Adventure Home

 

This is where things get a little complicated. Since we booked my ticket for South Africa as a package deal, I planned on flying out of Port Elizabeth on my way home.  My last two weeks took me to Cape Town where I stayed at Atlantic Point for 2 weeks, so unfortunately, Port Elizabeth & Cape Town are about 9 hours a part from each other.

The way my flight works is that I go from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, Cape Town to Amsterdam & Amsterdam to Detroit. As you can see, I thought my dilemma would be an easy fix. Cancel the arm from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town and flight directly out of Cape Town since I was already there. No sire! My mom was on the phone for over an hour trying to figure things out and in the end the airlines refused to do this and told her if I did not show up for my arm in Port Elizabeth, my entire flight would be cancelled.

So, I decided to improvise. I ended up booking a ticket on the Intercape bus ($70 US dollars) to Port Elizabeth & was graciously offered to be fetched by Marvine and Kelly from Intercape station. Sounds like a good plan, right?

Well…when I got to the Intercape station last night, I was sure surprised. Chaotic is the best word to describe this bus system. Nichole, Leah & I all had tickets that departed at 6pm. Nichole & Leah were heading to Grahamstown, and I was off to Port Elizabeth. Logically speaking, we all thought we’d share a bus since Grahamstown is sort of inland after Port Elizabeth.

Come to find out, I was on my own bus. In the muffle of things and the lack of direction and communication from the staff at the Intercape, we hectically said our goodbyes and I was off to wait in line with many people who didn’t speak English very well. I waited in line outside in the center of Cape Town for over an hour and a half with my luggage. My bus finally departed at 7:30pm. The bus seats were extremely full & the bathroom was less then appealing. No toilet paper or anything and no way to flush or wash your hands.

To make the travel even better….the last two weeks of my trip my stomach has been pretty finicky. I thought it was due to eating habits and travel, but it has only gotten worse so I am starting on antibiotic for bacteria that I may have gotten here in the water. So without saying too much, the lack of an appropriate toilet was not exactly ideal in my situation....haha

The entire 12 hour ride to Port Elizabeth, people were listening to loud phones playing music, talking on cell phones and the television in the bus was full of static and only outlines of people’s bodies could be recognized. I couldn’t sleep. 

Once I got off the bus and Marvine and Kelly were there, I broke down! I was so happy to see them. I actually started CRYING from how uncomfortable I felt on this bus. It’s actually pretty depressing. People from the township take these busses all the time, and I do once, and I can’t even handle it. It was just so out of the ordinary for me. It definitely made me appreciate the modes of transport in Grand Rapids where I live. I can’t even imagine taking a bus like that everyday.

Once I was at Kelly’s host family’s house, I was able to shower & relax. However, I ended up getting very sick from my stomach. This is when Kelly’s mom gave me some antibiotic her travel doctor had given her for severe stomach problems while traveling. I am on my second pill and I’m hoping this wipes out my stomach cramping!!

Right now I’m sitting in Cape Town airport, I made my way from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth to Cape Town and after 6 more hours of waiting at the airport, I will be off to Amsterdam. I’m feeling better and hopefully things will stay this way for the rest of the trip. I’m going to plan on getting a lot of sleep on the next two flights! Everything I’ve learned on this travel home has made me stronger….you must live and learn and experience things that make you feel uncomfortable once in awhile to appreciate what you have.

3 more days in Cape Town

View from the top of Table Mountain

 I've been in Cape Town now for almost two weeks and I have been able to see much of it because of the amazing friends who have taken me around in cars as well as Kelly and her mother Cheryl who took me with them on a bus tour all around the Cape including to Table Mountain, Camps Bay, Clifton, District 6, Long Street and the Aquarium. 

My time in Cape Town has been spent going to the beach, specifically Clifton (gorgeous), going out to dinner at some beautiful restaurants, traveling around town via mini bus (only R6 per trip, equivalent to less then $1 US dollars), hanging out with friends at the hostel, and trying to see as many sites as possible. As my money dwindles, my mind is increasingly thinking about home and seeing my wonderful friends (Feather, Erin, Kim & Lacie to name a few), my amazing boyfriend, Dave, his wonderful family & OF COURSE.....my fantastic parents, grandparents and brother.  


I hope to go to the District 6 Museum before I leave, which tells the stories of the black people who were removed from their homes and placed in separate living areas. This is one of the areas most impacted by the apartheid and as we drove through District 6, you could see many deserted areas of grass and weeds which have never been rebuilt. 

I felt intense desolation and sadness as we drove through this area. It's amazing the great lengths people will go to, to separate themselves from people who they feel are different from what they know in culture, language and skin tone. Different means to many the "unknown", territory not stepped upon. But how can someone say, "If you are different then me, you do not deserve to even have a home. Let me destroy your home and put you in another area so I don't have to even look at you." 


