroom and meet the teachers, it felt like I was born to do speech therapy. I was able to focus on the specific needs of the students with communication difficulties and educate the teachers on helpful tips and tricks to carry on after I left back home. I learned the importance of collaboration. I did not realize how much I use the printer for activities in therapy. It is so much easier to press one button and wait for the paper rather than taking three hours to create what could have taken 30 seconds to print. It is amazing what a room full of future speech therapists and a suitcase full of arts and crafts supplies can create. I was able to identify my strengths and work on my weaknesses when it came to producing therapy material from nothing. We are definitely spoiled by SuperDuper and Teachers pay Teachers. I also really enjoyed getting to know the undergraduates for TAMIU. I was blessed to have had a great partner during out time at Stella Maris. She really was the ying to my yang. I learned that a little does go a long way. Though we had a short week at Stella Maris, my heart was glued to my nine students (ages 12-16). I got to witness a transformation in the way a deaf student communicated as well as seeing him come out of his shell. During the first day, he used to not want to even look my direction but on the final day, he would grunt to catch my attention, sign “come play”, and beat me at tic- tac-toe no matter how many times we played. I spent one-on-one time with a student who was unintelligible and taught him to move his “speech machine.” I was able to help a student learn progressive -ing verbs during a sentence activities. The little bit of help these students desperately needed, did go a long way. The little bit of knowledge I was able to give the teachers did go a long way. The activities the undergraduate and I made to facilitate hands-on learning during class did go a long way. The love that each student and teacher in my classroom showed me throughout the week, really went a long way. I will never forget the way I felt everyday walking into that classroom. I will always remember the look on their faces as we introduced a new activity to them. I used to think that the term “life-changing” was cliché but because of those nine smiling faces I am forever changed. I am changed as clinician, I am changed as a student and I am changed as a person. The last day being there was filled with tears and heavy hearts as my classmates and I told our students goodbye. Our hearts were heavy knowing that our lives would move on when we headed back home and they will remain at Stella Maris. As I hugged my teacher, Ms. Ferguson, goodbye she said, “It’s never goodbye, Ashleigh. Its see you later.” I welled up with tears and told all of them, “see you later.” I fell in love with everything Belize had to offer and I know it is not goodbye. It’s a “see you later.”  

Day 13

Jan. 13, 2017

Our incredible journey at Stella Maris has come to an end today! 
The mission of the Students for Global Communication organization of Texas A&M University-Kingsville was to educate and provide speech-language services to underprivileged children around the world; one sound, one word, one child at a time. This experience has provided that opportunity, and I speak for all the members of the Students for Global Communication organization when I say we will be leaving with much more than we could have ever expected. I personally feel I have grown as a clinician and more so as an individual. The teachers and students of Stella Maris radiate with optimism, positivity, and humbleness despite the obstacles (as we see them) they face. 

Today we met a little boy who recently lost his brother, cousins, belongings, and shelter in a tragic house fire. When most would sense devastation, he found the light. He has been collecting cans and cutting lawns in order to provide his family with income to supply their basic needs. What child in the states would react this way, would help in the time of need, would despite tragedy be grateful for all they have? I am amazed by the people of Belize and their culture—giving, friendly, and hospitable. It is definitely not what I expected to face in this country. 

In the morning we had the chance to partake in a Devotion Ceremony hosted by a specific classroom at Stella Maris. The ceremony included a religious skit, praise and worship songs in Creole and sign language, the national anthem, questions about scripture readings, outstanding student awards, and gifts as a thanks to us for partaking in the education of their students and staff. It was amazing to be a part of such a powerful ceremony, their passion for their culture and religion truly touched my heart. 

Saying goodbye to our students and assigned teachers was the hardest part of the faculty led program so far! We have witnessed tremendous improvements among the children despite our short stay. Four nonverbal children said their first words, a child who was deaf with limited sign learned twenty signs within a span of ten minutes, one child communicated their need to use the restroom for the very first time, those with sensory needs eliminated mouthing objects, etc. It devastates me that there is so much more we can do as graduate clinicians to enhance the language and communication of these students—my only hope is that the teachers continue what we have taught them and allow the children to partake in opportunities that exercise their communication skills. 

A part of Stella Maris will always be with me, in heart and spirit. I am truly blessed to have been able to impact the lives of children in need. In a way, this trip has instilled a sense of confidence in my abilities as a future speech-language pathologist. From this point on I hope to be a light for all those I come in contact with. Belize will always be my home away from home! 

