2021-2022 Intern Corner
In March, we asked the Interns about their favorite foods, both back home and in the US.
My favorite food from El Salvador is Popusas, they kind of look like pancakes or empanadas. What I love the most about Popusas is that they can be stuffed with different ingredients. This is a traditional dish from my country and can be found in neighboring Central American countries. I would like to share that my host dad and I have made them twice. It was a lot of fun! I enjoyed it so much.
In the other hand, I would also like to share that I have tried a lot of delicious and different food in America. It is difficult for me to choose my favorite one because I consider all the food so tasty! However, I totally have to say that one my favorites is homemade focaccia and meat pie from my host dad, Luke Krebs. I also enjoy the Chocolate Chip Cookies made by him! They are my favorite dessert ever! I am so grateful for him because he takes his time to prepare so much yummy food for all of us. I admire his passion about it.
-Dalila
My favorite food from Chile are Empandas, I do not enjoy the cooking part of it because it is extremely difficult. But you can always find incredible places to buy them. I believe that the perfect empanadas are the Cheese and shrimp ones. I would say that my favorite food in the US is the Asian food, I love ordering food from Pai Wei an Asian Kitchen restaurant.
-Guillermo
Is hard for me to choose just one dish because I love food in general, but if I had to choose one from my country, I would choose The Bandeja Paisa and something we call Picada. The dish I really like to eat here is the Stroganoff meat/beef. This is a dish that I had never tried before. I hope to take the recipe back home with me and cook it for my family.
-Juan Pablo
My favorite Colombian food is The Bandeja Paisa which is a large bowl with many ingredients such as beans, beef, eggs, pork, avocado, sweet plantain, and rice. I also love Empanadas! I have had the opportunity to prepare them for my host and buddy families. As far as food in the U.S, I really enjoy the hot dishes my host mom prepares and the sandwiches at Potbelly.
-Yeferson
My favorite food in Colombia & EEUU
Some of my favorite foods in Colombia are Chuleta de Puerco, Frito pastuso, and Cuy’s. I also love desserts such as “Tres leches”, “Pastel de chocolate”, and “Pastel de Oreo”. I can eat them every day. In the U.S I really like tacos, raviolis and cinnamon rolls.
-Andres
In January, the Interns had a Professional Development day at Eagle Heights. They talked about Thankfulness and reflection of their internship here at Eden Prairie Schools.
I am so thankful for all the people that I have met during my time here. They are amazing people and I have learned something from each one of them. They are always trying to make me feel at home by allowing me to be with them in their daily life (maybe that is why I do not miss my family that much). Most importantly, they include me; I get to hang out with their kids, watch movies, and do ninja. I do not have enough words to express how thankful I am for all the support and time they have given me. Also, to all the people in the program that support us and have made this possible. This experience is something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
It’s incredibly hard to summarize in a few words how thankful I am with this amazing experience. First, my families. I cannot imagine how my life would have been without them. They have made me feel like one of them since the very beginning and I’m sure they’ll be part of my life forever. Secondly, the great teachers that I have the chance to work with every day. They are always supporting me and letting me be part of the class in different ways. They have also been incredibly kind, and I can definitely say that I’ve learned a lot from each and every one of them. Finally, the kids. I love having the chance to work with them every day and not only teach them but also learn from them.
I am grateful for being a member at Eagle Heights because I improve my skills to be a better teacher. I get to learn different methodologies and techniques that I could develop back home in El Salvador. Most importantly, I get to share and work with an amazing team of teachers who support me and help me become better every day. I strongly believe that I am growing professionally.
It is difficult to express how thankful I am with everyone who has made me feel part of this great adventure. To all my mentor teachers, I would like to say “You are amazing. You do excellent work. I have learned from you important values that I can apply in my work and with students such as, responsibility, tolerance, and kindness.” During my time here, I have also accomplished many of my goals. I have learned how to be a better professor and how to manage a classroom. I will never forget all the incredible moments I had at CMS. Everything has been awesome, and I am happy to be part of this.
I’m thankful for my host family and the opportunity to be here experiencing new challenges. I am thankful for the people I’ve met and those who have made me feel welcomed and happy. I am thankful for every student of EPHS who somehow has contributed to my personal and professional development. I’m thankful for having the opportunity to see beautiful landscapes and nature in Eden Prairie and Minnesota.
