Last week I had numerous experiences that prevented me from getting to the local internet cafe where I type my blogs. Looking back I have to laugh, however it was the first time since being here that I know I was close to tears. Let me explain.
Two weekends ago, on Friday, December 7th it was the Presidential election here in Ghana. I have to admit that I was little nervous about what might take place, considering it was only the 6th Democratic election EVER held here in Ghana. I was asked by numerous Ghanaians if I was scared by what the future election might hold, my response always was, "Should I be?" :) Due to the uncertainty of the situation, Jessica and I spent all of our weekend at our quiet, safe home. It was nice and relaxing and we both got some much-needed rest and reading time in. After the election, and the announcement of the winner on Sunday night, we heard the streets come alive with drums, singing, and I'm sure dancing was involved as well. The election ended up being quite safe, with only a few protests that took place and one stabbing that involved opposing parties in Accra
After election weekend, I had a "fun-filled" week of examinations at my school. My students were testing Monday-Wednesday and then Thursday and Friday the teachers were to record scores on all the exams, rank the students by their overall performance on all subjects, and write comments on the students' classrooms behaviors and interests. My role in this whole process was to assist students in understanding the exams by giving directions and then afterwards figuring our the percentile ranks of the children. At one point during the week, my cooperating teacher asked me, "How are the final examinations in America?" I had a difficult time responding but figured it was safe to say, "In America, our 4 year olds can't sit still long enough to take exams." :)
During the course of our busy exam week, I had a few unfortunate non-school related situations that occurred, as I mentioned earlier. First, early last week upon inspecting our passports, Jessica and I found that the stamp that the immigration officers gave us upon entering the country authorized us to stay for 60 days. We are scheduled to stay for 62 days. Auntie took us to the immigration office and talked to an officer about the details. The woman at the office reassured us that "60 days" meant simply "two months" (of course it does) and that leaving on December 21st should be fine considering we came on October 21st. Hopefully everything works out and I'll be allowed to return to the U.S. this Friday.
Another dilemma that I experienced last week was in relation to my hair. That's right, I said my hair. :) I decided that I wanted to get my hair braided one last time during my stay here in Ghana and therefore Auntie referred me to a woman in the neighborhood who owned a small salon. One afternoon, I walked to the salon to ask the woman if she would be able to braid my "white lady" hair. She assured me that she could and quoted a price, how much weave I would need to purchase, and the length of time for completion. She estimated about 3 hours. I returned to this very salon later in the week and began the process. I had my money and had even purchased the weave ahead of time so that it would match my hair color as closely as possible. (*Side note- In Africa, when receiving braids, a "weave" aka fake hair is always added to make your hair thicker and to prevent the braids from falling out. The hair is added gradually while forming the braids.) Anyways, long story short is that the woman was a crook. When I got to the salon for the braiding the salon owner tried to charge me more than she originally quoted. I also stayed at the salon for 6 hours that evening and returned for another 2 hours the following night...and the braids still weren't done! At the end of this second evening my stylist ran out of the weave that I had bought and the salon owner tried to get me to purchase another color from her to complete my hair. I felt very uncomfortable and asked the owner if I could leave. I payed for the uncompleted braids, and was frustrated and heart-broken on my walk home.
When I got home, I explained the situation to Auntie and she insisted that I keep the braids in and she called another stylist to come to the house the following morning. I don't know what I would do without my African mother. My braids are now complete and are likely to give quite a shock to those at home in the U.S! :)
On a different note, I am leaving Ghana tomorrow. I have mixed feeling about it right now but I realize that my time here has come to an end. I truly hope that I can come again but only time will tell. I will not be writing another blog from here, however I will write my final blog upon my return home. I want to spend as much time as possible with my "family" and the new friends that I have made during my remaining time here. This was truly a unique and unimaginable experience and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to learn so much.
See you soon America.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Preparing for the End
During the past week I was and am being constantly reminded of my quickly approaching journey home. This experience has been different than anything I could have imagined. The tourist "luxuries" that I was expecting were and are moderately there, and I am thankful for that. They greatly helped with my transition from Western to African life. Regardless of the various situations that I've found myself in, both good and bad, I feel that I could never have learned as much about myself and my future profession without coming here.
On a different, less sentimental note, last week I got to cross another item off my "bucket list." (Yes, I have made an actual list. :) ) I had the opportunity to visit Boti Falls, the very 1st waterfall that I've experienced in "real life." It was gorgeous! The journey there was long with many scary, high, mountainous roads with only random concrete slabs protecting me plunging to the ground. I feel that they were only there for mental security and therefore found myself looking straight ahead at the road most of the time. On our excursion, we also visited Akosombo Dam in Akosombo, about 2-2 1/2 hours from Accra and by the Volta Region (West Ghana). We had a car packed with people including Jessica, Phelicia, Auntie, her grandson Michael, our driver, and myself. The dam is something that the people of Ghana are very proud of due to the fact that 60% of the country's electricity comes forth from its rushing water. Unfortunately, I was informed that the government sold some of this power to neighboring countries to make money, leading to the recent, continual episodes of "lights off" (power outages).
During school this week, we have been preparing for mid-term examinations like I mentioned in my last post. These exams are expected to start next Monday and will last a few days. They include subjects such as religious and moral education, mathematics, language, phonics, and english to name a few. I was told that the students would be asked to answer questions verbally one-on-one with the teacher and do problems independently on paper. After all the students are finished, I will help my teacher correct the exams, give every student a score, and then rank the students based on their performance. This whole process seemed a little intense to me, due to the fact that these children are only 4 and 5 years old, however in Ghana education is tough and competitive. Everyone wants to be the best of the best and therefore they instill in them early how important testing is and have the students take tests to determine their place in the system.
