San Lorenzo

It has been a while since I have wrote. I have been keeping busy planning for classes, traveling to the beach, and meeting new people. I currently visited San Lorenzo, a beautiful beach close by in Manabi. This beach is known for it's tranquility and climate. The landscape of the beach is also different. It has unique rock formations and distinctive caves. San Lorenzo has untouched nature as well. It is possible to see turtles & various types of birds. From June to September you will experience seeing humpback whales pass from north to south! Not only is the nature a huge part of this 3 mile beach but those who like to surf and body board, the waves are naturally perfect for these types of sports. Although the beauty of San Lorenzo is extraordinary there are many more beaches close by that I have yet to see!

San Lorenzo

First Week Teaching

Teaching at the Universidad Laica “Eloy Alfaro” de Manabí has, so far, been great! My schedule rocks and my students seem to enjoy learning English. I begin my week off on Monday at 2:30. My first class has around 8 students; very small compared to my class at 6:30 which averages around 45!
I have 3 classes-back to back-and I teach the same lesson 3 times in a row. Sounds pretty boring, but it actually is not. Each class is totally different than each other. The students range in size and personality. I teach 6 cycles of English (6 weeks/cycle) with a 1 week break in between each cycle, pretty awesome schedule, right? 

Students working hard!

I currently have finished week 1 in the first cycle. I taught basic grammar points such as "I am (I'm), he is (he's), we are (we're)" and I included new vocabulary and how to pronounce numbers!  I like to play a lot of games in class. It keeps my students engaged and it is fun! The game my students have liked most is a game called 21. The students sit in a large circle while passing a paper ball around counting (1..2..3..). When the ball gets to 21, the students stop. The person that the ball landed on has to pick another number and make a rule for that number. For example: when the ball gets to number 5 you have to stand up and salsa! There will eventually be multiple rules and the students have to remember the rule for each number. It is quite hilarious the rules your students can think of. My students also enjoy games that involve some type of competition. We have played bingo, a competition where each member of a team has to grab a sticky note that has an English word on it when they here me speak, and my students enjoy types of class surveys! Lots of games to keep the energy up in my classroom.


I feel very good about my first week and I am excited about this upcoming year. I get to keep the same students throughout each cycle which is great! I am able to see how they progress in their English language. 


Feel free to provide any type of ideas/games for the classroom! Feedback is always essential to have!

Montañita

Montañita Ecuador=Surf, Cultural, Vida de Noche, Diversión, Hippie, Gran Comida & La Playa.


Montañita, a small town on the Pacific Coast located on “La Ruta del Sol” (the route of the sun), is a truly a magical paradise. Multicultural atmosphere where the people are welcoming and fun! 

Montañita is well known for surfing-which I currently learned how to do. It was such a rush to be in the Pacific Ocean learning how to surf. Surf lessons are given by locals of the village, who happen to be so friendly!

Montañita has beautiful whale watching tours that I did not do, but saw whales the morning I woke up from the balcony of my hostel. It was absolutely gorgeous. The beach itself is muy bonita. Waving palm trees and huge waves-can't get any better than that!

 Choclo! Choclo, the ear of corn, is absolutely delicious. In South America, you will find choclo in your soup, pizza, choclo cakes, sometimes choclo will be found in types of salad as well. Or, you can just eat choclo right off the stick, which I love the most. On the streets for about $1.00, you can buy choclo that is covered in mayo with queso (similar to parmesan). It is awesome.

Montañita was one out of many beach adventures to come. I know I will be going back very soon...

Beginning of Manta

Stopping for lunch during travel-time

I left Quito on Sunday morning. Rode a bus on Reina del Camino. It took about eight hours to arrive in Manta. The bus ride itself was an adventure. Rolling down the Andes Mountains, passing through Santo Domingo los Colorados and landing in Portoviejo. I saw multiple waterfalls & rivers as well as villages made of palm and straw. Getting closer and closer to the Pacific Coast, the smell was amazing. You could taste the salt in your mouth. I arrived in Portoviejo and from there stayed on the bus to Manta. My new host mom picked me up at the bus stop, I was stoked to see my new house. Manta is much different than Quito. First of all it is way hotter! Not seeing much of the city I noticed everyone wearing shorts, tanks, and flip-flops. The food seems more fresh and more my type as well. The first thing I ate was fresh Papaya. There is more of a selection of fruit near the coast. Also, ceviche and other types of pescado are more common in Manta than in Quito. Not being on the coast for 24 hours, I already feel at home. My family is quite large and speaks little English so it can be tough at times. But this forces me to speak Spanish-what other great way to learn a language more fast?!? Take a look at my new home for the year...

Until my next adventure...adiós!