My adventures are coming to an end, and I can't help but think about my students from the township who have NEVER seen the ocean, or lions, elephants and monkeys. South Africa is a beautiful place, but like the United States, we isolate the poor into corners and then we don't give them access to the resources and means to get back out. 

I remember waving to my students from the township the last day we volunteered...they walked their separate ways to the township where we were told not to go, and we unlocked the gate to Kingswood which had barbed wire around it, and we had the key. Who knows if these students will ever have "the key"...to feel as if they are valued members in society. To feel that they are "somebody" who will contribute to the good of the nation.

The poor in the United States happens to be the minorities, and their standard of living is considered almost RICH to the poverty seen in South Africa. In South Africa, over 80% of black and coloured people make up the population, yet they account for the entire "poor" population. What it comes down to, is that race & socioeconomic status should not be so closely related. What must we do in the United States to change this? We all have an ethical obligation to try. 


This is my last blog entry before I return home to the states! Only 3 more days left....I will see you all when I return. Cheers!

Two benches which represent when segregation was in full effect. 

I thought this was an interesting quote and picture

Cable car we took up to Table Mountain

Another beautiful view

So cool!!!

Traveling the Western Cape

I'm officially done with my first week of traveling...or "holiday" as they call it in South Africa. The girls I was living with in Grahamstown, who are also doing the COST program, wanted to travel to Cape Town so luckily, we found an amazing friend here who offered to drive us there and show us places along the way (Maryke). We booked two hostels, Dijembe (Storms River) and Oasis Shanti (Oudtshoorn) along the route which is often referred to as the "Garden Route." The last night of our travels we stayed with Maryke's family in Paarl. 

During the 4 days we traveled the "Garden Route" we stopped in Port Elizabeth for breakfast at a place called Tiffanys (get it?), Jeffreys Bay, Tsitsikamma National Park, Fairview & L'Avenir & Waterford Wineries, Cango Caves, Ladismith and we were able to climb the Paarl Rock! Once we were on top, there was an amazing view! We came to Atlantic Point Hostel on Monday Dec 6 and since then I have gone to the beach most everyday, different beaches of course. My favorite is Clifton. It is an amazing beach with a gorgeous view. I have also gone out a few nights with friends from the hostel, and I went to a Braai with friends we met in Grahamstown! I have been having such an amazing time.

Kelly and her mother get here today and stay at Atlantic Point through the 15th! We are going to climb table mountain, hopefully go to some markets, and experience Cape Town. I am very lucky that the people that have been staying at the hostel have been so easy to bond with. I've known most for less then 3 days, but we have all had such great fun drinking wine & eating snacks while talking about our lives! So many people have been traveling for over a year or more. It definitely starts my mind thinking about where my next adventure will be....maybe Europe? France? Spain? Greece? Who knows but I do know one thing for sure. Traveling opens your eyes to so many things you haven't thought about before....and once you realize it, I can see how it is easy to become addicted. 


Well all for now, we leave Thursday at 5pm to head home....See you all soon!

Some thoughts...

It’s hard to believe that just 6 weeks ago, I was so looking forward to coming to a new country, some place that seemed as far away as my mind could imagine. I always get these big ideas in my head about places I want to visit. The last “thing” was moving to Hawaii after I graduated from high school. Why, you may ask. I just thought of it on the fly. Now when people ask me “Why South Africa?” and I always tell them, “Because it’s the first place that came to my mind.” In all honesty, there are so many places that I would love to visit, but something about a country that so recently came out of apartheid, with so much political turmoil and beauty, captivated me. I was so interested in the culture here and had preconceived notions…and of course my expectations were not at all what I experienced.

It was very disturbing to me that I found so many similarities between the United States and South Africa in regards to segregation. The poor township schools are all black students, whereas some government schools that charge fees as well as the private schools that cost a fortune are majority white. I have to remind myself that less then 20 years ago, in 1994, there were no schools for black children or colored children. South Africa is in a more challenging state then we were in the 60’s in regards to education. Where to now? There is so much tension between races; it is almost like a cloud you walk through when talking to people on the topic. You may wonder if I have gotten into intense discussions about race while I have been here. The answer is no. Everyone that knows me here understands I believe everyone is equal; skin color does not make one person more intelligent than another. But my job here is to LISTEN and take in everything I can. This is not to say I have not been horrified by some comments I’ve heard while I’ve been here. However, I have also been horrified by comments made by people in the very United States where we pride ourselves on equality. It makes me sick.

I ask myself how to fix this problem. Someone always has to be the under dog…people are always thinking one culture is better than another. And the only way to help solve this problem is through education and educating youth. The color of your skin does not matter. Different languages make the world a beautiful place to live. In the United States I see this with inner city schools. Why are some students given resources and a bright future simply because of what family they were born into? It’s not fair, and humans are stubborn and stuck in their ways, how can I change them? Well…everyone… I guarantee I will spend the rest of my life trying.

