College Prep in Pohnpei

While your time as a WorldTeach volunteer may be limited, your impact is certainly not. Volunteers have an abundance of opportunities to get involved in the larger community and make long lasting impacts. Whitney, a WorldTeach Micronesia volunteer, discusses the creation of a college preparation program for her students.

Along with one of my Peace Corps friends, Amber, I'm starting a college prep program for senior students who are interested in attending college in the United States next year. Students applied to the program with a 5 paragraph essay, based on the following questions: Why do you deserve to attend college in the US? What makes you different from other Pohnpeians your age? What do you see yourself doing in 5 years, using the skills and knowledge that you gained in the US? We got 18 essays and chose the 10 best; some of them were so earnest, I almost cried (almost). The program, which will run for 11 weeks, starts this Thursday. We'll cover resume writing, personal statements, letters of recommendation, scholarships, financial aid, culture shock, standardized tests, and what to expect at college in the US ("Teacher, what's a kegger?").

I'm very, very excited about this. The meetings will be held at my house, in our lovely car port, near the big tree and the rusted out SUV. Even though I often feel that everything I say to my students goes in one ear and out the other (truly, I'm surprised if it even makes it into their heads for a second), I hope that this program might provide some students with opportunities that they wouldn't have had otherwise. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully the students will show up on Thursday. Every student who was accepted received a very official invitation courtesy of Microsoft Publisher templates; there were quite a few grins as I distributed them. One of my boys, who has been asking for my number for weeks, despite my constant refusals, was absolutely elated by his acceptance--my cell number was written on the inside of the invite, in case someone gets lost; there are no addresses in Pohnpei. Then one student asked how much money was in the envelope. Pohnpei, if nothing else, has me laughing all the time.

Get Into the Groove

There are many different ways to adapt to a new culture. You could learn the language, savor the local cuisine or live with a host family. Anique, a WorldTeach Ecuador volunteer, chose dancing as her path to immersion.

Dancing is a huge part of Latin American culture. As soon as they start walking, they start dancing.

I realized this during my first house party I went to in Guaranda (which, like many get-togethers here, was a mostly-family ordeal). I thought I was in for a slightly boring, small-talk night with the 80 year-old great grandmother… until the music came on, and she stood up and started shaking it alongside her 2 year old great granddaughter. The 7 and 8 year old cousins were already rocking their latino hips with sensuality beyond their age.

Then recently, I went to my little host nephew and niece´s Christmas program, naively expecting to see a nativity pageant and listen to off-pitch Christmas carols as one would see at any U.S. elementary school. Even after 8 months of learning to expect the unexpected from Ecuadorian culture, I was a bit shocked when suggestive reaggaeton music started blasting from the speakers, and the second-grade class swung their hips down to the floor and back up again in unison. I was expecting baby Jesus, and I instead I got baby José and his sesame street possee breaking it down MTV style in front of their proud parents. That day, I learned that my 8-year old host niece Arianna and her classmates can swing their hips better than I could ever hope to in my life…

Setting. Students. Sweat. Shouts. Surprises.

Many things will define your experience teaching abroad. Bryanna, a WorldTeach Colombia volunteer, elucidates that five things that have defined her experience so far.

The 5 S’s of Santa Ana: A Look at Living and Teaching on Isla Barú: Setting. Students. Sweat. Shouts. Surprises.

These five things have not only defined my experience teaching English and living in Colombia but also help explain my experiences here—what I have enjoyed, struggled with, and learned from life here. (Plus, who doesn’t like blog posts defined by alliteration?)

"Downtown" Santa Ana.

Setting

First, let me set the scene. Palm and jacaranda trees blowing in a hot breeze. Green bushes grow densely thanks to the rainy season where months before there was only khaki dirt lay. Honking donkeys and lowing cattle move through the streets, which are simultaneously rutted with mud and covered in dust.

Colombia is divided into fairly distinct regions, geographical features creating the borders, but climate, history, ethnicity, and more have shaped the different personalities of the diverse areas in Colombia.

