Next Stop…..?

Before coming to Belize, I had decided with what I thought was complete certainty that I wanted to teach in Northern Virginia, which is where I spent many happy summers. I thought I wanted to settle, finally for good, stateside. Belize would be my "last hurrah" before finding that so far elusive permanence I haven't really had since leaving home for college. Despite my seemingly certain assurances to my parents, sisters,  friends, and myself, that Belize was "it", looking back on it that nagging voice at the back of my mind hasn't truly left me since I left South Africa in 2011.

Spending the past five weeks in Belize has brought that nagging voice a lot closer to the front of my mind. While on that seemingly never ending six and a half hour ride on the "Chicken Bus" to Punta Gorda, the question constantly running through my mind was what if? What if I made the big move to Cape Town? What if I packed up myself and Belle and moved at the end of the summer? The big "what if" has been on the forefront of my mind since that bus ride. Maybe it would be the best decision I've ever made. Maybe it would be the worst. I suppose the only way I'll know is if I try. Teaching in Belize has more than ever made me realize my true passion lies in International Education Development. While I do love the teaching aspect of that very wide field, ultimately what I want to do is work with schools in developing countries to make them the best they can be. I enjoy the challenges achieving this goal entails far more than I enjoy spending ten hours writing one lesson plan. In fact, the one lesson my experience in Belize has solidified is that while lesson plans, technology, and blooms taxonomy all certainly have their place, at the end of the day - good teaching is good teaching. My partnership teacher in Belize is one of the best teachers I have ever worked with, yet she has no BA and no formal teacher training whatsoever, but instead has years of experience. I would love to get enough experience myself, and ultimately work with teachers like her to make schools in countries like Belize, and South Africa, the best they can possibly be. One of my favorite quotes is from Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world," and it sums up my experience teaching in Belize, and my goals as an educator myself.