To me, BECA means growth and personal development through new challenges and experiences. I have been with BECA for one year now, and last year was challenging because of my students’ behavior. But, on the last day of school, all my students showed me a lot of love and told me how much they appreciated me! I realized that even though the year was hard, I connected with them and learned more about them and myself. This is my favorite memory, and it just showed me how much of an impact I have on my students. Thinking back, I wish my ex-teachers knew that I always appreciated them, too, and all that they did for me. As a teacher now, I realize how important all of their support was!
I remember how much I wanted to be a Veterinarian, so everything we studied that was related to animals made me excited to learn. I also loved International Day, because it was so exciting to be a part of a fun celebration learning about different cultures and traditions! Remembering these things has helped me set goals for this school year. In training, I learned about how to engage my students to help them learn better by using activities, conversation, realia, crafts, and other techniques. This makes sense, because I also learned best when we had fun activities and interactive experiences in my classroom as a kid! As we start this school year, my goal is to improve my creativity and make my classes engaging, so I can connect more quickly with my students and help them learn better. I’m excited to get started!
Matthew McCormack
Matthew McCormack, a long term committed BECA volunteer from Summer Camp Counselor 2018 to Volunteer Teacher 2019-2021 and Program Coordinator 2020-2021 to current Volunteer Recruitment Chair based in Bethesda, Maryland. Since age 15, Matthew has committed himself to nonprofit education. Currently, Matthew works at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health as the Family Program Coordinator for Education making childhood possible and reducing the burden of illness through educational programming and opportunities. He is excited to share his experiences in Honduras and the beauty of the BECA community with all who are interested to support from afar or in person in one of our classrooms.