And the coast of Colombia is no Bogotá (or Medellín or Cali…). Colombia has two distinct coasts, the more rural and remote Pacific Coast and the more developed Caribbean coast.

I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade at Institución Educativa de Santa Ana, in the rural community of Santa Ana, Isla Barú.

Playa Blanca...bet you wish you were here.

Located about an hour and half south of Cartagena (by the often exhilarating and energy-draining route of bus, ferry, and motorcycle taxi), on the upside I can boast about living on a Caribbean Island for a year. The downside of our remoteness and natural beauty are the ups and downs for the town on relying on tourism and fishing (as well as a good chunk of cash coming in from the fun/harrowing motorcycle taxis). 

Because while the town of 5000 is not much to look at in itself (nice to walk around but is not exactly a tourist attraction), we are located only 20 minutes from Playa Blanca, which is assuredly THE beach for white-hatted retirees with money to burn and dreadlocked backpackers to visit as part of their Cartagena experience. 

Without any paved roads (think billowing dust when it is dry and deep ruts of mud and pond-sized puddles after a rain), and streets dominated by small concrete houses, dozens of small shops, the ever-present traffic of donkeys, cows, and pigs, and the pumping sound of African- influenced champeta and vallenato music, Santa Ana is not exactly mentioned in the Lonely Plant guidebook. However, Santa Ana is certainly a community where a basic knowledge of English can help a family earn more money at the beach or get a job in Cartagena or at the mega all-inclusive (read: exclusive) resort on Playa Blanca, the Decameron. This was the first site in Colombia where WorldTeach volunteers taught and I am proud to be a small link in the continuing program.

Students

The reason I am here is for the students. In short, I am a great believe in the power of education in changing communities and countries for the better. So I find my self in a sweltering classroom at the public school in this town of 4,500, asking students not to get frustrated, teaching the grammar structure of the present progressive and house vocabulary.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to those near and far! We at WorldTeach are thankful for all of our volunteers around the globe who are working hard to make a difference. Have a fantastic holiday!

Cat in the Hat in the Classroom

Teaching materials are not always dense textbooks or computers, sometimes you have to use your imagination and get creative. Blair, a WorldTeach Namibia volunteer, explains how she took a famed children's book and turned it into a wonderful teaching tool.

All I can say is, thank GOD for Dr. Seuss! I have been using The Cat in the Hat to teach all my English lessons for the past two weeks. This is something that I have found to be super helpful for me AND very effective for the learners. Using just one story that the kids really get into is great for several reasons. 1. It is easier for me to have one continuous resource rather than having to search for a different one every class. 2. The learners become invested in the story and the characters and by the end they really understand the story. 3. With any story you can teach parts of speech, work on reading comprehension and reading aloud, discuss character traits, or really anything you want/need to cover.

Full Disclosure: I will now go into a long, in-depth explanation of how I used The Cat in the Hat to teach, so if you are not interested in education you might get pretty bored.

Navigating the English Language

Even when traveling and working in English speaking countries, there will be differences in communication. Common words can have different meanings, be short hand jargon or slang, and body language plays a crucial part in conveying meaning. April, a WorldTeach American Samoa volunteer, talks about the challenges and humor involved in navigating a "new" English language. 

When I speak, it’s not difficult to figure out where I’m from. If the slow pace and slight drawl don’t tip you off, the “y’alls” and “might shoulds” will do the trick. Maybe this is why I’ve always found accents fascinating. Or maybe I’m just looking for justification for my bizzare speech. Either way, I spent far too much time in college comparing my accent to that of my yankee friends. And learning the proper use of important collegiate terms like “wicked.”

Since moving to Samoa, I have learned a whole new dialect. For example, in Samoan, the letters p and b are interchangeable. A student may call himself Billy one day and Pili the next. Which, to Samoans, is all the same. But to his poor white teacher, it’s all very confusing. This p/b swap has caused more than a few moments of hilarity in my classroom. One day, about to embark on a editing assignment, I asked my students “What is a peer?”

“It gets you drunk!”