Day 12

Good Morning from Belize! Today was day 4 at Stella Maris. I am extremely sad to say that we only have ONE more day left here in Belize {tropical paradise}. I started off my morning with some cereal and I was ready for an awesome day. SGC loaded up the bus and I loved reading the back of our mint green shirts saying "Making a difference around the world, one word at a time" with Speech Therapy at the top. Such an awesome quote to read before we started our day at Stella Maris. Arriving, we all know that it’s time for work. My partner and I made our way once again to the "lower autism" classroom. The tables are turned in a manner that the kids can't run around and do their own thing; it was set up that everyone is kept "inside." The class was doing a sing-a-long for religious education. It was great to walk in to that and seeing the children involved. After that was over, the teacher had all the children get up from their seats and gather around the front area to do the day of the week, month, date, and year. She would pick out one of the children to place the words on the "mystery machine" {Scooby-doo}. The teacher also asked how the weather was outside and would give the children different options such as: is it raining outside or if there are clouds out. I really liked how the students were attentive and were listening to the teacher. This week has been pretty chaotic with the students not having structure. However, as the days go by, there is more structure. These students are unique individuals and all have different strengths and weaknesses. We have talked to the teacher numerous of times and she explains that they are “out of control” because of the helpers coming in. These types of distractions mess up their routine and the students tend to put on their own show. When the teacher told the students to go back to their seats they all did so. At times the teacher wanted us to do work one-on-one with a student and she would tell us what to work on. I had a student who was working on counting 1-20. He knows 1-10 very well but when it went beyond that, it was difficult and he would mix up some of the numbers. I had a file folder that consisted of pipe cleaners making up numbers 1-20 and used a popsicle puzzle that had 1-10 but made them into 11-20. My student really enjoys the sensory jars so I used this as a reinforcer. I would do 1-10 {strength} and then give him one minute with the sensory jar. He would give it back and only get it back once he counted 11-20. He did so and would get the sensory jar. This worked great! I had my student count 1-20! I stressed the numbers in the teens and he caught on the pattern. After a while he lost his interest.

I worked with another student who seemed “nonverbal” but I was interacting with him and he was imitating everything I said! I have continued to be surprised by what the students are able to do when they are worked with one on one. The teacher has a big load on her hands and the levels of knowledge are a big range. I really like how the teacher works to their strengths. She told each helper what each student was working with.. It was snack time for the students and structure was established once again by having the students get their snacks only when called by the teacher and by sitting down. When snack time was over, we broke up into groups to do months of the year, days of the week, and the abc’s. I had two little boys in my abc’s group and learned that one could do his whole alphabet all by himself!! Today was the first time he was in class this week and it was great to see his abilities. After group work, I used one of our activities my partner made last night. It consisted of colored construction paper and matching colored clothes pins. I had three students use this activity and all three knew their colors! This was a great success. It was time for lunch and the students always wash their hands before. I noticed with one nonverbal student looking himself in the mirror and getting excited. I got behind him and started to wave and say “hi.” He would get super excited so this would be a great way to get some production out of him.

Lunch was great once again! We had chicken and a type of cold pasta with a salad. It was super delicious. Once again, I wanted to finish fast to go play outside with all the students. I love this time of the day because the students just want to have fun and take a break from learning. With all the {fun} we bring, the students just love us! Plenty of hugs, new friends, and lots of bubbles. The children love the bubbles and of course getting what they want we always tell them to show/tell us what they want: more bubbles in sign or verbally. I would start a train with the students and everyone would tag along. It was a beautiful sight to see with the smiles of the children’s faces!!! After lunch is over, we lined up our students from our class outside before they entered the room {more structure that is being observed}. The teacher put on the TV and played the DVDs of singing and Leap Frog {ABC song}. During this time, the students (except one), were asked to take off their shirts for P.E. time. We went outside and did some stretches and played with the soccer ball. In the beginning, it was pretty rough and some of the students were wondering off but knowing that they were just testing us we wouldn’t chase after them. I would elicit language by turn-taking. I played with one student that really doesn’t do much in class and got him to say “my turn!!” He is the type of student that is very active and seems to love hands on activities. The students did well with the other teachers by lining up and kicking the ball when it was their turn. Going back inside to the classroom, once again, water was given out to the students who were quietly sitting. By this time, it was close to us leaving so my partner and I talked to the teacher for tomorrow’s plan and maybe an arts and crafts activity in the morning. Being here at Stella Maris has opened my heart even more than before. The children here are great but it’s just sad because they don’t get the services they need. I know for a fact if they get more one on one time with a Speech Pathologist, they can excel more. I was absolutely exhausted after today. I now know about the one thing SLPs need to have…STAMINA!!! Getting back to our hotel, I went straight to my room and knocked out (shoes on and everything). I woke up to get ready for dinner at Bird’s Isle. We had a great dinner with some great karaoke.