For an ice breaker of the day, the Interns did the Marshmallow challenge. They had 15 minutes to build the tallest structure with the marshmallow on top.
Our winners were Juan Pablo and Guillermo!
Hasta Luego 2018-2019 Interns
While I am sad to see this intern group go, I can’t help but be excited for them as they get to return home to family hugs, family-cooked favorite foods and get acclimated back into their routine. I am proud of them and excited for them as they are bringing back a skill set to their countries that the students in their future classrooms will benefit from. I’m thankful for all of the connections they have made with the students in their classes, all of the culture that they shared through their lessons and lives, and the impact they have left on the immersion program.
We got to spend some last time together as a whole intern group a few weeks ago. We had burgers, s’mores, and time to talk and share with each other. It was so much fun to hear the interns share their reflections and about their experience here. Some of the things I heard were:
“I learned so much”
“I loved sharing my culture with students”
“I can’t wait to use some of the strategies in my own classroom!”
“I’ve made lifelong connections with both families, staff, students and other interns!”
Intern group of 2018-2019, I am so proud of all you have done, how you have grown, what you have shared, and what you have taught both me and the students you had in your classes. ¡Buena suerte en tu siguiente aventura!
Marin Lindberg, Intern Program Coordinator
Intern Corner
Mely Asprilla
Welcome to the Intern Corner! Today we will be introducing you to Mely Asprilla. She hails from Cali, Colombia and this year she is a part of the Kinder and 1st grade teams and goes by Srta. Asprilla.
Marin Lindberg, the Intern Program Coordinator, says “When I think of Mely and the lessons that I have seen her teach there are three words that come to mind: patient, thoughtful and purposeful. I observed Mely teach a lesson in 1st grade and was so pleased to see the thorough progression of the lesson. The lesson was about identifying verbs. Mely started out by pulling out the background knowledge that the students already had on verbs using an activity that got them excited and interested. The teaching part centered around extending the learning into what a verb is and adding to the list of verbs that they knew/know. For practice, Mely had a student come forward and that student had to have their back to the board where the verbs were written. Mely silently pointed to one of the new verbs and the class (seated in front of the student) had to act out the verb. The student at the front had to identify which verb the class was acting out. The kids were so engaged and didn’t even realize the learning they were doing! Thank you Srta. Asprilla for what an addition you are to our school!”
Professional Development
Prior to winter break, an intern approached Marin Lindberg, the Intern Coordinator, with an activity for their December intern meeting. They had done this activity with students and enjoyed it so much that they wanted to try it with the other interns since everyone celebrates different things.
Marin allotted time for this community building activity and the intern gladly accepted the role of leading this activity, gathered the supplies and readied himself to teach our “intern class” how to do it. The activity centered around a really creative brochure template. Each intern answered questions that made everyone really think, as well as reflect on what was important to them. It was a time where Marin and the interns were able to share and learn about each other. The last questions on the brochure activity were “What did I learn?” and “What would I like to celebrate?”.
Marin knew the importance of these questions, but she was able to see how the interns felt valued as they listened to each other and shared things close to the heart as most of them would be spending their first holiday season away from friends and family. Marin commented that she is “thankful for this group and it is encouraging to see the interns grow as teachers and as leaders in school and for each other. Here’s to 2019!”
Intern Corner
Meet Kevin Yánes
Kevin is one of our El Salvadorian interns working at EHSI in second grade. Kevin is from part of El Salvador called La Unión. He likes soccer, doing puzzles like Rubik’s cubes, playing chess, and learning new things. Kevin has a special passion for sound, recording and editing, and he is even a radio DJ in his home country of El Salvador. Dubbing cartoon voices is another hobby of Kevin’s.
This year we have connected Kevin’s passion for sound and recording to our morning announcements at Eagle Heights. Kevin has started to help out two mornings a week leading the morning announcements with the 5th grade students. These are the announcements done each morning reminding students of school expectations in different areas of the school and to be Seguro (Safe), Amable (Kind) and Responsible (Responsible). Kevin guides the students in how to hold the microphone and speak clearly into the device, as well as leads them in a practice round of the script before they go live. We are so thankful for his passion for this area and for his help!