Today at school I offered my teacher, Evelyn, all of the things that were gathered before my journey. She was so excited about all of the materials that it made me feel good to help, even if their use is different than what I originally intended. For example, in Ghana the teachers need to continually make and update their classrooms and teaching aids. The scissors, markers, rulers etc. will most likely not be used by the students but the teachers to assist in these tasks. At one point Evelyn even kissed the books, saying "Thank you, thank you. I have story books now." I felt grateful for being able to assist both the students AND teacher/s in learning .
A special thanks to my family, friends, university supervisor and teachers/students at West Side Elementary for donating supplies for my trip!
On a different, less sentimental note, last week I got to cross another item off my "bucket list." (Yes, I have made an actual list. :) ) I had the opportunity to visit Boti Falls, the very 1st waterfall that I've experienced in "real life." It was gorgeous! The journey there was long with many scary, high, mountainous roads with only random concrete slabs protecting me plunging to the ground. I feel that they were only there for mental security and therefore found myself looking straight ahead at the road most of the time. On our excursion, we also visited Akosombo Dam in Akosombo, about 2-2 1/2 hours from Accra and by the Volta Region (West Ghana). We had a car packed with people including Jessica, Phelicia, Auntie, her grandson Michael, our driver, and myself. The dam is something that the people of Ghana are very proud of due to the fact that 60% of the country's electricity comes forth from its rushing water. Unfortunately, I was informed that the government sold some of this power to neighboring countries to make money, leading to the recent, continual episodes of "lights off" (power outages).
During school this week, we have been preparing for mid-term examinations like I mentioned in my last post. These exams are expected to start next Monday and will last a few days. They include subjects such as religious and moral education, mathematics, language, phonics, and english to name a few. I was told that the students would be asked to answer questions verbally one-on-one with the teacher and do problems independently on paper. After all the students are finished, I will help my teacher correct the exams, give every student a score, and then rank the students based on their performance. This whole process seemed a little intense to me, due to the fact that these children are only 4 and 5 years old, however in Ghana education is tough and competitive. Everyone wants to be the best of the best and therefore they instill in them early how important testing is and have the students take tests to determine their place in the system.
Today at school I offered my teacher, Evelyn, all of the things that were gathered before my journey. She was so excited about all of the materials that it made me feel good to help, even if their use is different than what I originally intended. For example, in Ghana the teachers need to continually make and update their classrooms and teaching aids. The scissors, markers, rulers etc. will most likely not be used by the students but the teachers to assist in these tasks. At one point Evelyn even kissed the books, saying "Thank you, thank you. I have story books now." I felt grateful for being able to assist both the students AND teacher/s in learning .
A special thanks to my family, friends, university supervisor and teachers/students at West Side Elementary for donating supplies for my trip!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Discovering Differences
As of today, I officially have 3 more weeks left here in Ghana. As excited as I am to travel back home, I have mixed feelings about all the good-byes that I have to say to people I will probably never see again. This experience has changed a huge part of me and for that I am forever grateful.
Last weekend, I went to downtown Accra with Jessica and Phelicia to go shopping for Christmas gifts and souvenirs. It was exhausting! At the market, all of the vendors were calling out to us to come look at their stand. I have to admit they are good at what they do.. trying every trick in the book to get us to buy from them instead of anyone else. I even had some women tell me that we were sisters and that she would be hurt if I didn't want to buy any of her nice jewelry. She proceeded to pretend hurt that I didn't think any of her "stuff" was nice. Oh boy.... :)
Now I had a lot of shopping to do so I set out on my mission, bartered my way to reasonable prices and was on my way to the next shop. While shopping, I discovered a new favorite Ghanaian treat... frozen yogurt! (and no, not ice cream) It tastes similar to the yogurt that we have in America, but it is sold in a little bag and completely frozen solid. You bite the bag open and then you can munch on the frozen yogurt and suck up the melted yogurt at the end. It is absolutely delicious and helps you stay cool... the best of both worlds!
Last Sunday, Phelicia invited us to attend a choir concert that was organized by her church, that her brother would be performing in. I was very excited and both Jessica and myself attended. Needless to say, this was quite the experience. The "concert" started with an open worship and praise time where people freely danced around the church, waving their hankerchiefs to the music as the pastor preached. After worship, different "guest" choirs started performing musical numbers. During the event, there was one famous, guest pastor who came to do praise as well. I must admit, she intimidated me A LOT! Her presence was very strong, she was loud and outspoken, and she only spoke the native Twi language so I couldn't understand a work she said. During her preaching, she would go around and lay her hands on people, resulting in them crying, falling over etc. I didn't understand what was happening and was later told by Auntie that a lot of people here in various religions believe in the holy spirit being an entity that could consume the body to allow unexpected things to happen. She told me that the "falling over" that I witnessed was simply people being filled with the holy spirit, causing them to momentarily lose their ability to stand. Now, no matter what beliefs people may have this whole event opened my eyes to how different cultures and religions really are or can be. I've come to appreciate these type of experiences that put me completely outside of my comfort zone. I feel that these experiences are the ones that have taught me the most during my stay here in Ghana.
School wasn't to eventful this week. I finished teaching English late last week and did some Math lessons this week. With the students finishing up their workbooks, the focus of the teachers has been redirected to preparing the students for their end-of-term exams. Yes, preschoolers take these too! Again, their system is very different than the United States. The next seven days I was told we would be reviewing with students the things that were taught the whole first semester (September-December) and then they would take their exams and afterwards go on vacation. Today at school I spent most of the afternoon helping my teacher prepare for tomorrow which is "open day." This is an equivalent to parent/teacher conferences in America, minus the grades for the youngsters. Tomorrow I will go into school at the normal time, however the parents will be coming in and taking a look at their child's workbooks to see how they are progressing through the term, asking the teacher any questions that they have. The parents also take this time to purchase books for next term if they need to do so. Now, unlike America there are no set time slots for the parents to come in so I'm interested to see how the day unfolds. Other than that, I am continuing to learn why things are done the why they are here and trying to take in as much as I can about being an effective teacher, regardless of the location of teaching.
