Los Pinares Academia Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Mireliz Bermudez

Where did you complete your international student teaching? 

I completed my international student teaching at Los Pinares Academia Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It was a private Christian bilingual school. It was a very different experience than my student teaching in the states.

What aspects of your experience did you enjoy the most? 

My favorite part of my experience was the cross-cultural component that forced me to grow in my abilities to be flexible and intentional in my teaching/lesson planning. I grew in my confidence as a teacher because this experience took me out of my comfort zone. I had to rely on my new community and what I learned from Messiah. More importantly, I had to learn the “adulting” skills we don’t always think about in the Messiah bubble. 

  Any advice/tips you would give to a student considering pursuing international student teaching? 

You should be really intentionally about placement and the school. You will be there for almost two months, and much may not feel like a lot of time but during such a formative time, it is. You should be familiar with the school and its mission before agreeing. I chose my school because I met the superintendent during a visit at Messiah. I got to intimately learn about the school and what it had to offer. My school offered free transportation, housing, and so many other benefits that made it financially feasible. There are sometimes logistical or hidden cost so make sure to ask the school and Messiah about them.

Extra tips: 

-Journal, really helpful to process and write notes about lesson planning.

-Read the teacher’s manual !!!

-Review the government requirements

-Be prepared to rely on different people and advocate for anything you need.

-Communication between you, your supervisor, and your cooperating teacher is key

-Give yourself grace  

Anything else you would like to add? 

This was the best thing I could have ever done for my career and personal development. I would highly recommend you take the leap of faith.