One of the true joys of teaching at a university, or anywhere for that matter, is the experience of learning something new from one of your students. No matter how much we may think we know, there is always something new to discover, and our university students provide us with that opportunity for new discovery on a daily basis. It was the inspiring work of one such student that sent me to my computer, today, to update the CLSE blog and share the work of this insightful teacher candidate with others.

Recently, Dr. Roberta Aram, MSU Professor of Elementary Education, accompanied students to Costa Rica. A CLSE student, Aubrey David (ELE major & Accelerated Masters of Special Education – Autism Spectrum Disorders graduate student), shared the joys, the pitfalls, and the learning she experienced on that trip to Costa Rica. Her open, honest, and truly insightful reflections are a joy to read ….. and provide a window into the world of the struggles of the second-language-learner.

I have her permission to share her blogspot through our website, and I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did. I laughed, and at times became teary-eyed, reading of her struggles and the impact it will surely have on her future as a teacher.  For a window into the world of Study Away in Costa Rica, please read Aubrey’s blog:  http://adavidcostarica.blogspot.com/. I hope others will enjoy it as much as I, and hope the rest of Aubrey’s time at MSU is as meaningful as this experience surely was.