MaritaUndergraduate
Exceptional Education |
MaritaUndergraduate
Exceptional Education |
The first week in Italy has been magical. Our first official night was in Florence, where Grant, Connor, and myself shared an airbnb. This was a great bonding experience for us three. The jet lag made me want to sleep late, however the busy traveling allowed me to fall right to sleep. We were in Florence for three days. While there we explored the Il Mercato Centrale, the academia, the river, the best view of the city, and I explored the city center on foot. The city is stunning with history everywhere.
We arrived in Siena on Wednesday, by bus. The ride was a scenic route through the Italian countryside. I met my host mother at the bus station. She is an enthusiastic and charismatic lady who was extremely welcoming. Her son has been a blast to hang out with. The first night we had a big dinner with my host family, her boyfriend, and her friend. Everyone was excited for my presents at the table, asking me many questions about America. I have a beautiful room to myself with a bathroom and a balcony. I am spoiled. On Thursday we took a tour of the city. The tour guide directed me to a stunning park with gardens, a restaurant, and a small farm. The farm has an incredible view of the city above. I spent a few hours there laying with a goat reading and writing in my journal. I do love the city but the grass was grounding to lay in. My new favorite spot in Siena. After a relaxing time in the gardens I proceeded to get very lost trying to walk back to my host family. I took a very long walk through the country until I realized I was walking in the completely wrong direction. I eventually found my way home and took a very scenic route through the outside of the city. On Friday, we went to the school! On my way into the school I ran into my mentor teacher. She was very excited to meet me and greeted me with a big hug. She said she and the students are very excited to meet me. The school is very minimal and modern with lots of outdoor spaces. The staff is very friendly and welcoming, they seem very excited to have three new helpers at the school. I was able to see a photo of all the students, the class is very small. Through conversations with the staff, I am already picking up some of the differences between the international school and a Buffalo school. The main difference I am interested in for Monday is the classroom management and behavior techniques of the school. As I currently understand, there is little to no school wide behavioral program. I am staying open minded and enthusiastic about the different school system. I have a lot to learn from the International School of Siena. Please enjoy some photos from my first week in Italy! An unrelated food review. Thus Far, I have not had a disappointing experience with food in Italy. It is actually quite easy to be vegan in Italy. All places I have visited have offered at least one vegan option. My favorite meal so far has been tomato soup. Tomato soup in Italy is not like Campbell's canned soup. The sound is chunky and has a stronger oil and garlic flavor. The thickness of the soup is perfect for scooping up soup on bread. I can never have canned tomato soup again. The other food I have fallen in love with is mushrooms. I am typically a mushroom hater, however, the mushrooms native to Florence are delicious. I had a few pasta dishes made with these mushrooms and they have turned me into a mushroom lover. All the food is incredibly filling and leaves me full for a very long time.
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AuthorHi! I'm Marita Miller an exceptional education student at Buffalo State student teaching in Siena Italy. Follow my journey! Archives
May 2023
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