International Education Week Spotlight: Recording to Remember A Community

Brian, a WorldTeach Costa Rica volunteer, used his interest in photography and his love for his community to engage with them and give them something they had never had: a digital history. Through his community project, he immortalized members of his small village and was able to give back to those who had taken him in. 

World Teach provides its participants a unique opportunity to interact with various communities worldwide. I was happy to be part of the Costa Rica 2010 program, living with a host family in the tiny village of Bejuco. Costa Rica is known as one of the "happiest places on Earth", and the people of Bejuco most often fit the bill. I was well received as an English teacher of eleven total students (the population of Bejuco is just over 100), but my interaction with the people of Bejuco went far beyond the classroom. My "Community Project" was probably the best example of such an association.

The Community Project is a staple of the volunteer mission at World Teach, allowing the individual to make an impact outside of the classroom. Some volunteers plant gardens or paint the school, others give adult English lessons or build a fence for cattle. I focused on bringing digital media to my community; my camera shot HD video and professional quality stills, so I aimed to provide a service that would otherwise be unavailable.

Easier said than done, indeed! The people of Bejuco are a busy bunch, so it was rather difficult to arrange a family portrait session in lieu of frequent rain, scheduling conflicts, or special events and holidays. Those few families that did get a session were often shy, but always thankful. Since group scheduling was difficult, I turned to filming and shooting events that were already planned. I filmed the wedding of a young man and woman, whose families were from a neighboring town, Pilas, and Playa Bejuco, respectively. I stood out, but everyone seemed to welcome the presence of a photographer. The film was a hit, and I got more requests for hard copies than I could produce. The next film was a short on an "Acto Civico" (a cultural heritage dedication of sorts) in which another WorldTeach volunteer participated in neighboring Pilas. Again, and surprisingly, no one seemed phased by the camera or by my running around and shooting. I rather expected new technology to be something of a phenomenon to the people of these small farming communities, but most were quite used to and familiar with it already. Finally, I filmed and shot some local cowboys transferring their bulls from a large pen onto a truck. What an undertaking! These gentlemen were a bit more camera shy than the previous two groups. Even with my limited understanding of the language, I gathered that some of them simply wondered, with marked indignation, why I would want to record such a thing. Incluso simples recuerdosson importantes!

Though my project provides the best example of my interaction with the greater community, my day to day life at home with my host family was paramount in experiencing life as a "tico". These people truly took me in, made me their own, cared for me, and treated me like a son. My project, then, was a simple way for me to give back; to reciprocate the kindness that was given so selflessly to me. It was gratifying to use my hobby and and part-time profession to give the men, women, and children of Bejuco lasting memories, and to receive a smile, a handshake, and a sincere "gracias" in return.

Check out all of Brian's films here, and get more information on WorldTeach Costa Rica here!

Podcast: The Community Peace Index & International Health and Development

Thanks for tuning in again to the WorldTeach podcast! Today we are talking with Dr. Howard Zucker. Dr. Zucker sits on the board of WorldTeach, has held positions in the White House and WHO and was named one of the best doctors in America. He is currently working with colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital to create the Community Peace Index- take a listen for more information!

 

International Education Week Spotlight: The Kindness of A Community

Nick, a WorldTeach Costa Rica volunteer, shares his experience of living and working in a tiny village in Costa Rica. Hear about the kind-hearted people he encountered, their incredible displays of generosity and how Nick decided to join in the community spirit and give back to these people who had given him so much.

After arriving at my teaching placement in Costa Rica, I didn't see a paved road for the next month or so. One single lane 'highway' was the closest road to the house, and getting there involved a roughly 12 km (~7.5 miles) up and down a dirt road through the mountains. I immediately became immensely interested in the culture and lifestyle I found within this pueblito (small village), and had my world shook upside-down for the remainder of my stay. The village was called Pacuare and the people I encountered there had formed a community stronger than any I had seen within the States. The bi-weekly church services were attended with delight as the traveling priest made his rounds through the region. People were constantly swapping food from their land with others and always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. I soon found it was scarcely necessary to make the full hike to anywhere you were going. Should a vehicle pass by heading the same direction you were walking, they would stop and offer a ride without fail (even if the vehicle happened to be a one seat 'motorcycle' = dirt-bike).