Intern Professional Development
The interns participated in their second professional development day and learned about NUA Thinking Maps and their relationship to AVID along with the USA/Minnesota Education system, standards, learning targets, strategies to aid in classroom management with a focus on the WHOLE child, Math Talk and how to start to make this a part of our teaching. They also participated in a cultural activity created by Elena Caceres surrounding Thanksgiving! Elena created an activity for interns to learn about the typical foods of Thanksgiving. At the end she created a quiz where the interns had to smell and identify 10 different spices typically used in the different foods of Thanksgiving. Interns learned vocabulary, new smells, new foods, etc. It was a fun activity enjoyed by all!
Hasta Luego Interns
The interns were invited back to the High School to participate in helping several Spanish classes as they prepared for their oral finals. The interns were part of this during the end of first semester as well, and they were excited to go back. It was incredibly enriching for them to see, hear, and converse with students, many of whom were former Eagle Heights students. They were able to see what a foundation of immersion looks like as the students move on to high school and higher level Spanish classes. One of the things that was mentioned to me by an interns was this, “The students were so much more vocal this time! It was more of a conversation/discussion instead of me just answering their questions. We were able to discuss current topics.” What an exciting and encouraging opportunity for both the intern group and students to be mutually encouraged during this review time.
As the school year comes quickly to an end and the interns start to pack up their suitcases, they are not only packing up clothes and souvenirs, but also new learning, fond memories, and experiences that will serve them for years to come. Join me in saying “hasta luego” to this fantastic group of interns and wish them the best as they continue their adventures as they go back home.
Marin Lindberg, Intern Program Coordinator
Professional Development
During their professional development day in April, the interns were able to take part in a new addition to the school this year, Breakout EDU boxes. Breakout boxes are a combination of a learning board game meets escape room. They can be adapted to any grade level, are tied to state standards, and are a way to embed the 4C’s (collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity) all into one activity. The interns had a blast! In addition, they participated in a session about authentic learning. It was an important topic for them to learn about immersion and also about authenticity as they go back to possibly teach in English in their own country. They reflected on the most important parts of their learning and created a visual representation.
Did you know…
Throughout the school year the interns meet twice each month to focus on professional development centered on enhancing their experience at EHSI. These meetings provide opportunities for reflection and growth as educators. Each week the interns share their experiences in the classroom, discuss questions or lesson plans they have prepared and receive feedback about their classroom practices. Interns are also able to utilize this time to ask questions, voice any concerns and review upcoming school events. Having collaborative time not only builds community among the interns, it increases their confidence in engaging, motivating and inspiring students.
The most recent meeting involved a great cultural experience as the interns hosted a baby shower for the intern coordinator, Marin, who will be out on leave until May. Much time and enthusiasm went into researching traditional baby shower games. Measuring lengths of yarn to fit around Marin’s belly and tasting baby food while blindfolded were the highlights!
Professional Development
The interns had their December Intern Professional Development day which focused on learning to be reflective educators. During the month of November, Marin Lindberg (or the intern’s cooperating teacher) video recorded each intern leading a Morning Meeting. At CMS and the high school, the interns lead a community builder. At the intern PD meeting, the interns were able to watch their video and reflect on their classroom management.
They talked about how to be reflective educators, looked for ways to improve and were encouraged to continue doing things they were already doing. Many of the interns asked at the end of the day if they could dive even deeper into how to grow in their teaching.
It is encouraging to see how motivated the interns are to take advantage of the educational resources at Eagle Heights, Central Middle School, Eden Prairie High School and the district as a whole.
Fall Intern Festival
The Fall Intern Festival took place on Thursday, November 16. The interns put in a lot of hours working on their booths and preparing engaging activities and eye-catching presentations for both parents and students to enjoy. It was a fun evening of learning and sharing. Thank you interns for all your hard work putting together this event for our school community!
Interns at the EHSI Fun Run
The 2017 EHSI Fun Run put on by Craig Schewe, EHSI gym teacher, took place on Saturday, October 7 and was a huge success! This year the weather was a little wet, but that didn’t affect the turnout or the excitement on the part of the interns or the kids and their families.
The interns helped with face painting during registration and helped get the kids pumped up to run. When it was time to head to the track, everyone came outside ready and excited to check out the new route designed by Mr. Schewe.
After the run, the SEF had a table with healthy snacks and water where families had the chance to “Meet Your Intern.” Thank you to everyone who volunteered and participated to make it a wonderful event full of exercise, fun and community!
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