6 more days of teaching to go....

One of my adorable students....ready for "Going Green"

Helping the girls get ready for the play!

Well, only 6 more days of teaching to go & then I'm off to travel South Africa! We are starting by leaving for the garden route early on Dec 3rd. From there we will stop at Jeffrey's Bay, Plettenberg Bay, and Bungee jumping for Nichole and Leah who are CRAZY!! I wanted to go, but I talked myself out of it. Lame I know. We will be spending the night at a hostel called Dijembe and the next day we will go to Cango Caves and a few more beaches. 

The second night we are staying at Ocean Shanti and the next morning we will go visit some wineries. Maryke, the lovely woman who offered to drive us to Cape Town and travel with us, is letting us stay with her that night. 

The next day we will head to Cape Town and I will stay at Atlantic Point hostel from December 6-17. It's a long time to stay in one place, but there is a lot to do around Cape Town and I know this hostel is very safe. I am SO excited to travel. I can't wait to meet new people and see new things.

I can't believe that I am almost done. I am going to miss all of the children I have been working closely with...children at Kingswood and my ACE students at the Lebone Center. What I have gotten used to, since I have worked with many students throughout my year and a half of student teaching, is that you leave an impression on everyone you meet and teach, but in the long run, the kids are kids and they move on to meet new people who become a part of their lives. That is the best part. 

The hardest part is leaving the students who are in the township and may never get out. I wish I could just bring everyone back to Michigan with me. I'll just have to come back for some sort of community project and help within the townships. Yes, definitely. 

I have a long life to live and many places to see! It is also hard because I don't feel like I've helped at all in regards to the effects of the apartheid. I don't even know what needs to be done. The government in South Africa is so messed up, its crazy. The world is such a vast place....and you realize how many things need to be changed in the world you live in, when you travel. The U.S has access to about every resource possible. It makes me want to be done complaining about what we don't have and try to think of solutions to the problems that make inequalities so observable. 


Well, I will probably only write in this blog one more time before I travel! Then you all will have to wait for two weeks until I return home. I won't have access to a computer when I'm traveling...so Cheers everyone and Happy Holidays!!


Miss Peterson

Kuyasa, a very special school....

I was fortunate enough to spend the entire day at Kuyasa, the only special education center in Grahamstown. This school is considered an LSEN (learner with special education needs) school. I was picked up by the principal, Jill Rothman. Kuyasa is set in the township area and most of the students are black. From my observations, the students that attend Kuyasa range from students with severe cognitive impairments to students with mild cognitive impairments as well as students with autism, emotional impairment and learning disabilities. Kuyasa was started in 1981, and at this time, there were only 8 students with two aids and Jill. 

Currently, there are 144 students with various special needs and 13 teachers. It is amazing how Kuyasa has grown. Kuyasa is a special school that encompasses students speaking Xhosa, English and Afrikaans. It was interesting to me that some of the teachers working there do not have degrees in Special Education; however, they are studying to become certified in this area. Because Xhosa and Afrikaans teachers are much needed, the language area teachers are competent in almost becomes more important than a special education degree; understanding what students are saying and teaching in their native language is of utmost importance.

The school has four levels:

• Primary
• Junior (which include classes taught in Afrikaans and Xhosa)
• Middle (which include classes taught in Afrikaans and Xhosa as well as a practical stream for students with more severe special needs)
• Senior (which include classes taught in Afrikaans and Xhosa as well as a practical, vocational and pre-vocational classes to prepare students for their future jobs)

Since there is such a diverse population in regards to levels students are functioning at, the students range from many different ages in each level. There is not a "classification" or "label" or "age" that determines if they will be in primary, junior, middle or senior class. The teachers determine if the student will be able to succeed in these levels or if they need to be taught more practical skills such as hygiene, cooking, basic health knowledge, etc....things we would think of as adaptive skills. If so, the students are placed in the "practical" classrooms.

The students who have milder to moderate disabilities job shadow after their vocational classes are carried out. They job shadow in different businesses in the area including welding, glass repair, sewing, plumbing, etc. Jill has developed a wonderful program for students after they graduate where they can apply through Rhodes University to work in the kitchen or cleaning staff. They are paid wages and employed through the university with health care offered too. This program is only available for students who are extremely highly functioning, students who would, in America, be in normal classes.

 Kuyasa was developed to teach students with severe cognitive impairment, students with IQ's under 50. However, because of the lack of training in government funded schools for special education, the principal accepts students with lesser impairment because if she refuses the students, they will end up sitting in the back of the classroom without differentiation or accommodation. The students will go unnoticed and give up or drop out. 