Podcast: Running a Non-Profit

Thanks for tuning in to our first WorldTeach podcast! Today we are talking with Executive Director of WorldTeach, Helen Claire Sievers, about running a non-profit in an international space. We will discuss the role of an Executive Director, working with people of different cultures and how the economy is affecting non-profits among other topics. Enjoy!

International Education Week Spotlight: Increasing Communication in the Community

“Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.”- Rollo May

Hannah, a WorldTeach Namibia volunteer, understood the importance of communication within her community of Ogongo, so she gathered some hard-working, curious students and started a community newspaper to disseminate information in her small, rural village. Here she shares her journey of working with locals to give them a voice in the community at large.

I must admit, during the past few years I have thought to myself more than once that newspapers are on their way out. With Internet access available nearly everywhere in the 1st world and rolling like wildfire through the 3rd world, the need for hard copies of information has almost become obsolete. Who needs to wait for the paperboy when you’ve got Google and CNN at your fingertips? As a volunteer teacher in a rural village school in northern Namibia, I have stumbled upon a rare population that still relies mostly on radio and newspaper for their news and entertainment. Weather forecasts, school closures, political party meetings, as well as lost ID’s and birth certificate announcements are all found in many of Namibia’s daily newspapers. I am a product of the Western world, but since my Internet access is limited, I have grown accustomed to purchasing a newspaper as often as possible to stay connected with the community and world at large. I also really like the idea of a newspaper, though it is somewhat difficult to silence the “go green” side of me. 

Happy International Education Week!

This week marks the 12th annual International Education Week. This year’s theme is International Education: Inspiring Students Locally to Succeed Globally. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of Education and State. One of the missions of International Education Week is to celebrate the benefits of understanding the world around us so we can better communicate and collaborate with others from different cultures. 

In honor of International Education Week, we will have special blog posts highlighting community involvement and collaboration. Our three posts this week come from volunteers who worked tirelessly not only in their teaching placements, but in their communities at large. Keep checking back as they share their reflections of collaborating with people from different cultures to achieve a common goal.

Taking Google for Granted

While some aspects of your host country will seem familiar, other things will seem incredibly different and at times, a little shocking. Things you may take for granted, you will find are actually not ubiquitous. Emily, a WorldTeach Pohnpei volunteer, shares a surprising realization about her students and the world they live in. 

I’m helping run a program after school for students who are interested in going to college in the States/Guam. To join, students needed to write an essay on why they deserve to go to college abroad. It also needed to be typed.

During the first session, we handed out questionnaires about some random things we needed to know - about citizenship, where they would consider going to college, etc. One question was, “How comfortable are you using the Internet?” and another was, “Do you have a computer at home? If not, how did you type your application essay?”

Less than half of the students have e-mail addresses. A few said they don’t use the Internet or aren’t very comfortable using it. One of my students said she used a typewriter to type her essay. WHOA. I asked my typewriter student in class the next day if she knew what Google was. Surely she had heard about it, right? She had not, and she wasn’t the only one. “Only rich kids have computers,” she told me.

I should have expected this, really. But it still blows my NY tech scene-influenced mind that there are still probably millions of people in scattered areas of the world who don’t know what Google is.

I really just wanted to tell my student to come over to my house after school that day so I could teach her about the Internet. I can see it now: “The Internet is, well… MAGIC!” 

Would you like to expand your horizons and those of the students you work with? Apply to be a WorldTeach volunteer! Click here for more information.

The State of Education in Chile

Monica, a WorldTeach Chile volunteer, offers some insights on the state of education in Chile and the similarities and differences to the US.

During the time I have been here, Chile's educational system has been in a state of change. Passionate students, teachers, and citizens have taken to the streets to protest the quality and cost of education in Chile, advocating for educational reform; for better quality and free public education.

