Why did you decide to volunteer with Maximo Nivel in Guatemala?
Rowan: I chose Maximo Nivel, Guatemala for a few reasons, one being that Antigua looked stunning. Like a home away from home, large enough to be entertaining but small enough not to be overwhelming. My other reasoning being that Maximo itself seemed like a wonderful program, with a supportive staff, Spanish classes, and loads of volunteering options.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Rowan: I did a week of volunteering at an animal shelter called Animal Aware that I had heard about through some other volunteers in my Spanish class. While volunteering I walked, played with, gave medicine to, and brushed the animals. It was very enjoyable and rewarding, and I would recommend it to any and all animal lovers. After that week I started my TEFL course, which was a month long course, with classes running from 9-4 Tuesday-Thursday, with mini lessons on Fridays, ending with a final week of practical teaching where you taught your own class for an hour a day.
What made this experience unique and special?
Rowan: The TEFL course was a spectacular course, and I am so over joyed that I took part in it. I learned more than I thought possible in those short but fun filled weeks. You are right away thrust into the teaching environment, which at first is a little nerve racking if it's not something you are accustomed to, but you soon learn to love and to look forward to standing up at the board. What made TEFL so unique was that I'd never been introduced to this type of teaching style before, and after I learned it, I couldn't understand why the entire world didn't use it to teach everything. It's teaching students to teach and learn from themselves and each other. Making you more of an instrument to their learning, as opposed to being the main subject in their learning. It's a humbling and amazing way to look at teaching. I am so thankful to the Maximo staff for making this the experience that it was.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Rowan: I'd never considered teaching as a career, but now after being introduced to this new style of teaching, my interest has spiked extremely high. I am fresh out of High School with no idea what I would like to do for a career, and perhaps this course was a push in the right direction. I'm now looking at teaching English at a refugee camp nearby my hometown, and/or teaching some of the Mexican immigrants who posses little english skill that have moved to my home area to work on the near by farms.