The news site of Robert Morris University

RMU Sentry Media

The news site of Robert Morris University

RMU Sentry Media

The news site of Robert Morris University

RMU Sentry Media

Students experience teaching through Belize

It has been three years since Daniel Shelley, professor of education, began taking elementary education students to Belize for an international experience.

Belize, a commonwealth  of Great Britain, is the only English- speaking country in central America.

“I visited Belize several times, and I went into the university and talked to educational professors,” said Shelley, who originally planned to go to Aruba, but hesitated because the country’s main language is Dutch. In addition, there is only one international school in Aruba.

Shelley wanted his students to have an international experience.

Story continues below advertisement

“We were basically going to check Belmopan Elementary School,” recounted Shelley. The school was recommended by his colleges in the University of Belize.

After chatting with the principal of Belmopan Elementary school, Robert Morris University (RMU) students were allowed to teach in the school. After the first tryout, the principal was pleased with how well the program worked and welcomed the idea of having RMU students visit each may.

The class, ELED461, is a three-credit course that gives students an elementary education field experience. The students have three optional field experiences for this class.

The fields experiences are the surrounding schools of Pittsburgh, the Philadelphia inner cities or Belize.

“I like that [Belize] is not very populated,” attests Shelley. “They are very open and friendly to Americans.”

The students also get a chance to learn about the Myan culture by visiting the two Myan ruins. They also get a chance to enjoy the beach along the coast, and go to the zoo and water cave.

For the near future, Shelley hopes to have students from Belize come to RMU.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover
About the Contributor
Sabine Cherenfant, Opinion Editor
A senior journalism major at Robert Morris University (RMU), Sabine is currently the Opinion Editor and a staff writer for RMU’s student run newspaper, “The Sentry.” Sabine is also the executive vice-president of Lambda Pi Eta , the secretary of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and a member of the Society of Collegiate Journalists and the Honors Program. She is also the current undergraduate assistant for the Council on Institutional Equity at Robert Morris University.

Comments (0)

All RMU Sentry Media Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *