- Being born in Panama gave me the amazing opportunity of, not only growing up with a beautiful culture and language, but also to learn from the Chinese and Taiwanese population of Panama that had lived there for quite a few generations. Since I was little, my parents wanted me to learn many languages and become well traveled, which is why they enrolled me in a Taiwanese-Panamanian school that taught Mandarin and English. When I turned 18, right before I graduated, I went on an exchange program to Taiwan with some of my classmates to practice the language, visit the place, and learn about many of their customs in person for a few months.
Right now, I can barely remember the Mandarin that I spent years learning, yet I remember the places I visited, the teachings of the locals, and the people I befriended.
When I was in Taiwan, I learned so much about intercultural relations and differences, as well as made many friendships and happy memories that I still carry with me.
2. I often travel back home to Panama to visit my family, reconnect with my roots, and freely speak my language. Being born where I was born and being raised the way that I was raised has made me the person that I am today, which is somebody full of culture, music, dance, history, and language. It is only when I return to my now home, Canada, that I realized how differently I was raised and how learning in Western spaces can feel different to students like me.
A huge part of who I am as an educator and what I believe in are deeply connected to where I was raised, which makes me a teacher that wants to be inclusive and appreciative of my student’s ethnic backgrounds and different ways of learning so that they can feel accepted instead of different.
3. Foundation for youth with disabilities (FL JADIS)
One working experience that positively shaped me and defined the kind of teacher I wanted to be was working at a special education center before moving to Canada. For eight months, I volunteered and then worked with kids of all ages, backgrounds, and needs as a CEA, in which I learned so much about differentiated instruction and meeting the needs of our students. I remember preparing a different activity for each of my students everyday because all of them had very different needs and levels of understanding.
This picture was taken on my last day at JADIS right before moving to Canada, so my peers and students surprised me with a cake and a going-away party. I was incredibly moved and grateful for the things that I learned and for getting the chance to teach such amazing students that summer.