Bhel Napigkit learned so much more than classroom management or Spanish language skills during her time in Costa Rica this summer.
Napigkit, a teacher candidate in Western’s Faculty of Education, spent a month at Saint Gregory School in Tres Ríos, Costa Rica, where she worked as an elementary school teaching assistant.
“It pushed me out of my comfort zone to experience new heights and limits – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” she said.
The trip was made possible by Napigkit’s Alternative Field Experience, a Faculty of Education program designed to give teacher candidates real-life practice in diverse educational settings, from non-profit organizations to tutoring agencies to summer camps. Each teacher candidate at Western must complete a total of 210 hours worth of those alternative experiences, whether at home or abroad.
The only student from Western with a summer placement in Costa Rica, Napigkit quickly got comfortable navigating on her own. She described the entire trip as a “huge leap out of my comfort zone.”
But Napigkit found support from Western, her mentors at Saint Gregory and her host family, among others.
“I was not truly alone,” she said. “Everyone I encountered and created relationships with has helped me become the person I am today and has helped me come as far as I do today. I learned that I’m much stronger than I think, especially mentally.”
Learning from educational systems around the world
Understanding the value of learning from diverse educators and contexts, Western’s Faculty of Education is working to offer more international opportunities for students.
“These transformative experiences allow our teacher candidates to immerse themselves in different educational systems, cultures and languages, develop their own cultural sensitivity and gain a global perspective, preparing them to teach in increasingly diverse classrooms in Ontario and beyond,” said Jeren Balayeva-Sawyer, program coordinator for the faculty’s Teacher Education Office.
“From volunteering at schools in Costa Rica to honing their French language skills in France, our teacher candidates will have an opportunity to engage in international teaching and learning placements while in the program.” – Jeren Balayeva-Sawyer, program coordinator for the Faculty of Education’s Teacher Education Office.
The faculty hopes to soon offer placements in Spain and China as the program grows.
‘Patience and compassion’ key to teaching, learning
Napigkit taught writing, reading and grammar lessons to primary students at Saint Gregory and provided one-on-one support for those who needed help in English.
The trip also helped advance her Spanish, giving her a valuable perspective.
“From my experience as a foreigner in a new country with a moderate level of Spanish skills, it was intimidating and scary to speak a new language,” Napigkit said.
“My time at Saint Gregory School has allowed me to understand that showing more patience and compassion to new language learners will help benefit them in their journey.”
She also discovered new teaching and classroom leadership strategies from the educators with whom she worked in Costa Rica, including tips for students needing extra support, addressing tough conversations with parents and creating or grading assessments.
Napigkit’s work to develop personal connections proved to be some of the most valuable.
“Creating and harnessing relationships with the students helps build a welcoming and friendly learning environment for them,” she said.
Napigkit said she would eagerly embrace future field experiences with other education systems around the world. The knowledge she brought back to Canada will be an important resource on her path, she said.
“I learned new skills, honed current ones and built on my teaching experiences which will help me on my journey to becoming an effective, compassionate and inspiring teacher.”
