"Shut The Door And Teach" - unknown

While in Belize, we had the opportunity to visit one of the few area public primary schools (if not the only public primary school), Holy Cross.  Despite its public status, education is still not cost-free for children.  This school does provide the lowest tuition possible, though, for the less advantaged children of San Pedro.  I feel very fortunate to have visited the school and the perspective it refreshed for me - and my real passion for education and WHY I teach; and Charley graciously made it possible for a replacement Internet router to be provided to the school so the students' computer program will resume again in the fall.

The teachers, who earn roughly 7k US Dollars annually (on an island where housing rent can run substantially more than that each year), face harsh challenges with each new crop of young students.  The volunteer coordinator on campus explained to us that babies and toddlers are often, well, frankly bored before they attend school (if they are given the opportunity) as parents are busy working (or, in some cases, dysfunctional) and not able to provide any background knowledge to pre-kinders.  So, students typically don't enter K or 1st grade with any academic verbiage or skills.  "Take your crayon and trace the letters you see on the paper."  ---what's a letter?  What does it mean to trace?

If students progress well through the 8th grade, they may be given the opportunity to attend high school.  That depends on scholarships or financial assistance, though, as high school costs run higher than primary tuition.  Donations are the bulk of scholarship balances, and donations are heavily affected by economic turns in and outside of Belize.

Suffice it to say, I would have LOVED to have had some of my American students along this tour with us as an eye-opening, real-life lesson in how fortunate we are to have our - though flawed - U.S. public education program.

The tour also reminded me that no matter what rubbish is going on in the ivory towers of school administration, government officials with zero education experience meddling in our schools, or poor parenting negatively impacting student achievement, it's ultimately my job to just shut the door and teach my rear off.

How on Earth do they organize their bikes so well, and by size?!