Our goodbye celebration
Our amazing hotel staff
My last day started with a visit to the state department of education. We met with a woman who is in charge of the exchange program for the state. She told us that the state is working on sending students to Spanish and English speaking countries. They will send around a hundred students this coming year. She was very enthusiastic about the program and the opportunities it will provide for the students in the state.
After meeting with Luanilde Oilivigede de Castro, we went to a market that had crafts from Teresina. I loved looking at the original art that told the story of the conflicts with the Amazonas. It reminded me of the conflicts the Native Americans had with the United States.
We had the most yummy lunch at Alex's mom's house. His sister is an AMAZING cook and I even had seconds!
After lunch we had a great visit with college students who are preparing to become English teachers. I was very encouraged by their enthusiasm and motivation. They had a lot of the same concerns that I had when I was preparing to become a teacher. They were optimistic that they could change the current focus of English teaching from grammar to conversation. The future is bright in Teresina!
We then met with another newspaper and talked about our expectation of Brazil and the education. I had to admit that I did not expect Brasil, especially Teresina, to be so focused on improving education. I feel like sometimes in the US we are so focused on improving student performance on standardized tests, we miss improving the overall education of students. We could learn a lot from Terrsina about what's important in education. 
Driving around Teresina
Driving around Teresina After the interview,Alex, Erica, and I made some plans for collaborative projects this school year. So if you are one of my future students reading this, get ready to work with students in Teresina and Montana! :)
Alex and the staff at CCL surprised us with a goodbye party with our favorite food and gifts. I'm going to miss them as much as I miss the teachers at West Hills even though we've only known each other for a short time!
We ended the night with a trip to our favorite ice cream spot. It was better than Blue Bell ice cream!
I would like to thank the teachers, students and people of Teresina! They taught me so much about what's important in education and life. I will treasure the wisdom and experiences you have given me! Xxxx
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