Overall a wonderful, yet exhausting day. I’m EXTREMELY sad that we will be saying our “good-bye’s” tomorrow and that I’m definitely going to hold back the tears. It has been a wonderful time working with the students and I cherish each one of them. I’m hoping to end our week/study abroad program with a marked footprint. The teacher has been great and kind to us and even though she gets frustrated with the chaos, she does a wonderful job handling it.

Day 11

Today we arrived at our classroom more prepared than we were on day one. Yesterday, we were able to write down our classrooms schedule so now we could create some activities that heavily involved language but still went along with our classes curriculum.  My partner and I made two sequencing activities that went with science.  One was the life cycle of a butterfly and the other was the life cycle of a seed to plant.  For our math activity I had made a build your own sundae.  Each part of the sundae was worth a certain amount. The idea was to have the students create a sundae worth so much.  Well as any speechie would know things don’t often go as planned… on our way to the school my supplies bag tipped over on the bus, which I didn’t think was any big deal.  However, when I bent down to pick up the materials I slowly saw my sundae math activity falling onto the road through a hold on the bus floor… This was almost comical to me.  I’ve learned on externship that a lot of times what you have planned will not work out.  So, when we got into our classroom our first lesson was supposed to be math.  Well this is where our quick thinking speechie skills come in.  I knew I had some popsicle sticks in my bag that were different colors.  My partner and I brainstormed and we came up with a pretty good addition activity that also targeted fine motor skills (writing) and language.  We assigned each color popsicle stick to a certain amount. We would then have the students choose a number of sticks and come to the math problems on the board.  We also made this activity target turn taking and managing group conversations.  To me this is one of the best skills a student, teacher, or SLP can have, because often you are going to be asked to think on your feet. 

My favorite part of today was being on the playground with the kids.  Its amazing to me how easily language can be incorporated into almost any activity with the right set of skills.  I was able to interact with a lot of the younger kids during this time.  I was also able to meet up with classmates and have them introduce me to kids in their classrooms.  One of the nonverbal boys on the playground today was playing a high-five game with me today.  During each clap I would count “one, two, three” during the end of our game he wasn’t able to actually say the numbers but he did catch on with producing the syllables. He really did enjoy the game too! He kept following me around the playground to do it over and over again.  It warms my heart to see how malleable these children are! Many of these are still like sponges and with a little (or a lot) of work they can make such significant progress in both academics and language.  I hope that by coming on this trip and spreading awareness it will increase the awareness of the country how much speech therapy could benefit this country. 

Day 10

Today was day ten of our Belize adventure. It was an important day because it marked the first day we were in our classrooms to see how the children and teachers function on an everyday basis. The goal of today was to observe the teacher, interact with the students, and to supplement to the lessons. The classroom I was placed in was the older autistic ranging from ages 10-16 years old. In the morning, the children are told to sit and place their backpacks on their chairs and wait for the other children to arrive. I instantly noticed the need for an introduction activity to keep busy while the other students arrive. I spoke with the teacher to get a feel for how the classroom management was handled. She said that many of the students throw tantrums. In my experience children with autism generally throw tantrums because they do not have the language skills to express their needs. She told me the schedule and how what she does for math. Math is done on a very basic level by counting and sequencing numbers 1-10, however I noticed she only gave cards to two students. She explained the other students do not comprehend well so she just bypasses the skill. I took note oaf the children so they would be included, simple manipulatives can help increase the comprehension.

After math, the teacher began writing skills such as tracing their name and letters. I instantly noticed only three students were given paper and pencils. The teacher said that many of the students either ate the crayons or wouldn't hold the pencils. I decided to make some outlines of the students and helped L. trace the letters using the hand over hand technique and he was successful and proud. One of the students M., left early and the teacher explained it was for physical therapy for stretching. This particular child had fine motor and gross motor problems and displayed rigidity in his arms hands and feet.