The public education available to Chilean students (like the municipal schools that I taught in) is mediocre at best. The public schools are underfunded, under-resourced, and poorly managed. Though it is considered one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations, Chile is a country with extremely high economic inequality. The disparities between the rich and the poor are significant. And because of the state of the public schools in Chile, most families who can afford it send their kids to private or semi-private schools (my host siblings attend semi-private high school). This practice has created other problems within the educational system, including essentially turning schooling into a for-profit endeavor.

How Does A Wizard Choose His Wand?

When applying to be a WorldTeach volunteer, you have a say in what country you would like to go to. After that, there are some things out of your hands. Your placement is determined by the needs of your host country, your housing situation is determined by the willingness and generosity of various local people. Eric, a WorldTeach Ecuador volunteer, found that giving up control and taking what is given to him have been very positive experiences.

My students have asked me on multiple occasions, "How did you find Cuenca?" You might as well ask "How does a wizard choose his wand?" He doesn't. Neither did I choose Cuenca, but through a series of fateful or fortunate events, the sorting hat has dropped me into my current life. So much of the past 2 months have been outside of my control, and yet, through it all positive experience has been piled upon positive experience. Cuenca has been kind to me. Or rather, the people have been kind to me.

Philosophy of Teaching

Before joining WorldTeach and embarking on an adventure in another country, many volunteers have had little or no teaching experience. During their terms of service, however, many volunteers find that they have certain ways of teaching, conceptions of what teaching and learning are and justifications for why they teach the way they do. In putting these thoughts, actions, and values on paper, you can easily see your philosophy of teaching. Karin, a WorldTeach Costa Rica volunteer, had to put her philosophy on paper for her TEFL certification class. Read on to hear what she believes teaching is and consider your own beliefs about teaching and learning. Remember that every teacher's philosophy is unique and that, like teachers, learners have their own styles as well.

I believe in customizing teaching to the students and their environment. When I arrived in Costa Rica nearly seven months ago, I had many expectations for myself and my students, and many visions of how I would run my classroom and teach my lessons. For better or for worse, many of those goals and visions have changed as I have come to understand my students, my fellow teachers, my community, and the Costa Rican educational system. Other WorldTeach teachers may feel that we should do our best to instill our students with the strong work ethic found in the US. For me, I try to keep my goals high but realistic, adapting them when necessary. For example, as much as I would love to cover ample amounts of material in each unit, it simply would be unfair to my students to do so when my teaching days are averaging about 60% of what I had expected. I aim to do the best with what I am given, but be flexible and forgiving when that amounts to very little.

Why Volunteer?

The reasons people choose to volunteer with WorldTeach certainly vary person to person, but as one Namibia volunteer found out, they also vary over time. This volunteer's initial reasons for joining WorldTeach shifted and boiled down to one very specific reason to persevere during her term of service.

Many people volunteer overseas with very idealistic notions of the impact they will have, and the change they will effect in their volunteer communities. I have to admit, when I volunteered in Kenya for 3 months after junior year of college, I went with pretty grandeur notions of my (meek and feeble) volunteer efforts in my Maasai community. While I now scoff at people who volunteer overseas and have these exact same thought processes, (WHAT kind of long term effect do you think you’re going to have by playing with children in an orphanage for 2 weeks?), I think it was important for me to have those idealistic notions, and then subsequently to have them squashed after my three months in Kenya. I say that because this past experience has allowed me to come to Namibia with much more realistic expectations and goals.

People have asked why I came to Namibia to teach English for a year (especially with a music and psychology degree, and no intentions on making teaching my career?) The long, boring answer has to do with my desire to work in the field of International Development, and how I believe education, especially from an early age is the key to a country’s development and growth. If you were to ask me that same question now, the short answer is: I came for Klaudia.

Playing in Panama

All work and no play is not good for anyone, and WorldTeach volunteers are no exception. During your term of service you will certainly have the opportunity to travel during school breaks and experience a whole different side of your host country. Ali, a WorldTeach Panama volunteer, recounts one of her favorite play days and the beautiful adventure she embarked upon. 

