Teaching is my profession and mission!

 Teaching is my profession.

As summer approaches, I close another chapter in my full time teaching profession with an energetic and memorable group of eighth graders. This class has been uniquely special since I taught about half of them as their sixth grade teacher- I will miss them ALL!

Teaching is my mission !

I am preparing for my third summer abroad as a global teacher trainer. This summer I will be in Bangkok, Thailand with a side trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Bangkok, Thailand

  I will be working in Bangkok, teaching students English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). My intention is to gain some experience in this area since there is a high demand for instruction in English, especially in competitive schools where the goal is for the students to attend a top ranked high school.

Summer 2012

 

While training teachers in India, I noted the instructors would often revert to Hindi when they needed to convey a challenging concept. After the lesson they would look at me and ask,” What is the English translation?”  With a smile, I would respond, I don’t speak Hindi.” We would  work together to create a Hindi/English version. Then the students were really confused! However, I was highly motivated to learn Hindi; my school did offer Hindi classes, and I sat on the front row and just like a sponge absorbed the lessons gratefully( sponges are probably not grateful). No, I do not speak fluent Hindi, but I expect after a few more summers I may surprise myself. Saubhagya! Wow, I may be multi-semi-fluent in Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese, and Shana (summer 2011 in Zimbabwe) after this summer.

Stay tuned  for summer overseas reflections before I embark on my next venture, June 7th.

Who’s Watching the Children?

As I prepare for my Indian classroom, (leaving Atlanta, June 21) my thoughts drift back to Africa where I  entered  classrooms of  children ( grades 1-7) from the majority tribe, Shona, with the sole intention to make a difference in their classroom experience.

In the end, I  discovered my own classroom beyond reading, writing and arithmetic.. I learned that smart boards, computers, and other teaching supplies do not teach children or teachers. ( enhancement yes- I do appreciate my smart board!) Through the weeks, I evolved as a teacher in a foreign country. For instance, understanding the educational culture of the host country and adapting lessons to match their interest was a creative endeavor-I organized a staff workshop around the African Bush  or the African wilderness where the elephants, giraffes, lions …roam.

I never saw a stapler or a paper clip on a teacher’s desk; compare this to an American classroom. Due to cost, copy machines did not produce mass copies for students’ convenience, rather, students copied all their assignments in exercise books that were graded daily for immediate feedback. Even the busy headmistress, Gil Martin, left school with a stack of notebooks to read and make nightly comments.

Students wore red uniforms and lovely floppy hats. I appreciated the customary tipping of the hat when greeted in the hall, or the” Good Morning, Mrs. Paul” as I entered the classroom.

Every day at 10:30 the entire staff  congregated in the teacher’s faculty room for a civilized cup of tea while the students were out for recess. I was startled to find the entire faculty gathered around a table sipping on tea and eating biscuits. Thinking as an American, from a liability standpoint, I blurted,  “WHO’S WATCHING THE CHILDREN!”  A voice called out, “They watch themselves.”

My new mantra: ” Relax and enjoy a cup of tea!”

But , I Have An Avocado Tree In My Backyard…..

I left my home in the US for six weeks ( last summer)  and headed  to Zimbabwe to share my teaching skills with Lendy Park School.

My expectations were unclear but an immediate relationship developed between myself and the receptive teachers leading me to understand that I didn’t have the answers. Their creative abilities were waiting to be discovered, and it only took a nudge based on the skills I’ve been so fortunate to acquire in a country never lacking in the latest research or educational trends.

Initially, the challenges for an American to go to an African country seemed to be overwhelming. Later, I found the real challenge was to keep the “African spirit”  that I developed close to my heart once I returned to America.

While visiting an AIDS orphanage, I met Sue, a former successful real estate agent in London (now a Zimbabwean resident). We began discussing the inconveniences caused by lack of running water,  random shutdowns of electricity, and food shortages in a country ruled by Robert Mugabe, a dictator.

With a sparkle in her eyes,

she looked at me and said, “BUT I HAVE AN AVOCADO TREE IN MY BACKYARD…” At that moment I realized that all of the American/Western comforts are secondary to the beauty and spirit of the African culture.