 We are extremely lucky in America to have so many options for our students with special needs. We often focus on what we DON'T have and complain until we are blue in the face. It is true, that a system can always be better, however, let's give thanks for the resources we do have: competent staff who know about Special Education, Let's give thanks for the many schools a parent of a student with special needs may choose from....for the idea of least restrictive environment, positive behavior support, for our knowledge and understanding of differentiated interventions for students with learning impairments, autism, emotional impairment. 

Kuyasa is an inspiration of a school because the resources are not abundant. Kuyasa makes do with the resources and available staff it has. The emphasis is on “whole circle” teaching as I say. Making the student learn concepts that are of value…so the student may transfer these into their lives outside of school. The idea is very similar to natural teaching. 

Some students, at the age of 14, were still in 2nd grade at these township/government funded schools. This is why Kuyasa accepts the students who have mild intellectual disabilities. They are not served AT ALL in the government schools. When Kuyasa is full, students are placed on a waiting list and determined eligible or ineligible for services at Kuyasa. 

The process of referring a student to a LSEN school like Kuyasa is different than America in so far as the documents in South Africa are not legally binding, IQ tests do not always have to be carried out to place a child at Kuyasa (unless referred by a government school) and the previous teachers of students often do not send the information about a student to Kuyasa as the principal requests (portfolio, health information, family information, etc.). Many times students with special needs, if not enrolled in a government school, sit in their homes. If parents bring the student in to enroll, the student does not need an IQ test. However, if a teacher in the government school believes that the student is not able to be serviced there, he/she must fill out a Referral which expresses:

• reasons for referral
• general health
• large motor development
• fine motor development
• body awareness
• visual perception
• sensory
• language development (vocabulary, speech, sentence construction, expression)
• cognitive development (mathematics concepts)
• concentration
• art development

In an idealistic world, once the teacher fills out the form, the ILST (institution learner support team) would determine if the students sounds like they would benefit from Kuyasa. The teachers from the government schools would be involved in this process. This is very similar to our Child Study Team’s in Michigan. Then the next step would be for the DBST (district based support team) to determine if the student is eligible after reviewing the paperwork. However, this is NOT how the process goes. The DBST gives Kuyasa staff hardly any support, although they are the head of the special education staff, they know nothing about it. So instead, Jill and her head of department end up going through all the paperwork and determining if the students should come to the school on their own. This takes hours of reading through paperwork, which often seems vague after the government teachers have filled it out.

While observing at Kuyasa, I noticed a huge emphasize on art. The students learn how to make beautiful art projects including painting, pottery, art, sewing, beaded masks and more. Kuyasa believes in finding the things students enjoy, not trying to get students to succeed in areas where they have the potential to just graze, but really giving students something to feel confident about. The students sell their products at markets and keep the money for their classrooms. The learner must understand the VALUE of their work to be motivated to complete it. I think art motivates most of us.

Students also learn maths, literacy development (they use a program called Molteno which focuses on hands on and visual literacy), life orientation, living skills, technology and more. The students work on things that are adapted for the level in which they are functioning.

It is so so important to remember that apartheid played an enormous part in South Africa’s education system. The focus now is on trying to desegregate black, colored and white people. Special education has taken the back seat to more obvious issues. I think that Kuyasa is a great example of a school that refuses to give up. The principal is extremely enthusiastic and committed and it takes enormous dedication and patience to deal with all the issues she has on a daily basis.

I hope in the future that special education will become more understood in South Africa. I’m not sure what the next step needs to be. First the main issue of black against white needs to be resolved. The government is doing all the wrong things it seems, especially with the Black Economic Empowerment Initiative. This is sort of like affirmative action but to more extremes. I think that the only way to move on from the past is to look towards the future and make it evident that all groups are equal and capable of succeeding in the same areas.

On a last note, it is important to understand that the government schools in South Africa function on a Quintile system which rates schools from 1-5, 1 being the fully free schools and 5 being the schools with the least funding.

In a small town like Grahamstown, what happens is that private schools are for the richest of the rich, and rich parents who have a child with special needs try to get them in there or move to a larger city like Cape Town that offers more resources for students with special needs.

The government schools range from schools that parents must pay a small fee to attend and are attended by all ethnicities and then the township schools that are free to attend and funded by the government, but the teachers and staff and resources at these schools are not adequate. I think it all depends on the staff at a school. In any school, if you have passionate teachers who are willing to spend their own money and expel many long nights thinking of interesting, motivating, lessons, students will do well.

Kuyasa Building

Painting on the Fence around Kuyasa

Some of the students!!

Wonderful artwork

More artwork done by students

Students playing games during break time

I would never have guessed how much I would learn about our education system in America by coming to another country. I am so satisfied with my decision to go into special education and I will spend the rest of my life trying to educate the world on the challenge, joy and wonder of working with students with special needs.