Hope everyone back home is staying warm! :)
Last weekend, I went to downtown Accra with Jessica and Phelicia to go shopping for Christmas gifts and souvenirs. It was exhausting! At the market, all of the vendors were calling out to us to come look at their stand. I have to admit they are good at what they do.. trying every trick in the book to get us to buy from them instead of anyone else. I even had some women tell me that we were sisters and that she would be hurt if I didn't want to buy any of her nice jewelry. She proceeded to pretend hurt that I didn't think any of her "stuff" was nice. Oh boy.... :)
Now I had a lot of shopping to do so I set out on my mission, bartered my way to reasonable prices and was on my way to the next shop. While shopping, I discovered a new favorite Ghanaian treat... frozen yogurt! (and no, not ice cream) It tastes similar to the yogurt that we have in America, but it is sold in a little bag and completely frozen solid. You bite the bag open and then you can munch on the frozen yogurt and suck up the melted yogurt at the end. It is absolutely delicious and helps you stay cool... the best of both worlds!
Last Sunday, Phelicia invited us to attend a choir concert that was organized by her church, that her brother would be performing in. I was very excited and both Jessica and myself attended. Needless to say, this was quite the experience. The "concert" started with an open worship and praise time where people freely danced around the church, waving their hankerchiefs to the music as the pastor preached. After worship, different "guest" choirs started performing musical numbers. During the event, there was one famous, guest pastor who came to do praise as well. I must admit, she intimidated me A LOT! Her presence was very strong, she was loud and outspoken, and she only spoke the native Twi language so I couldn't understand a work she said. During her preaching, she would go around and lay her hands on people, resulting in them crying, falling over etc. I didn't understand what was happening and was later told by Auntie that a lot of people here in various religions believe in the holy spirit being an entity that could consume the body to allow unexpected things to happen. She told me that the "falling over" that I witnessed was simply people being filled with the holy spirit, causing them to momentarily lose their ability to stand. Now, no matter what beliefs people may have this whole event opened my eyes to how different cultures and religions really are or can be. I've come to appreciate these type of experiences that put me completely outside of my comfort zone. I feel that these experiences are the ones that have taught me the most during my stay here in Ghana.
School wasn't to eventful this week. I finished teaching English late last week and did some Math lessons this week. With the students finishing up their workbooks, the focus of the teachers has been redirected to preparing the students for their end-of-term exams. Yes, preschoolers take these too! Again, their system is very different than the United States. The next seven days I was told we would be reviewing with students the things that were taught the whole first semester (September-December) and then they would take their exams and afterwards go on vacation. Today at school I spent most of the afternoon helping my teacher prepare for tomorrow which is "open day." This is an equivalent to parent/teacher conferences in America, minus the grades for the youngsters. Tomorrow I will go into school at the normal time, however the parents will be coming in and taking a look at their child's workbooks to see how they are progressing through the term, asking the teacher any questions that they have. The parents also take this time to purchase books for next term if they need to do so. Now, unlike America there are no set time slots for the parents to come in so I'm interested to see how the day unfolds. Other than that, I am continuing to learn why things are done the why they are here and trying to take in as much as I can about being an effective teacher, regardless of the location of teaching.
Hope everyone back home is staying warm! :)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Bewilderment of New Things
Last weekend I had another opportunity to live like a local Ghanaian. On Friday, Auntie took Jessica and I to the seamstress to pick up our Kente dresses. Early on Saturday, Jessica and I went with Auntie and some of her "mates" (life-long friends) to the engagement party of the son of a woman that she went to secondary school with. I must admit that I felt a little anxious and nervous about going because I was unaware of the traditions and not to mention... the soon-to-be bride and groom! When we arrived at the engagement party, I noticed it was very similar to an American wedding and reception with a few minor differences. For example, the groom's family offers the bride's family a dowry as compensation for the bride "leaving" her family to join the groom's. The idea of family was a very strong aspect during all parts of the ceremony as Ghanaians say that it is "the joining of two families into one."
Another opportunity that I had last weekend was to go visit the botanical gardens in Aburi, which is a small city on the top of the mountains outlying Accra. At these gardens, Phelicia, Jessica and myself got a tour of many different local and tropical plants that were protected on the grounds. For example, we got to see and taste cocoa pods, see a tree that spontaneously shoots up its roots to form new trees, and a type of small fern that closes up its leaves when it is touched. No joke! Needless to say, this discovery kept me occupied and side-track for the remainder of the tour. :) It was amazing to see things that I've never seen before and it made me think about what other plants and animals I am unfamiliar with.
It is my "5th" week of school this week, however it is only my 2nd FULL week. Surprisingly, these last 2 weeks have gone and are currently going by smoothly. I finally feel completely adjusted to the different school environment, however I think it will definitely take me some time to adjust back to the U.S. education system upon my return. I also have taken on a few more things in the classroom. This week I am doing Math with the children, as well as English. We are learning ordering of numbers, and patterns. I did end up bringing in my colored pattern cubes today and it was effective in showing the students patterning and ordering. I also made some flashcards for the students to learn their 2-letter sounds (wa, at, pa, ha) and showed them how to work with a partner to use the cards and "quiz" each other. I was pleasantly surprised that most of the students were at least somewhat responsible with the cards and were looking at and rehearsing the sounds. I think with a little more practice they will have it down! This week I have also introduced to my teacher the idea of reading a book every day at the end of the day. I figured that this is good way to engage the students AND listening to my "proper" English, as they call it, would teach the students how to use English more efficiently. Today I read the story, "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears" and they absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for the donated book Mindy, and third graders from West Side Elementary in Elkhorn, WI. :)
Well until next time.
