From a Teacher's Perspective
Many people who come to Monteverde to teach don’t have the opportunity to visit the school and the community beforehand to see for themselves what life is like here. So for the past few years, the staff at the Friends School has prepared a letter to send off to prospective teachers. In this letter we offer the perspective of the 1999-2000 teaching staff. Although your experience here may turn out to be very different from ours, we hope that this letter gives you a picture of life in Monteverde.

The Community
Monteverde is not a town but a series of rural houses along the road. The two centers of activity are by the co-op (small grocery store) and dairy plant and the school. Monteverde sometimes feels more like a rural area in the U.S., rather than a small town in Latin America. Most of the land in Monteverde is owned by the original Quaker settlers and the substantial number of North American expatriates who have moved here since the 1950’s. Santa Elena, a half hour’s walk from Monteverde and just 3 kilometers down the road, feels more like Latin America and is indeed where
many more of the “tico” (Costa Rican) families live.

Monteverde is really several “mini-communities” rolled into one. There are the permanent residents, both Tico and North American, the dairy farmers, the hotel owners, the volunteers, different religious groups, and the seasonal stream of tourists. There is often quite a bit of overlap among these mini-communities, especially at potlucks or at other community events.

For many people, Monteverde is home. But it also has a constant flow of new faces, people who come and go. This can make Monteverde an exciting and unusual place to live (you never know when a famous Russian pianist might drop by to give an impromptu concert). These constant comings and goings can also make life difficult. Some people are reluctant to reach out to newcomers. Also, there is a separation between ticos and gringos that is not only geographic. You have to find your own way of living with the differences. With time and effort one can form friendships that span both cultural and age differences.

Life
For most North American people here there is quite a bit of social activity in Monteverde, considering its rural setting. Movie nights, choir, talks at the biology station and the annual music festival provide opportunities for entertainment and socializing. Potlucks are a tradition here, started by the original Quakers, and they happen on a regular basis—so be sure to bring down your favorite recipes.

Despite all the activity, new teachers can find themselves feeling isolated here, particularly during rainy season, at night or on weekends. The amount of isolation you experience will vary depending greatly on your personality and on whether you come here alone or with family.

It is becoming increasingly easier to communicate between here and North America. Mail service can be slow between the two countries (about two weeks). Phones are now easily accessible. E-mail and fax have become available, as well. For many, this has helped to lessen feelings of being cut off from family and friends back home. Be aware that this technology is not always dependable.

Monteverde is a beautiful place to live. The quiet and the hikes in the rainforest can be wonderful, the mile-high views spectacular. The forests are green year-round because of the abundant rainfall. Locals claim that there are two seasons: one rainy and one dry. In our experience rainy season had nice mornings, but this has not always been the case. Although forewarned, many teachers are surprised at the amount of rain we get. Teachers arrive in the heaviest of rainy season. It can get cold here, too, especially in December and January, when we are experiencing mist. Warm clothes and lots of rain gear are essential. Drying clothes in the midst of the rainiest part of rainy season is a constant challenge.

Be prepared to do a lot of walking here. Depending on where your house is located, you will have anywhere from a 5 to a 20 minute walk to school. You will find that you will probably walk everywhere—to the bank in Santa Elena to cash your check, to the co-op to do your grocery shopping, anywhere you want to go. Two recent taxi services make low cost trips possible. Depending on where you live, mountain biking can also be a good means of transportation. However you choose to get around, be assured calf muscles will be in good condition when you leave.

The saying “early to bed, early to rise” holds true for Monteverde. Perhaps it’s all the walking, or the 1450 meter elevation. Perhaps it’s the fact that the sun sets about 6 p.m. year round. Whatever the reason, people tend to find themselves going to bed and waking up earlier here than they normally do back home. This can make living here feel a lot like camping out. The bugs, mildew and mold also add to that feeling. Since most of the houses are not tightly built, you will probably find yourself sharing your living quarters with wasps, scorpions, spiders, mice and moths. The saying “live
and let live” applies here usually.

If you imagine yourself learning to speak Spanish while you’re here, be prepared for a challenge. Living in a North American enclave makes it easy to speak English, which in turn makes it very difficult to learn Spanish. For those who are truly determined, it is possible to improve your Spanish.

Because Monteverde is fairly remote, it takes a long time to get anywhere from here. Weekend trips are possible but will leave you feeling exhausted when you have to wake up for school on a Monday morning. Just a simple trip from here to San José takes 5 hours, one way. We’ve found that traveling is best done over the school breaks in October, December, and spring break. Be aware that traveling in Costa Rica is not as inexpensive as traveling in other parts of Central America.

A problem we’ve experienced this year has been theft, money taken from a backpack in the hallway, as well as cash that has disappeared from two teacher houses. Illegal drugs have become much more available to teenagers in the Monteverde zone in the past few years, and meaningful activities after school and on weekends have become concerns of parents and community members.

Teaching
Teaching at the Friends School can be challenging, frustrating, and rewarding. Prepare to work on your own, particularly in your classroom preparations. Expect to collaborate on other aspects of school maintenance and decision making with a group of teachers who are new to the school too, just like you. The Friends School is unusual. Here, the teachers come and go, not the students. The younger students are open to new people and interested in learning. But students in the upper grades can be hard to connect with and difficult to motivate. Expect distance, at least initially.

Although the language of the classroom is English, the dominant language of the school is Spanish. During recess and lunch, you will hear the students speaking mostly Spanish among themselves. Most parent conversation is also in Spanish. English comprehension and academic levels vary greatly even within the same classroom.

The school has revised its learning goals and curriculum guidelines, yet teachers still need to be prepared to be flexible within the existing program. Do bring teaching materials with you, but consult with previous teachers and the administrative staff. Anticipate inconveniences—like being without a photocopy machine or a month or having the electricity go out as you are in the middle of typing up your student evaluations. With up to three grades, two languages, varied abilities and interests and a full range of learning styles, your classes will challenge you to come up with many ways to meet their needs.

Although the school does have some textbooks, many of them are out of date, and there are sometimes not enough to go around. You will want to bring teaching guides, workbooks, things that inspire study units, audio-visual aids, etc., with you. Santa Elena, the nearby town, is not stocked with teaching materials, nor will you be able to find many of them in San José. Most basic student supplies (pencils, markers, notebooks, paper, glue, etc.) are available. Consulting with the previous year’s teachers about curriculum and teaching materials is very important. You’ll be surprised at your own creativity and inventiveness if you are flexible in response to the challenges. Despite the challenges, we are truly grateful for the experience we’ve had teaching at the Friends School.