After writing it was break time where the children had snack brought from home and allowed to play outside. I like that the break was implemented so the children could take a "brain break" from the academic tasks before beginning more learning. I feel if children in the US were given this break attention spans and learning productivity may be increased. During the break I did notice that there was no structured play modeled or supervised.

The bell rang and the children headed back to the classrooms for learning. The teacher allowed my partner and I to work on language activities with the students to better bond and assess the children. My goal was to work on life skills and to make sure that no child was sitting without something productive at their desk. One student randomly stood up and grabbed the pointing stick and pointed and said every letter of the alphabet, numbers and days of week on the wall. One student who was extremely shy and did not engage sat and did the bedroom/ bathroom categorization began to imitate. I completed this task by placing the desired item next to my face so the student had to look up and so he could watch my mouth to see how the mouth moves to form the sounds. I explained to the teacher to give each child some busy work such as puzzles, coloring, and blocks. I explained that if each child has some type of activity then she can focus on addressing each student one at a time.

The bell rang for lunch at 12:00 and the children went down for  hot lunches freshly prepared. At lunch I got the opportunity to share and hear about classroom experiences from my peers. One of my classmates shared how she performed and oral mechanism examination. She noted that the tongue almost looked cleft on the dorsal section. This student also had groping, no intra oral pressure , and limited tongue range of motion. I found that sharing experiences at lunch was exciting and provided a chance for learning about all different children.

After lunch the bell rang and the children returned to class. When we returned the home economics teacher was there to help provide services for activities of daily living. The teacher decided to bring in fresh items to make some juice. This teacher was great at managing the children. She introduced the three materials, cucumber , ginger root, and lime. The selection of materials was appropriate for the children. She was wonderful at naming and describing everything. The children helped cut, pour, and mix the juice. I enjoyed watching this skill as did the children. The sense of pride they showed to drink something they made was heart warming. I looked around for materials and noticed there was a lot to work with. This went to show that having materials does nothing if you do not learn how to implement the tools for efficient and successful learning.

Today was overall very rewarding and challenging. I left with numerous ideas of how to help the teacher. Materials that would be functional to the teacher and the students.

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Day 9

Today was the day our group showcased our knowledge of speech language pathology and shared what we know with the wonderful teachers of Stella Maris. Stella Maris is a nonsectarian school for the special education population in Belize City. Most of the schools in Belize are run by churches, but this one is not. Our group created presentations pertaining to several components of literacy. These literacy presentations were presented to the educators of Stella Maris and we encouraged them to incorporate the information into their classrooms with their students. The literacy components discussed during our presentation were phonemic awareness, phonology, story retelling, alliteration, rhyming, and training the educators how to construct their own busy bags. The busy bags were filled with numerous opportunities for the students for speech production and language development. This will assist the teachers with their lessons in literacy throughout the years to come.

                This week the speech graduate and undergraduate clinicians have been tasked to plan lessons and interact with the teachers and students at the Stella Maris school. Using a naturalistic approach, we will assimilate into the classroom culture and gravitate towards students that are observed to need supplemental assistance from speech services. The children that were at the school appeared to be in cheerful moods and looked excited to see us. When my co-clinician and I were assigned our classroom for the week we walked down the breezeway of the second floor of the Stella Maris campus. The second to the last door was our classroom. We walked into a dark classroom that was illuminated by the sunlight that came in through the window. A young lady sat behind the teacher’s desk and ate her lunch of stewed chicken, rice and beans and cole slaw and picked her head up periodically to glance at my co-clinician and I as we wandered around the classroom creating mental lesson plans. I walked up to the young lady and asked her name. She said her name was Empress. She explained she was watching over the classroom while her Mom was in a meeting. As we waited for the students to come back inside, I took the opportunity to chat with Empress. I asked her how old she was and what grade she was in. She said she was 12 years old, almost 13 and she was in grade 8 in Belize. She said she also played the violin in the national youth orchestra. She appeared very proud of herself when she stated that because at that moment a huge smile stretched across her pretty face. I gave her some background information on why we were in her country and why we were inside of her Mom’s classroom and she appeared happy to know we would be around to help her Mom with the students. We spoke for a little longer and we learned that Empress would like to be a toxicologist when she grows up. She was a lovely young lady, and in that short amount of time speaking to her she sounded like she had a good head on her shoulders. I enjoy meeting the people from Belize, they all have such wonderful things to say and they are all very proud of the country that they live in. The Monday morning looked like Monday’s in the States because the streets were packed with cars and people walking to their place of employment.