By the way, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!
Another opportunity that I had last weekend was to go visit the botanical gardens in Aburi, which is a small city on the top of the mountains outlying Accra. At these gardens, Phelicia, Jessica and myself got a tour of many different local and tropical plants that were protected on the grounds. For example, we got to see and taste cocoa pods, see a tree that spontaneously shoots up its roots to form new trees, and a type of small fern that closes up its leaves when it is touched. No joke! Needless to say, this discovery kept me occupied and side-track for the remainder of the tour. :) It was amazing to see things that I've never seen before and it made me think about what other plants and animals I am unfamiliar with.
It is my "5th" week of school this week, however it is only my 2nd FULL week. Surprisingly, these last 2 weeks have gone and are currently going by smoothly. I finally feel completely adjusted to the different school environment, however I think it will definitely take me some time to adjust back to the U.S. education system upon my return. I also have taken on a few more things in the classroom. This week I am doing Math with the children, as well as English. We are learning ordering of numbers, and patterns. I did end up bringing in my colored pattern cubes today and it was effective in showing the students patterning and ordering. I also made some flashcards for the students to learn their 2-letter sounds (wa, at, pa, ha) and showed them how to work with a partner to use the cards and "quiz" each other. I was pleasantly surprised that most of the students were at least somewhat responsible with the cards and were looking at and rehearsing the sounds. I think with a little more practice they will have it down! This week I have also introduced to my teacher the idea of reading a book every day at the end of the day. I figured that this is good way to engage the students AND listening to my "proper" English, as they call it, would teach the students how to use English more efficiently. Today I read the story, "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears" and they absolutely loved it! Thanks so much for the donated book Mindy, and third graders from West Side Elementary in Elkhorn, WI. :)
Well until next time.
By the way, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!
Friday, November 16, 2012
The 4th Week of School
It's hard to believe that my fourth week here has come and gone. It is going by so fast! Last weekend I had a pretty relaxing and refreshing time. On Saturday, Jessica, myself, and our friend Phelicia went to the Accra Mall for a few hours. I was shocked at how "Western" it was and wondered who in this country can afford to spend 310 Ghanaian cedis (155 U.S. dollars) on a pair of shoes? It made me feel like I was in America and I don't think I liked it. We also stopped by the seamstress to get fitted for our new Ghanaian clothes.I felt quite pampered considering I have never had anything made specially for me in the United States. In addition to experiencing both the seamstress' shop and the Accra Mall, I had a first time opportunity to ride the most popular form of public transportation here! They are mini buses called "tro-tros." These buses are often referred to as "skeletons on wheels" and look like run-down buses that stop whenever somebody wants to get on or off. The reason for their popularity is because they are extremely cheap, usually only 20 U.S. cents per trip! If you can handle the thrill of the lead-footed driver and being squished next to your neighbor they are definitely worth it!
In school this week I have taken on the responsibility of teaching English, as my teacher thought that I was the most qualified. :) The children are learning about matching, association of similar objects, following directions, and patterns. Next week, in an effort to enhance the students' understanding of patterns I was thinking of making pattern puzzles for the students to work on with a partner, or bringing in some colored stacking cubes that I brought with to practice the skill. I also introduced the sticker chart to my teacher on Monday and she absolutely loved the idea! We've been working on it slowly with me giving the students daily reminders about what kinds of behavior I am looking for so that they can receive a sticker next to their name. I feel that a little refinement of the necessary behavior is needed because I now realize that the teachers make a point to give them unscheduled time to talk, run, and play with their peers in the classroom... to make up for their lack of "toys." I don't want to encourage them to sit in silence if this is their time to get some energy out by playing with their peers.
Also, this was my first 5-day week since coming to Ghana and I feel that I am definitely getting more adjusted to the constant noise level at the school. It was a little overwhelming and exhausting when I first started at here but now I see it as a representation of their schooling system. I was actually told by a fellow teacher today that one of the reasons that they choose to "cane" their children is because they are different than other children. She said that African children are "hard wired to play and socialize, always socialize, and that this is the only way to be strict and control them." I don't necessarily agree with that BUT I had to laugh a little bit inside because she was right about the talking. In this country there is socializing among people constantly...it is the reason that "African time" exists. Nothing in Africa happens when it is expected or scheduled to because of the instantaneous conversations that occur on the streets, people wanting you to come visit them in their homes, etc. Nobody here follows the structure and schedules that we follow in the United States, which is refreshing BUT leads to the constant chit-chatter in the classroom.
Talk to everyone soon!
In school this week I have taken on the responsibility of teaching English, as my teacher thought that I was the most qualified. :) The children are learning about matching, association of similar objects, following directions, and patterns. Next week, in an effort to enhance the students' understanding of patterns I was thinking of making pattern puzzles for the students to work on with a partner, or bringing in some colored stacking cubes that I brought with to practice the skill. I also introduced the sticker chart to my teacher on Monday and she absolutely loved the idea! We've been working on it slowly with me giving the students daily reminders about what kinds of behavior I am looking for so that they can receive a sticker next to their name. I feel that a little refinement of the necessary behavior is needed because I now realize that the teachers make a point to give them unscheduled time to talk, run, and play with their peers in the classroom... to make up for their lack of "toys." I don't want to encourage them to sit in silence if this is their time to get some energy out by playing with their peers.