My phone alarm goes off at 6:30am and I'm awakened from what was not really a good sleep anyway. I wasn't exactly happy to get out of bed, but knowing the plans I had for the day definetly gave me that extra motivation. I sleepily dressed myself and packed a book bag with extra clothing and some essentials for the trip. Like a zombie, I tidied up my room and waited for a phone call from Eda, one of the professors I teach with. Sure enough, right at 7:30 on the dot she called and told me she would be picking me up in ten minutes. Its nice to finally be hanging out with some punctual Panamanians! Panamanians have something called Hora Panamania. It basically means that if you plan to meet a Panamanian at 9... it could be as late as 12 when they finally show up. Myneisha and I waited for an hour once for a friend of ours who we assumed after that amount of time was not coming, but of course about 20 mins after we left we got a call from him wondering where we were.

Flexibility is Key

Having a plan is incredibly important when entering a classroom. Being organized is a key characteristic of a good teacher and leader, but, as one WorldTeach Colombia volunteer found out, so is flexibility.

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Go oft' astray." Robert Burns

It seems as though Mr. Burns spent some time in a Colombian educational institution, for he speaks the truth. My day revolves around plans. I spend days making them, mere minutes carrying them out, and only seconds changing them or throwing them out entirely. And it seems as though the more I plan, the more my plans go awry.

This afternoon I strode into my English 5 classroom, ready to work. We did our daily journals, peer-edited the newspaper articles they had written for homework, and talked about some idioms. Then came my pièce de résistance - the computer lab. I had finally figured out the university's online classroom (SAVIO) and taken the time to carefully upload information about the grammar topics we were discussing as well web sites with important vocabulary used to talk about mass media and communications, our topic for this portion of the semester. I had crafted a worksheet to get them writing definitions and creating, or finding online, examples of each word. I had planned to have them work on it in the computer lab during class, and then, drumroll please, submit it electronically through the online platform. I must say that I was quite proud of myself, seeing as I have not been blessed with a flair for technology.

The students made it to the lab, and logged into their accounts. And that's about as far as we got. Apparently, the computer lab is not equipped with Word. I had created the worksheet in the Language Center office, and even switched over to the student view in SAVIO to make sure they would be able to see it and download it correctly. But, of course, I didn't imagine that the computer lab would. not. have. Word.

By the time I figured out that was the problem, I had lost them. Some students had left, others were playing Tetris, and everyone was whining like three-year-olds who had missed naptime. With only 20 minutes left of class, I revised my plans. I assigned the worksheet as homework and let them go early.

I have another English 5 class tomorrow morning. And my plans will be changed. But, this time, I shall plan on revising my plans on the spot.

Think you have what it takes to adapt your plans on the spot? See if WorldTeach is right for you! Click here for more information on teaching in Colombia.

Teaching University Students in Bangladesh

Unlike some other teach abroad programs, WorldTeach does not solely cater to the pre-k through 12 demographic, but gives volunteers an opportunity to get involved in higher education and adult learning. Lauren, a WorldTeach Bangladesh volunteer, expresses her excitement and relief at working with an older demographic and the kinship she hopes to feel with her students.

Kids kind of scare me. I love babies but when I’m around kids I clam up. What do I say? Should I be funny? Play the crazy aunt card? Should I just buy them cookies like I would want? The sad truth is, kids are not my forte.

When I began looking at teaching programs abroad, one of the main appeals of the Bangladesh WorldTeach program was that we would be teaching in a university, not a pre k through 12 classroom. I thought the transition from undergrad to teaching assistant at the university would be relatively smooth, calm and doable. Starting this Sunday I will be serving as a teaching assistant to a wonderful professor from Berkeley for her Modern Asian History course. Our readings cover really interesting subjects and she even offered to let me guest lecture throughout the semester. As of now I am preparing to lecture on Katini (an Indonesian feminist) and her work, India and the Partition, and Religion and Community Violence. AHHH I can’t wait to get started with this course. However, some parts of my schedule have moved around…