Coming Home by Meghan Charbonnet

Upon my return, it took some adjusting. I was very sad to leave my Chilean family. I had become so comfortable with them, and I knew it would be a hard to say goodbye. Our goodbye was not forever. It is just until we meet again, but we all cried as I left to get on my plane. They had welcomed me with open arms, and I am very grateful for their hospitality.

Reentering the United States was bittersweet. I knew the experience was over, but I was excited to take everything I had learned in the Chilean school and incorporate it into my studies in the U.S. Among the things I will incorporate will be:
1) Let children be children. Even though the students in the Chilean school were often talkative during school and would have been considered borderline disrespectful to an American teacher, they are allowed to express themselves freely. In the U.S. children become robots at such a young age. We teach them to listen and sit still which completely goes against the natural free spirit of most children. I hope I will allot at least some time for my students to be young and free.
2) Be flexible as a teacher. In the schools I have observed, teachers follow a very regimented schedule. They are sensitive to the fact that not everything works out as planned. They have back up plans when their students do not respond well to a lesson or when they finish a lesson early. Teachers must be flexible. There is no way to predict what a classroom of children will do. We need to prepare to change our schedules if it will benefit our students.
3) Though this one may a be a bit difficult, teachers must express affection to their students. In Chile, students are allowed to hug their teachers. Though thins is kind of affection is frowned upon in the U.S. it is important for teachers to show their affection in other ways. We can use more words of affirmation, write encouraging notes, or use other methods of reinforcement to show children we are proud of them and love them. This creates a positive learning environment and is important for the child's self esteem.

Traveling to Chile was the experience of a lifetime. I am so happy I was privileged enough to go on thins is trip. I will never forget the people I have met on this journey, and it hope to see many of then soon!