Also, this was my first 5-day week since coming to Ghana and I feel that I am definitely getting more adjusted to the constant noise level at the school. It was a little overwhelming and exhausting when I first started at here but now I see it as a representation of their schooling system. I was actually told by a fellow teacher today that one of the reasons that they choose to "cane" their children is because they are different than other children. She said that African children are "hard wired to play and socialize, always socialize, and that this is the only way to be strict and control them." I don't necessarily agree with that BUT I had to laugh a little bit inside because she was right about the talking. In this country there is socializing among people constantly...it is the reason that "African time" exists. Nothing in Africa happens when it is expected or scheduled to because of the instantaneous conversations that occur on the streets, people wanting you to come visit them in their homes, etc. Nobody here follows the structure and schedules that we follow in the United States, which is refreshing BUT leads to the constant chit-chatter in the classroom.
Talk to everyone soon!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Cape Coast and Becoming "Ghanaian"
Due to the continual power outages this blog is a little late but better late than never, right?. :)
Last weekend, Jessica and myself made arrangements to spend two days at a city along the Gulf of Guinea about 2 and a half hours from Accra. We left early Friday morning and met up with a man named Seth who attends the University of Cape Coast. Right when we got into town he ushered us along to various tourist spots including the Kakum Rainforest and Elmina Castle. We also stopped to see some wild crocodiles at a local restaurant and the campus for the University of Cape Coast. During our ventures, I was frequently reminded that I was not in America by the re-occurring presence of tradition villages full of mud/clay houses. We also passed a Monkey Sanctuary which got me really excited!
After touring the typical tourist locations on Friday, Saturday was spent visiting the local market and walking around the city. I have to admit that it became slightly exhausting and overwhelming. The smells, views, languages, everything is new,different, and BUSY. Being an outsider and constantly feeling eyes on you makes it so that you feel like you have to present yourself in a way that is acceptable and appropriate, which also is exhausting. While we were in Cape Coast we had a chance to meet all of Seth's family, and by ALL I mean they live on the same "city block" and take up the whole block with their shops and living quarters. When Seth took us back into his neighborhood to see his home, I had my first intense instance of culture shock. Here children play in dirt streets with deflated balls. The houses are so close together you have to turn sideways to fit through the walkway that is laid out between them. A group of people had set up a makeshift band and the drums were "bumping" as they always are here. I was nervous as to how Seth's family would respond to us, being outsiders. It was a humbling experience. Everyone welcomed us with handshakes, hugs, "you are welcome" statements. These people truly are the friendliest people on Earth, as they claim. After the second day at Cape Coast, Jessica and I were very ready to come "home." We missed the security of our compound home and having Auntie and Daddy around. Needless to say the hotel we were staying in didn't have any sense of a homely feel. ;)
On a different note, I feel like since our Cape Coast trip I have really been adjusting well to and accepting the life and culture here. Yesterday, Jessica and I went with our Ghanaian friend Phelicia to the Madina market a short ways away from our house. The market, like most places in Ghana was intensely busy. We got Ghanaian fabric to make a Kenti dress, skirts, etc. As I talked about previously, Auntie said that every year her and Daddy have an original Kenti outfit made for each person staying with them. She decided to tell us this early so that we could get ours made and wear them next weekend to an engagement party that she is taking us to!
In school this week things have been going surprisingly smooth. I talked with my teacher and I was teaching Math, but now I am teaching English. The challenges that these teachers are faced with on a daily basis is unbelievable. My teacher told me today that she not only makes the students' "end of term" tests by hand on her own, but also is required to teach students from different textbooks. For example, I was supposed to teach Math all this week, however when I was going through the students' workbooks I realized that the pages are different, with some students having one activity and others not having it at all. The teacher explained that on a tight budget, the school went out to buy the same textbooks when they ran out however, the ones that they had were no longer in print. They now have the old and newer additions mixed throughout the classrooms.
From this experience I know I will definitely come to appreciate everything that I'm educated about regarding best practice teaching and how students are being taught in the United States. I also think that I am learning to greatly appreciate and respect people who live and work in developing countries. It is easy for me to "look down" on locals, thinking that they are "uneducated" however, they are just doing what they have learned works well for the circumstances that they are in. For example, earlier this week I offered to help my teacher sharpen the classroom pencils that the students share. The teacher took out a box cutter and showed me how they use it to shave the end of the pencils. I saw a plastic pencil sharpener on her desk in a little tub and wondered to myself, "Why not use that?" I asked if I could use it instead, feeling not to trustworthy with the box cutter and my unrefined skills. The teacher explained that I could use the plastic sharpener but that it sharpens the pencils so much that the tips often break. Not listening, I tried it and sure enough, the tips broke off. I decided to try her way instead. The box cutter took me a while to get working the right way but I learned that it worked much better than the plastic sharpener AND it saved more of the pencil, making it last longer. I had an "ah-ha" moment, realizing that sometimes the people and communities faced with the most basic struggles have learned how to adapt to their lifestyle. I'm definitely learning a lot here that I never thought I would.
Can't wait to see what I learn next! Until next time.
Last weekend, Jessica and myself made arrangements to spend two days at a city along the Gulf of Guinea about 2 and a half hours from Accra. We left early Friday morning and met up with a man named Seth who attends the University of Cape Coast. Right when we got into town he ushered us along to various tourist spots including the Kakum Rainforest and Elmina Castle. We also stopped to see some wild crocodiles at a local restaurant and the campus for the University of Cape Coast. During our ventures, I was frequently reminded that I was not in America by the re-occurring presence of tradition villages full of mud/clay houses. We also passed a Monkey Sanctuary which got me really excited!
