Student Teaching in Puerto Rico

Experiences you’ll never forget

By: Erin Leonard and Liz McLean

EEUPREEUPR is the laboratory school of the University of Puerto Rico. We taught 1st and 6th grade to class sizes between 14 and 20 students. We taught English as a second language.

The Students1st graders 6th gradersThe 1st graders cannot

speak very much English. They are very energetic and eager to learn. The whole class is given in English. We had a lot of fun with them!

The 6th graders are pretty much fluent. There is a lot more discussions in their class. They learn English through a thematic unit, which they choose. We taught everything around the ocean (even grammar).

Your Host: TeresitaTeresita is your cooperating practitioner. She will also be your host to the island! She took us all around the island as well as places such as the grocery store & airport trips. You can learn a lot from her both in and out of school.

Where you will be living Dorm – Plaza Universitaria

We lived in a “double” which consisted of 2 single bedrooms, sharing a kitchenette and a bathroom

Your neighborhood – Rio PiedrasYou live right off campus on a busy street with lots of local bars and local people. A lot of students hang out on that street Thurs-Sat.

Where is the beach????!You have to take the BUS. Escambron Beach is a nearby public beach. You can take the bus for about 75 cents right outside of your dorm. Isla Verde Beach is a longer ride but is in a more tourist-like area.

Field Trip

EEUPR has a lot of field trips! We had the chance to go across the island with the 6th graders to go snorkeling, explore mangroves, and experience the bioluminescent bay at night. We left the school at 9am and returned home around midnight. It was a full day of adventures!

Necessary Mindset-Open minded- Easy going-Ready to try ANYTHING .. Whether it is a new food or figuring out the complicated bus system-Personable & welcoming because you WILL need help from strangers-Positive Outlook – We learned that as long as we stayed positive, everything always turned out okay!

Night lifeThere are a lot of places you can go at night. If you go out around Rio

Piedras there are a lot of people and it is very cheap. If you are looking for a more American setting, places like Isla Verde and Old San Juan

would be a good place to go, however you will pay the price. Taking a taxi at night will be about 20 dollars each way plus whatever you spend

while out. People will be salsa dancing everywhere you go.

What you will learnIt is hard to explain how this experience will change

you. More than anything, it will change your attitude about accepting and welcoming other people into your life and classroom. You will feel what it is like to be new and different from everyone else with unfamiliar surroundings. There is nothing that could replace what we have learned here.

Buena Suerte! – Teacher Liz & Teacher ErinFeel free to contact us with any questions:

Liz – emclean@student.bridgew.eduErin- eleonard@student.bridgew.edu