Feelings in Regards to Special Education

I have always believed that ignorance is the worst form of disrespect one can have for a different culture, ethnicity, religion or way of life. I am learning, however, that sometimes ignorance is present because opportunities to find out more about something are not offered to someone. I am finding that in Grahamstown, specifically at Kingswood, there is ignorance (unawareness, lack of knowledge) specifically in special education. The teachers believe that because there are two students with Aspergers Syndrome (in the Autism Spectrum Disorder, high functioning autism) they are an inclusive school.
I have had to do much explaining about what my degree is and entails and I am extremely flattered because many teachers want to take the time to find out more about how we provide inclusion in Michigan and what my job will look like as a Special Education teacher. After I witnessed an incident with students teasing a student with Aspergers, I was asked to teach a lesson on Respect in the classroom where the students are having a hard time understanding how to relate to the student with special needs. The staff does need to realize, however, that inclusion is a huge process. It entails educating the entire staff/administration/students/parents about how to work with students with special needs and it also means that teachers need to provide social skill training to both normal functioning peers and special education peers so appropriate behavior is displayed from all sides. High expectations are required from all sides and teachers need to believe that students with special needs can meet these as well.
The Headmaster talked to me and asked if I would be willing to talk to the student with Asperger’s mom about different strategies to use with him in regards to social skills. I told him most definitely and I appreciate that he is utilizing my specialty. It is wonderful to feel like I can help the school in different ways! He also wants me to provide a brief lesson to a few particular students on special education and respecting differences. I think Kingswood would really benefit from hiring a few Special Education teachers. I am so encouraged that the staff is genuinely interested in learning more about special education.

3 weeks down, and speeding by.....

Where do I begin....I have only been here for 3 weeks and I feel like I am learning an abundance of information. Everyday, I learn something new or experience something that makes me question my beliefs on things. Let's start with what teaching looked like for me this week. I did a Thanksgiving lesson with my students and told them a story about what my Thanksgiving looks like, feels like and sounds like back home when I go to my grandparents house. They liked hearing about how I call my grandpa "grandfither" and how we all eat until we are sick. I emphasized the meaning of Thanksgiving and how everyone gives thanks for all we have. We then read a poem similar to "brown bear, brown bear" but with the words "pilgrim, pilgrim."
I think the lesson was effective and as assessment to make sure students understood that we were learning the value of giving thanks, each student wrote down what they are thankful for and colored a picture of these things. We also had our "Going Green" play this week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (2 times). Four performances is quite a lot for 6-7 year olds. It definitely made the week go by fast, but the students were off task a lot because they were exhausted. The performances happened in the morning from 9am-10am and then the students had to sit through school until 1pm.
I have been enjoying my time with the ACE students at the Lebone Center thoroughly. These kids have so little but are so eager and yearning to learn. When I come to the center with something planned to do, the students all gather around so they can learn what they should do. They don't HAVE to sit and learn, but they want to. They go to school in the township schools where resources are extremely scarce. So anything I can bring for them to work on is exciting for them. I think students in America need to realize how lucky they are for a public education. Even the inner city schools are rich compared to these townships. It's very disheartening. In some instances, I wish I could spend all of my time with these children. There are so many things I want to show them. These are the forgotten children of South Africa. There are thousands of them, and none of them have the privileges to see the wild animals that live miles down the road. They are contained in a specific area and do not have the means to venture outward.
I had an eye opening experience on Friday in regards to students with special needs and how they are not treated equally by some students. The third grade students were mocking this particular student with Aspergers to the point of him crying hysterically. I was sickened and felt so upset that these students have not been taught how to include this particular student in their classroom. Inclusion here is basically sticking a student with special needs amongst the others with either a one on one helper who helps them do the normal "grade" work instead of modifying or accommodating the student so they can function independently in the classroom or sticking them in the class without teaching the others on how to relate to the student, what to do if the student exhibits inappropriate behavior, and how to respect one another and differences. The school is in desperate needs of a special education teacher who can teach teachers how to teach students proper social skills, and zero tolerance for teasing. My friend Nichole and I are going to teach a lesson on respect tomorrow. I have no idea if it will make a difference, but the only thing you can do is try.
I went to Kenton on Sea and Port Alfred yesterday, and it was so beautiful. I have never experienced so much beauty before, it was really astounding. I couldn't help, however, to think of my ACE students the entire time and how this is THEIR land and they have never been to the beach to see this. It's very depressing. Well...all for now! I will write next week, only 3 more weeks left in the classroom. Ohhh yes, and I am visiting Kuyasa, the Special Education school, Tuesday. I can't wait to compare and contrast the system here in comparison to Michigan.

Miss P

Learning so Much!

