Joe Olujic's Tips for Teaching in Honduras

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After four years of undergraduate courses focused on finance, I felt very prepared to take the next logical step of attending grad school with an eye toward working on Wall Street. I did not, however, feel prepared to enter the “real world,” and this realization caused me to evaluate the choices I had made that left me feeling bereft of any real life experience. So I scrapped the grad school plans and opted to pursue an opportunity to teach English in Honduras.

 

 

Vista Exterior del Fuerte de Omoa - Honduras.  From Tips for Teaching in Honduras

Vista Exterior del Fuerte de Omoa - Honduras. Fotografia por : Dennis Garcia.

 

My travel experience was transformative. I learned so much about the culture of Honduras and the struggles that many young Hondurans faced. I was amazed by how appreciative my students were for the educational opportunity I had helped to provide and by how eagerly they approached each and every lesson. It was invigorating for us all, especially since I had just left classrooms filled with classmates whose main purpose was to maximize their future earning potential. My Honduran students had no such desires; they were there because they simply wanted to learn. 

 

Iglesia Catolica Principal de Juticalpa Frente al Parque Central. Olancho. From Tips for Teaching in Honduras

Iglesia Catolica Principal de Juticalpa Frente al Parque Central. Olancho. Photo by : Dennis Garcia. 

 

Perhaps it is cliché to note that my students taught me as much – probably more, actually – as I taught them, but I can honestly say that this was the case. I spent two years in Honduras, and I was very fortunate to have been granted enough freedom to be able to organize many school trips to places of historical significance during my tenure. Of course, I also enjoyed the time off from teaching as well, as Honduras has many beautiful beaches that are simply ideal for a little rest and relaxation.

 

 
Niños en Playas de Amapala, Honduras. From Tips for Teaching in Honduras
Niños en Playas de Amapala, Honduras. Photo by : Dennis Garcia.

 

For those who wish to pursue a similar experience, I would recommend spending a great deal of time on becoming reacquainted with the Spanish language before departing for Honduras, and it would also be valuable to learn of some of the customs that are a part of the country’s heritage. I arrived in Honduras with a completely open mind, and I cannot begin to express how happy I was to have left the world of finance to experience teaching in Honduras. I can proudly declare that my time in the country made me an entirely different Joe Olujic, and I like to think that it has certainly been for the best.

 

 
New class rooms and computers for the UNESCO "Solar.net Village" project. From Tips for Teaching in Honduras
New classrooms and computers for the UNESCO "Solar.net Village" project. Wikimedia Commons: Zack Clark

 

 

Article by Joe Olujic