Today my peers and I visited a Special Education School and a public school called Modesto Armijo. In all honesty, I was surprised to see all the passion and effort that went into taking care of the special needs students. The students were enthusiastic about learning and the teachers were devoted to making sure they understood the material. It’s also outstanding that the teachers were so patient dealing with the different disabled students including those affected by vision and hearing loss and Autism.
Our group did a great job interacting with the students, which may be something that the students aren’t necessarily used to. I think the staff and children greatly appreciated that, especially the teacher, and our tour guide, Don Norlan. He was loved by every student and never seemed to have a frown on his face when he talked to the children. From what I saw he was present in the lives of every single one of those 70 students,and I believe that every person on this trip and in the states could learn a thing or two about true passion from this man.
Thankfully, I was the leader of the day and was able to present Don Norlan with a gift for giving us such a wonderful and eye opening tour. After that tour I was inspired by the actions of Don Norlan and took the Leader Del Dia very seriously while still having a load of fun. I learned so much about the average day of Nicaraguan student today but even more importantly I learned that I can step up and take charge without being a dictator, which I didn’t think I could have done before today. I think I speak for our entire delegation when I say that it was truly a heart-warming experience. Of course I’d like to give a big thanks to my entire delegation for being so cooperative and enthusiastic today.
