That’s what we call them…”love notes.” Those little notes that students furtively slip into your hand on a wrinkled piece of scrap notebook paper. This one from a fourth grader touched my heart and made me laugh out loud at the same time…I just have to share. (Note: I wrote exactly as this student did to keep it authentic).

Title: “I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH CHER” (imagine a picture of a rose)

“I Love you miss Cher and I am going to miss you when you are gone and I am going to cry and I no you are going miss me and you are going to be sad and me too and everbody is going to miss you and even Shana is going to miss you and even Ruth-Ann too We all going to miss you. Love you.”

I’m not sure what I did to Shana and Ruth-Ann, but I’m glad they’re going to miss me! I have six more days (Friday and all next week) with these loving, beautiful children.

Right now, I’m just enjoying the moments…

I have finished teaching my second day in beautiful Jamaica – and what a day! After lunch, I work with a smaller group of students who need extra help. So, there I am outside with about 10 fourth graders, a preservice teacher from Oregon, and an assistant from Mississippi. We were getting started to “make rain” by standing in a circle starting with rubbing palms, snapping fingers, clapping hands, slapping thighs, stomping feet, and then backwards…when it started to rain! But, wait, there’s more!

After that, they participated in an echo read with a poem called “Storm.” By that time, we had to go in the corridor under the tin roof on the pavement. What do you think happened after I said, “BOOM!” and they said, “BOOM!”?  We heard thunder! As the poem went on, the storm grew stronger. After it was over, I told the students to high-five his/her partner and say, “That was so cool!” And, that’s just what they did. The principal, who saw the last part of the echo read, had a different name for it. She called it “a blessing.”

When we finished the game and reading, they practiced a reading strategy I called, “*If I Know This then I Know That.” So, using white boards, they learned new words from the poem like light, bright, night, and then brainstormed other words they knew before we went onto “oom” and other patterns.

The hardest part is I want to have MORE TIME to work with each of them…but, I’m going to just use the word the principal said…it was a blessing.

*Unfortunately, there are many fourth graders who can’t read…but they BURN with the desire to LEARN. It breaks your heart and inspires you at the same time…an indescribable feeling.

I had so much fun on Friday at the farewell dinner with all of the preservice teachers headed towards Jamaica. November is right around the corner…I know that they are in for an experience they will cherish forever. In the meantime, please see the video from some Jamaican children a few years ago. Georgene Crowe, one of the organizers of this project, shared it with me. She said, “You can imagine our joy that day! We did not know the students had been writing and practicing, an amazing joyful surprise. Makes me happy and cry every time I watch it.” One of the best parts about this project is how appreciative everyone is – both American volunteers and all of the participants in the schools.

When I think of my experience in Jamaica, one of my favorite quotes by Dr. Seuss comes to mind…”Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” As I write this, I’m missing Jamaica – the children in the schools, the teachers and staff at Kendal Primary, the amazing preservice teachers I traveled with, and the beauty of Negril.

I’m usually pretty good with words, but I find it so hard to capture the essence of what made this trip so spectacular. Even before going, we had incredible behind the scenes support from everyone involved with International Programs starting with Rodrigo Davis and then continuing with Anna Faiola, Cary Perez Waulk, Barbara Ann Wells, and Ramona Kirsch. I felt like they were “cheerleaders” for our expedition and made the planning process very manageable. Thank you, International Programs!

When we arrived, I felt like I was returning home to the friends I met through Great Shape in 2009.  Returning in 2012 with seven OUTSTANDING preservice teachers was incredible…I knew they would do well on this trip. However, I couldn’t have imagined how they would surpass my expectations and become “rock stars” in the Jamaican classrooms. We were placed in four primary schools for grades 1-6, and we all had a diverse variety of experiences. Some taught in small groups, others in whole group, and many a combination thereof. The work conditions were far from ideal…for example, at my school, there was no running water and the temperature was stifling. However, I would go back in a heartbeat to teach there again. Why? The HUNGER of the students who wanted to learn – it was in their eyes – they loved us, and we loved them. It didn’t matter there were 50 students in some of our classes…they wanted to learn! And, we wanted to teach! The Jamaican teachers also became “students” as they participated in the daily lessons. Walking into that classroom was like slipping into a favorite pair of old blue jeans – it just fit.

In closing, what I will never forget is the camaraderie of this special group of students I had the pleasure of traveling with. We truly shared a magical experience. I have an enormous amount of respect for their talents and professionalism. I know they will continue to impact children’s lives, and the teaching profession is fortunate to have them join their ranks.