After touring the typical tourist locations on Friday, Saturday was spent visiting the local market and walking around the city. I have to admit that it became slightly exhausting and overwhelming. The smells, views, languages, everything is new,different, and BUSY. Being an outsider and constantly feeling eyes on you makes it so that you feel like you have to present yourself in a way that is acceptable and appropriate, which also is exhausting. While we were in Cape Coast we had a chance to meet all of Seth's family, and by ALL I mean they live on the same "city block" and take up the whole block with their shops and living quarters. When Seth took us back into his neighborhood to see his home, I had my first intense instance of culture shock. Here children play in dirt streets with deflated balls. The houses are so close together you have to turn sideways to fit through the walkway that is laid out between them. A group of people had set up a makeshift band and the drums were "bumping" as they always are here. I was nervous as to how Seth's family would respond to us, being outsiders. It was a humbling experience. Everyone welcomed us with handshakes, hugs, "you are welcome" statements. These people truly are the friendliest people on Earth, as they claim. After the second day at Cape Coast, Jessica and I were very ready to come "home." We missed the security of our compound home and having Auntie and Daddy around. Needless to say the hotel we were staying in didn't have any sense of a homely feel. ;)
On a different note, I feel like since our Cape Coast trip I have really been adjusting well to and accepting the life and culture here. Yesterday, Jessica and I went with our Ghanaian friend Phelicia to the Madina market a short ways away from our house. The market, like most places in Ghana was intensely busy. We got Ghanaian fabric to make a Kenti dress, skirts, etc. As I talked about previously, Auntie said that every year her and Daddy have an original Kenti outfit made for each person staying with them. She decided to tell us this early so that we could get ours made and wear them next weekend to an engagement party that she is taking us to!
In school this week things have been going surprisingly smooth. I talked with my teacher and I was teaching Math, but now I am teaching English. The challenges that these teachers are faced with on a daily basis is unbelievable. My teacher told me today that she not only makes the students' "end of term" tests by hand on her own, but also is required to teach students from different textbooks. For example, I was supposed to teach Math all this week, however when I was going through the students' workbooks I realized that the pages are different, with some students having one activity and others not having it at all. The teacher explained that on a tight budget, the school went out to buy the same textbooks when they ran out however, the ones that they had were no longer in print. They now have the old and newer additions mixed throughout the classrooms.
From this experience I know I will definitely come to appreciate everything that I'm educated about regarding best practice teaching and how students are being taught in the United States. I also think that I am learning to greatly appreciate and respect people who live and work in developing countries. It is easy for me to "look down" on locals, thinking that they are "uneducated" however, they are just doing what they have learned works well for the circumstances that they are in. For example, earlier this week I offered to help my teacher sharpen the classroom pencils that the students share. The teacher took out a box cutter and showed me how they use it to shave the end of the pencils. I saw a plastic pencil sharpener on her desk in a little tub and wondered to myself, "Why not use that?" I asked if I could use it instead, feeling not to trustworthy with the box cutter and my unrefined skills. The teacher explained that I could use the plastic sharpener but that it sharpens the pencils so much that the tips often break. Not listening, I tried it and sure enough, the tips broke off. I decided to try her way instead. The box cutter took me a while to get working the right way but I learned that it worked much better than the plastic sharpener AND it saved more of the pencil, making it last longer. I had an "ah-ha" moment, realizing that sometimes the people and communities faced with the most basic struggles have learned how to adapt to their lifestyle. I'm definitely learning a lot here that I never thought I would.
Can't wait to see what I learn next! Until next time.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Getting into the Daily Grind
Since the last time I posted a lot has changed. I feel like the initial surprise of being in another country has worn off, however the daily challenges remain the same. Our power has been going out at some point every day because of some non-functioning gas line from Nigeria. People here seem pretty annoyed. Also, I'm beginning to get familiar with the area and have had the chance to venture out of the neighborhood a few times. We went to the city (Accra) with Auntie last Saturday. The driving here is crazy! There are more or less no traffic rules and people are free to drive as fast/slow as they want, as well as go down any side of the road. I'm glad I don't have a car here, chances are pretty high that I would get in an accident. :)
When we were in the city, we went to a memorial and museum for the President that lead Ghana to independence in 1957, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. They truely admire this man and talk about him constantly. They also have a strange infatuation with the Obamas. They sell Obama pictures, pencils... even biscuits (cookies)! It's pretty funny. In the city, we also had a visit to one of the local markets. It was incredible to see all of the hand carved beads, pots, woven baskets and kenti cloth. Auntie told Jessica and I that it is a tradition for her to give each of the students staying with a her a dress made of kenti cloth at the end of their stay. I'm very excited about that!
We only had three days of school this week because our midterm break starts tomorrow (Thursday through next Monday). I am beginning to know all of the student's names and am slowly getting adjusted to the daily routine here. This week I taught "red light, green light" to the students as an additional activity to support their lesson on traffic safety. They loved it however, the sun here is VERY hot so we were only able to play outside for a short amount of time. I also taught the kids the rhyme "One two, buckle my shoe." This was very success. :) I'm learning that these children love anything that engages them in the form of singing and dancing. The children are wonderful dancers and shake around non-stop! Because our school is a Catholic- based school there is "worship" service every Wednesday morning and the students jump around, clapping their hands while dancing to the drums that one of the teachers plays for them. They also sing songs about Jesus and listen to stories from the Bible.
I talked with my teacher about gradually starting to teach things from the student's workbooks next week and she agreed to give me that control. In addition to starting to work with the student's curriculum, the teacher has given me the freedom to try any classroom management techniques that I feel comfortable with. I've tried having the students stand outside of the room when they are naughty, sit in a chair facing the wall, even writing their names on the board... however, not many of these have been successful. It is definitely a rowdy room of 4 year olds! I made a sticker chart this past week and have brought stickers with that were donated from my university supervisor in America (thanks, Gordy!). I am thinking about possibly implementing this as a form of reward system for the students who aren't acting up. We'll see how well that works.
That's all for now, hope to write more soon.