                Having a full work week ahead of us to teach the children and integrate into their classroom naturalistically is going to make a big difference not only for the children but an impact on our lives. This opportunity to travel to Belize City and provide clinical speech therapy services to children who are under served is beyond humbling and I know we will never forget these experiences. I look forward to working with them this week and learning from them. I believe they will be able to teach us more than we could ever teach them. They are so appreciative of everything we have provided for them in the past, and welcomed us with open arms today to the school. 

Day 8

 Unlike all the sunny days we’ve had, we were greeted with the howling of the wind very early in the morning. We had a full day of educational activities and we were all hoping that the rain would not accompany the gusty winds. We all had breakfast early in the morning and we were on the bus by 8 am to the Mayan Ruins. We met our tour guide who shared several facts on the Belizean customs. He told us that most of the lobster we eat in America, comes from Belize, high schools are called colleges, religion is a must in every school, and when hurricane hatti hit, Belize city was covered in 12 feet of water for more than 30 hours. I guess it doesn’t help that Belize city is 3ft below sea level. He also mentioned that it took nearly 90 miles to get to Mexico from Belize and 3 and a half hours to Guatemala. I thought that was pretty cool since it takes nearly half a day to get anywhere out of Texas. On our trip to the Mayan ruins, we made a pits stop at a local grocery store for some medications the girls needed. My stomach has been in knots from being homesick and since today is sunday, normally, I would be at church. As we waited in the parking lot, the bus driver was messing around with the knobs above his radio. I didn’t think too much about it but when I heard the radio turn on to a worship station, my heart exploded. Some of the girls on the bus began to sing “Yes, Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes yes Lord” with all the synchronized hand movements. Once the girls loaded the bus, the music shut off and the tour guide began to share more about the Belizean culture. I continued to look out of the window, still a little homesick, and to my surprise I saw three german shepherds. I know that may not seem like a big deal but part of my homesickness was from missing my 100lb cuddle monster german shepherd at home. I thanked God for the little bits of comfort he gave me for the day and was eager to dive into thousands of years of culture. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but I was speechless looking at the Mayan sights at Altun Ha, meaning “stone water”. Our tour guide walked us through the temples explaining the architecture, the customs of the Mayan people, the tools they used and the areas in which they lived. He described the chert, cacao, jade, obsidian, feathers, and leopards skin that were traded among the Mayans. He also explained the importance of Jade within the Mayans. Over 800 items were unearthed at that very location, including the jade head, which remains the largest piece of carved jade within Mesoamerica and the western Hemisphere. Not to mention that its also worth over 10 million US dollars. Though the beautiful stone was not there, a replica was displayed in its place. The group began to walk around, admiring the size and majesty of the ruins. Exiting the ruins, gift shops were lined up all in a row. I met a lady named Stephanie, a shop owner. She was pregnant and told me that her C-section was scheduled for this coming Tuesday. Her and her husband was very excited to welcome a new baby and she was waiting for someone to take her place at the shop. I bought two wooden crosses from her and wished her luck. For lunch, we arrived at the hotel for the best meal ive had this week. Lamb, coconut rice and black beans. I had a rice pudding cake for dessert which reminded a lot of my grandmas arroz con leche. It was my little bit of home in Belize. After lunch we were privileged to hear a Mr. Samson, from the University of Belize, lecture about the history and current issues today. We talked about the simple societies, Mayan civilization, decline of Mayan civilization, coming of the Spanish, challenging the Spanish American Empire, British Settlement in Belize, Anglo-Spanish Treaties, Battles of St. George’s Caye, African Slavery, Caste War, Migrations to Belize, Nationalist Movements, and the Belize/ Guatemala Territorial Disputes. I don’t really like history but learning about the culture was so interesting. After the lecture, we met with the undergraduate student who will be collaborating with us at Stella Maris. We created therapy material and a powerpoint to present to the teacher’s tomorrow morning and afternoon. I am very thankful for this opportunity and for the undergraduate I am joining forces with. I am looking forwards to being in the classroom with the children at Stella Maris. I know I will learn so much from them. Probably even more than I could ever teach them.