This week flew by extremely fast. I was able to sit in with the remedial teacher who takes students out when they need extra help. I found this very interesting as she is not trained as a special education teacher but she works on everything that a special education teacher would work on. She had notebooks where the students work on phonics, tracking, sight words, sentence building and more. This was a good experience because it opened my eyes to how Kingswood staff works with students who need extra help. In my previous reflection, I said that students were not offered special education services, but indeed they are. The only difference is that in the United States, we have specialized teachers trained in the area.
I have been working on my pacing and wait time with students this week. In one particular lesson that dealt with students working in centers (half the class were working on level appropriate puzzles, and the other half of the class were working on their maths books) I made sure I gave students sufficient time to finish their work. I have been trying to focus on making sure the lessons are short enough to grasp student attention but long enough to be sure students are learning the content appropriately. It is my first time in a general education first grade classroom, and I definitely need to be sensitive to the age of my students!
I implemented a whole group behavior system with a shading chart. I shade a part of the Christmas tree whenever the whole group is on task. I think this strategy is working well because it teaches community building with the students and it allows the students who often are re-directed to still earn something instead of putting the focus on individuals. I also started a post-it note system with a student who is very impulsive and has auditory processing disorder. He is also being assessed for ADD. He can earn stars and bad marks everyday, and by the end of the week, if he has more stars than bad marks, he gets a piece of licorice as decided when we put together our contract.
So far, this has minimized his impulsive behavior (calling out and poking others) at some points of the day, but does not decrease his impulsivity. I am going to be strategizing this week to see if there is a better option to put into place. If he does indeed have ADD, the impulsivity is not oppositional behavior; he is not able to control it. I am going to keep an eye on his behavior this week and take some data to see if the behavior plan is working to minimize his impulsivity.
I have been paying close attention as well to how I think about the things I’m observing in South Africa in relation to education. When something is different, people often think that it means that it is wrong or not the right way to do things. I’m opening my eyes to experiencing things without being biased and I’m finding the good in everything I learn, even if I do not agree about something, because this is how I will grow as a person.
I taught a Michigan lesson for fifth graders last Friday in Philip’s classroom. The lesson went fantastic as I started it with K-Know, W-What to know, and L-What I learned, sheet. The students did a great job with thinking of one or two things they KNOW about the United States or Michigan and then we brainstormed things they want to know. I think I planned out the lesson and executed it appropriately for the grade level and I was happy with the pacing as well.
I told them after the lesson they would write down a few things they learned in the L box and if they didn’t find out the answer to one of their questions, they could use resources. The students were fantastic at naming what resources they could use i.e. internet, books, someone from Michigan. I read a from “A Curious Glimpse of Michigan” which gave some knowledge and background about Michigan as well as some crazy facts and we ended the lesson with a geography activity where students received a template of Michigan and filled in some important cities and economic resources in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
The lesson was only an hour, and the students were still coloring their maps when I left, so I told Philip he could later assess the lesson by asking students to fill in a blank template of Michigan and write 2-3 things they learned from my lesson. He enjoyed my lesson and I got some great feedback. Feedback is the only way we can grow as educators; we must know what other professionals think about the way we are teaching.
I started volunteering today at the Lebone Center, which is a center that is not directly a part of Kingswood but the Red Dragon, an ECD program, is located in the same building. The Red Dragon is funded through Kingswood, while the Lebone Center is a welfare program for students in the township who are “at risk.” The building provides food, play and games for the students and as a teacher; I am going to provide more structured lessons a few times a week! Of course I will make these lessons interactive and fun because the students are in dire need of extra love and affection. The students come after their school day is over, around 2pm, eat lunch and then stay from 2-4:30. The children are so full of life and I can truly say I know working with them will be a life changing experience. I want to try and do as much as I can to better this center while I’m there. Leah, Nichole and I will collaborate some lessons so the students can benefit from three teachers ideas instead of one!
I want to differentiate instruction this week with my students by doing some centers. Today we were able to have half of the class do an art project, while the other half worked on independent reading. I want to think of specific activities the students need to do with their reading, such as comprehension questions, writing down words they do not know on post its, or keeping a readers theater type notebook where they draw a picture in regards to what they read. I want to go deeper then just the surface content which is what I feel sometimes happens when we as teachers don’t think of individual needs!

All for now,I miss all of you!!
Miss P

What a week!

My week went by so fast! After my first day of teaching on 10/25, I jumped right into things at Kingswood College in my first grade classroom (called grade ones here). My teacher is very enthusiastic and I am a busy bee during the school day. We have our students do writing, maths, handwriting and reading groups. My students also learn Afrikaans which my teacher knows and the students say poems and stories in Afrikaans.

My students also take Xhosa which is the language that some black people speak here. I have been able to teach writing (I had to re-learn some of my letters because they write differently here) and maths this week. I came up with a lesson for my students to do, an "All about me" activity that they will send my 3rd grade students at Lincoln Elementary! Hopefully they will do the activity this week so I can hurry and send it out. It takes quite a few weeks to get to Michigan.

The students participate in religious instruction as well, and I was very impressed with the minister who teaches this class. She is very interactive and has a way with explaining the bible in ways the students will understand. She prays with them at the end and meets their emotional needs. She acts sort of like a social worker and counselor at Kingswood.