When we were in the city, we went to a memorial and museum for the President that lead Ghana to independence in 1957, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. They truely admire this man and talk about him constantly. They also have a strange infatuation with the Obamas. They sell Obama pictures, pencils... even biscuits (cookies)! It's pretty funny. In the city, we also had a visit to one of the local markets. It was incredible to see all of the hand carved beads, pots, woven baskets and kenti cloth. Auntie told Jessica and I that it is a tradition for her to give each of the students staying with a her a dress made of kenti cloth at the end of their stay. I'm very excited about that!
We only had three days of school this week because our midterm break starts tomorrow (Thursday through next Monday). I am beginning to know all of the student's names and am slowly getting adjusted to the daily routine here. This week I taught "red light, green light" to the students as an additional activity to support their lesson on traffic safety. They loved it however, the sun here is VERY hot so we were only able to play outside for a short amount of time. I also taught the kids the rhyme "One two, buckle my shoe." This was very success. :) I'm learning that these children love anything that engages them in the form of singing and dancing. The children are wonderful dancers and shake around non-stop! Because our school is a Catholic- based school there is "worship" service every Wednesday morning and the students jump around, clapping their hands while dancing to the drums that one of the teachers plays for them. They also sing songs about Jesus and listen to stories from the Bible.
I talked with my teacher about gradually starting to teach things from the student's workbooks next week and she agreed to give me that control. In addition to starting to work with the student's curriculum, the teacher has given me the freedom to try any classroom management techniques that I feel comfortable with. I've tried having the students stand outside of the room when they are naughty, sit in a chair facing the wall, even writing their names on the board... however, not many of these have been successful. It is definitely a rowdy room of 4 year olds! I made a sticker chart this past week and have brought stickers with that were donated from my university supervisor in America (thanks, Gordy!). I am thinking about possibly implementing this as a form of reward system for the students who aren't acting up. We'll see how well that works.
That's all for now, hope to write more soon.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Arrival to Accra/ First Day of School
On Sunday afternoon I arrived safely in Accra, Ghana. Both of the flights, from Chicago to New York and New York to Accra went smoothly. When Jessica and I got here we were greeted at the airport by Mrs. Batsa (Auntie Agnes), her husband (Daddy) and the HEAT! Both Auntie and Daddy are very generous, friendly, and like to tell stories The heat of the other hand is not so nice! On Sunday, we were given time to un-pack, rest, and then Auntie cooked us an American meal of beef, rice and vegetables. Our house is very large and we have about 5 different families living with us, I'm slowly trying to learn who everyone is. Our first night in Accra was very unpredictable. I was awoken at 4:30am to a loudspeaker in a different language, with the only thing I understood being "akwaaba" which means "welcome" in the native language of Twi ( pronounced "ch-wee"). I found out later from Auntie that this announcement is a prayer that is said for the Muslims in the area and comes from the Muslim Monastery every morning. Another thing that I learned my first night is that there is a "wonderful" rooster who crows repeatedly every morning just to make sure that I never miss my alarm. I'm not sure if that rooster will last my whole stay, I might ask Auntie to cook him for supper. :)
On Monday, we were able to sleep in and take the day off from school, due to our extreme jet lag. We got a tour of the neighborhood from Kwesi, our "househelp" and Auntie took us to the school we would be teaching at to meet the Headmistress, teachers, and students. The students were very excited to see Jessica and myself and they kept chanting songs about us being white foreigners. All in good fun, of course. It was a very different feeling to feel like you are on display, with students staring at you, wanting to hold your hand, and touching your hair or skin. After our short visit to the school, Daddy and Auntie took us to the MaxMart in town to pick up groceries for our breakfast. They have Cheerios and Skippy peanut butter here! They also have strange milk, cheese, and butter that doesn't get refrigerated in the store... it's very interesting.
Today was my first day of school at Ancilla Primary and Junior High School. I am teaching in KG. 1A (Pre-Kindergarten) and have 29 four year-olds in my classroom. I was told that I would also be teaching lessons to the other KG. 1B classroom during my stay. The classrooms are the same but split up so that they are more manageable for the teachers. The schools are VERY different than those found in America.Writing about them here doesn't really do the experience justice. The discipline techniques that are used, as I was warned are not legal in America. The teachers frequently "cane," hit, and slap the students when they are talking or not following directions. Also, this is a Catholic school and so they start the day off with an assembly where all of the students line up and recite prayers. The students then branch off to their individual classrooms while marching to the drums, circling their rooms until the drums stop.
During instruction, the students are advised to follow directions so that they can learn and "leave" Accra. I was introduced to the class as being from America and having lots of things to teach the students. The teacher also said that they must be on their best behavior for me so that they can go to America. This comment made me incredibly uncomfortable. During instruction throughout the day, the teacher shows the students examples and then much of student work is completed out of "readers" or workbooks. My students currently are learning how to write the letters l, m, n, and numbers 16, 17, and 18. I was amazed at how many students could use regular pencils, holding them the correct way and then writing letters legibly! I talked with the teacher today and we discussed learning new things from each other and that she'd like me to teach something tomorrow. I'm a little nervous but excited to try new things with the students! I hope they understand me, I wasn't aware that my dialect would be soooo different than everyone here. The kids that live in my house always joke around that they don't know what I am saying. Another teacher at my school told me that he would teach me some Twi so that I can understand and communicate with people who aren't good at English. That sounds great.
Well, that's all for my first post, I'll write again soon.
On Monday, we were able to sleep in and take the day off from school, due to our extreme jet lag. We got a tour of the neighborhood from Kwesi, our "househelp" and Auntie took us to the school we would be teaching at to meet the Headmistress, teachers, and students. The students were very excited to see Jessica and myself and they kept chanting songs about us being white foreigners. All in good fun, of course. It was a very different feeling to feel like you are on display, with students staring at you, wanting to hold your hand, and touching your hair or skin. After our short visit to the school, Daddy and Auntie took us to the MaxMart in town to pick up groceries for our breakfast. They have Cheerios and Skippy peanut butter here! They also have strange milk, cheese, and butter that doesn't get refrigerated in the store... it's very interesting.
Today was my first day of school at Ancilla Primary and Junior High School. I am teaching in KG. 1A (Pre-Kindergarten) and have 29 four year-olds in my classroom. I was told that I would also be teaching lessons to the other KG. 1B classroom during my stay. The classrooms are the same but split up so that they are more manageable for the teachers. The schools are VERY different than those found in America.Writing about them here doesn't really do the experience justice. The discipline techniques that are used, as I was warned are not legal in America. The teachers frequently "cane," hit, and slap the students when they are talking or not following directions. Also, this is a Catholic school and so they start the day off with an assembly where all of the students line up and recite prayers. The students then branch off to their individual classrooms while marching to the drums, circling their rooms until the drums stop.
During instruction, the students are advised to follow directions so that they can learn and "leave" Accra. I was introduced to the class as being from America and having lots of things to teach the students. The teacher also said that they must be on their best behavior for me so that they can go to America. This comment made me incredibly uncomfortable. During instruction throughout the day, the teacher shows the students examples and then much of student work is completed out of "readers" or workbooks. My students currently are learning how to write the letters l, m, n, and numbers 16, 17, and 18. I was amazed at how many students could use regular pencils, holding them the correct way and then writing letters legibly! I talked with the teacher today and we discussed learning new things from each other and that she'd like me to teach something tomorrow. I'm a little nervous but excited to try new things with the students! I hope they understand me, I wasn't aware that my dialect would be soooo different than everyone here. The kids that live in my house always joke around that they don't know what I am saying. Another teacher at my school told me that he would teach me some Twi so that I can understand and communicate with people who aren't good at English. That sounds great.
Well, that's all for my first post, I'll write again soon.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Information About Ghana
Republic of Ghana
*three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom
| Country Name: | |
Conventional long form: Republic of Ghana
Conventional short form:
Ghana
Former:
Gold Coast
| |
President: John Dramani Mahama (2012)
Population (2012 est.): 25,241,998
Life Expectancy: 61.45 years
Life Expectancy: 61.45 years
Land area: 88,811 sq mi (230,020 sq km);
total area: 92,456 sq mi (239,460 sq km)
*About the size of the state of Oregon.
Capital: Accra, 2.269 million (2009)
Other Large Cities:
Kumasi, 1.773 million (2009)
Monetary Unit: Cedi ( 1 Cedi = 0.528 U.S. Dollar)
| ||||
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
67.3%
male:
73.2%
female:
61.2% (2010 census)
Education:
Primary School: 6 years (*Kindergarten: 2 years); Junior Secondary School: 3 years; Senior Secondary School: 4 years
| ||||
Monetary Unit: Cedi ( 1 Cedi = 0.528 U.S. Dollar)
| Languages: | |
Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%,
Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte
(Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other (includes
English (official)) 36.1% (2000 census)
Religions:
Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%,
Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%,
none 6.1% (2000 census)
| |
Government Type: |
|||||
Constitutional democracy
National Symbol(s):
| |||||
Recent News:
President Atta died in July 2012. His four years in office were marked
by stability and an increase in oil production. Vice President John
Dramani Mahama was sworn in shortly after Atta's death.
| |
Why Ghana?
I've heard it presented in so many ways.. but more or less everyone is asking, "Why are you going to Ghana, of all places, to teach abroad?" Apparently people seem to think that Europe or an extremely exotic country is deserving of the most recently educated, future teachers. I think the opposite.
My journey finds the beginning of it's path back when I was in high school and decided to embark upon an international mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. It was during this trip that I came to understand that people outside of the U.S. were living simpler lives, and believe it or not, were happy! To me it was so rewarding and life-changing to see such an underwhelmed environment with high amounts of pollution and poverty with the healthiest of personalities and attitudes. Ever since this trip, I have been "itching" to do something beyond my own personal wants and needs.
While I was in college, I learned that I love children and spent four years learning how children grow and develop. After graduation, I again found myself working with those families and children who were "at-risk," or by American standards low-income, immigrants. I fell in love with the diversity and simple-mindedness of the children. I decided that my passion was not only to work with children but to teach them all of the knowledge of the world.
When I went back to school to attain my teaching license I was immediately interested in any study abroad opportunities that were available to me. When I heard through my study abroad office that there were teaching contacts already made in Ghana, Africa, I couldn't have imagined myself going anywhere else. To me, this is the very heart of why I want to be become a professional teacher, to give back and bring knowledge to the children that need it the most. Not only will I teach these children and help them grow, but I hope that they teach me how to be a better teacher and a better person.
My journey finds the beginning of it's path back when I was in high school and decided to embark upon an international mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. It was during this trip that I came to understand that people outside of the U.S. were living simpler lives, and believe it or not, were happy! To me it was so rewarding and life-changing to see such an underwhelmed environment with high amounts of pollution and poverty with the healthiest of personalities and attitudes. Ever since this trip, I have been "itching" to do something beyond my own personal wants and needs.
While I was in college, I learned that I love children and spent four years learning how children grow and develop. After graduation, I again found myself working with those families and children who were "at-risk," or by American standards low-income, immigrants. I fell in love with the diversity and simple-mindedness of the children. I decided that my passion was not only to work with children but to teach them all of the knowledge of the world.
When I went back to school to attain my teaching license I was immediately interested in any study abroad opportunities that were available to me. When I heard through my study abroad office that there were teaching contacts already made in Ghana, Africa, I couldn't have imagined myself going anywhere else. To me, this is the very heart of why I want to be become a professional teacher, to give back and bring knowledge to the children that need it the most. Not only will I teach these children and help them grow, but I hope that they teach me how to be a better teacher and a better person.
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