My teacher decided I will do my unit on Christmas, and the way the South Africans celebrate it and I will throw in some American traditions as well. I think it will be a fantastic learning experience for me to see what types of cultural traditions they have in South Africa.

I was able to sit in on a Ritalin meeting as well as a Remedial meeting this week. Both were so interesting. Many students are labeled with ADHD at Kingswood which is similar to the U.S. During the meeting teachers were not told what indicators should be present before suggesting psychometric testing for a student to the parents. It is interesting as well that teachers can suggest testing. In the U.S, a teacher could be sued if they suggested such a thing. I think there are pros and cons to both ways of dealing with this.

The remedial meeting was interesting as well as students are not offered special education at Kingswood and since it is a private school, students can be denied admission to the school. If students have speech or OT or PT the parents must pay for it.

This weekend I was able to go to an amazing piano concert at the monument, I went to Port Elizabeth with the 5-7 graders for a swim meet on Saturday all day and was able to see a shopping center, and today I went to Professor Baxen's students' cocktail party to celebrate their finished research projects. We met a few very nice people who are willing to show us some more of South Africa.

All for now, must get ready for another busy week... I am really missing Dave and my friends and family but I have a new family here too! I think being far away puts everything into perspective and actually helps one to realize things one took for granted before....

Miss P

First Day of Teaching

Today was my first day of teaching at Kingswood College. Professor Baxen drove us (Nichole and Leah and Aegean) to the school and we went inside to debrief quickly with Headmaster Braans. He was very welcoming and warm. I was told I would be in a first grade classroom with a seasoned teacher who has taught for more then 40 years. Her name is Sandy. She is retired from Kingswood, but every seven years, teachers are allowed to go on leave for a term and she took over for the 1st grade teacher. The first thing I noticed when walking into the classroom was there was print and artwork everywhere! The room was very colorful and had such positive energy.

Sandy is an enthusiastic teacher and she has much knowledge and background to offer me. She was very interested in my Special Education background as well. We are both going to learn from one another.

We had assembly first thing in the morning, where students get ready for the day through song (teachers play piano and guitar). After the assembly, students began practicing for the play they will perform in two weeks for parents. It is called "Going Green" and it was written by the third grade teachers and is all about keeping South Africa free of litter as well as poaching. The students have quite high expectations put on them in regards to memorizing lines. I was very impressed.

After the assembly, students picked up where they left in their science curriculum. They are learning about trees (Coniferous and Deciduous). I was able to walk around and show students a globe and point out where Michigan is compared to South Africa and the long trek I made to get to SA to teach them =) I explained my pen pal idea for students to correspond with my third graders at Lincoln Elementary and Sandy loved the idea!

I met the environmental education teacher, his name is Mills, and he works with children with special needs in the township (from poor schools, all students are black he said) as well as he is paid through the program to work with many schools in Grahamstown. He also takes these students to national parks to work with the animals. He's an awesome safari guy! He said I would be able to help out with this program. I am soooooooo excited!!!! I need to explore the poor township areas more to feel like I am receiving the full experience of South Africa.

All for now,
Miss P

My first weekend in South Africa....

I am going to attempt to give you a brief overview of my first weekend in South Africa including some thoughts I've been having about the implications of socioeconomic status/race and the part it plays here.

I had the chance to go to dinner Friday with my entire house which includes Aegean, Prof Baxen, Lauren, Nichole, Leah & Misty (everyone except Grandma was there!)I went to a place called "Yellow House" and enjoyed a delicious Changi pizza (without cheese, of course) that was made up of spicy chicken, mushrooms, olives and onions. I had a glass of champagne as well to celebrate my adventure. We had a fabulous time and it was so great to bond with my new family. Everyone in Grahamstown is so welcoming.

Saturday Lauren, who has been here for almost three months, decided it would be great to rent a car! It's a bit confusing here because they drive on the other side of the road and on opposite seats in the car compared to the United States. Four of us decided to pitch in to rent the car for two days, which only cost about $25 per person. We went to Addo Elephant Park! This is a national park that you can drive through or go on tours through, for a decent price. It was amazing. I was able to see lions, elephants, ostrich, warthogs, black backed jackals, and many more animals RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAR!! I have amazing pictures to show everyone when I return or have a chance to upload them to my facebook (uploading takes up quite a bit of memory).

Saturday night when we returned, we hit the hot-spot in Grahamstown called "Rats & Parrots." We had a great time conversing with everyone and I am getting so used to people saying "Ohhhh you're American, where are you from?" I had some interesting conversations about the education system in S.A compared to Michigan as well as light hearted conversations about interests and fun things to do in S.A.

I was able to meet two teachers from the Senior School at Kingswood College where I will be teaching. I will be in the primary school, but after meeting these great teachers, I am super excited to meet my mentor teacher tomorrow!

I have had a couple chances to look at the "township areas" which are more like extreme poverty stricken places compared to the nicer areas where I am living. The crazy thing about South Africa is, unlike the U.S, the extreme poverty is EVERYWHERE and it is intermingled with the rich, white areas. Here in S.A they have three different classifications for ethnicity which include black, colored and white.

All of the service jobs are carried out by black people. It is very hard to get used to. Children on the street are constantly asking for FOOD....trash is littering the streets, and the slums the township folks live in are appalling. The schools are funded by taxes as well, but to my knowledge, there are public schools where very poor students go (mostly black) and then there are public schools that also require a fee to attend which the more well to do students go to. On top of these, there are also private schools like Kingswood that are very expensive to attend. So I think it is unlikely that rich and poor students would be in the same school.

Today Misty, (she is leaving tomorrow, I am so bummed) took me around Grahamstown. A young boy around 12-14 was asking for food. It is heart wrenching to think this boy may not have a place to live or a family. You have no idea how many times the world has turned on him. I bought him bread and cheese and handed it to him on my way back from the grocery. Misty said you have to be careful not to give food too much or everyone will expect it. Its so sad that I can't afford to feed the streets of Grahamstown.

Donkeys and cows roam the streets too! It is hilarious! You don't see cats wandering, sometimes dogs, but mostly donkeys and cows.

I start teaching tomorrow and I am ecstatic! I can't wait to meet my students and mentor teacher and get into the groove of Kingswood.

Miss Peterson

First Day in Grahamstown

I met Prof Baxen when I arrived last night and she is FANTASTIC! Super warm & positive. Her mother and son(17 years old) are staying in the house as well as two girls at the cottage which is attached to the house.

Leah and Nichole are in the house with me right now too. The two girls who are staying at the cottage will be leaving on Sunday and Leah and Nichole will move in there, and I will stay in the house. There is a house cleaner named Maureen who comes once a week.

Grandma has us call her Grandma and she showed us her/Prof Baxen's garden today which is absolutely beautiful. Lots of flowers and plants I have never seen before as well as a lemon tree and peach tree, carrots growing, pumpkins, etc. She is a wonderful woman and I feel like I will become very close with her while I am here. She reminds me of my grandmas ..... I love talking to her.

It is a rainy day today, its noon here, and we are just relaxing and getting to know each other. Nicole and I did not have to teach today because of our voyage, but the other three girls are at their schools teaching! It looks like school starts for us at 7am and I'm not sure what time it goes until.

This weekend will be full of traveling I'm sure, I don't feel jet lagged but I am going to take a short nap right now until we head out to the grocery store & hopefully somewhere I can find a prepaid phone.

All for now...

October 20-21 The Long Flight!

October 20
I’ve been waiting too much today! The flight from Detroit to Atlanta was good; I thought it was a little bumpy though. Right now I’m sitting on the plane and we will be leaving soon for South Africa! I have to get ready for 15 hours of sitting! I’m planning on listening to music, reading, using my computer and sleeping! There are many types of people on this flight. I wonder if a lot of people are going for vacation in S.A or if they live there. The two gentlemen sitting by me are speaking a different language, I later found out it was indeed Afrikaans. It still feels surreal that I am going away for two months. I am looking forward to meeting new people, tasting new food and learning a TON about the education programs in South Africa.

October 21
Almost there! From Atlanta to Johannesburg it was about 8,100 miles. Wow, the flight was very easy! We only have one and a half hours left and I watched one movie and slept the majority of the time. We just flew over Namibia and Botswana! It’s only 11:15am back in Stevensville, but it is 5:15pm here in South Africa. When we arrive at our destination, it will be around 6:15pm. I am so excited. I can’t wait to meet my students, see the school I will be teaching at and meet Professor Baxen! All for now =)

One week to go!

Only one more week until I'm headed to Detroit to catch my 3:30pm flight to South Africa! I am SO excited. I feel like the next two months will be life changing for me as I explore new things and meet new people on my own. My last day at Lincoln Elementary is this Friday, and I have "South Africa" day planned out for my students. I am bringing in a few South African dishes (a potato salad dish and an aubergine dish and I have to give my parents props for making these for me!!!!They are amazing). I have two African books I will be reading to my students with beautiful pictures that show the culture well. We will be doing a few geography activities as well so students can piece together that I will be on a different continent & writing individual letters to my students in South Africa. I think I over planned, but hey, better to be over prepared then under, right? I am going to miss my students at Lincoln but I feel better about leaving because I know they will be pen-pals with my students at Kingswood College (as long as the teacher in S.A is willing as well). Well....all for now, I'm going to make sure I am all packed up to go! The next 6 days will be spent in Grand Rapids. Please be sure to follow my blog as I'll update frequently on my travels =)

A few more weeks....

Only 3 and a half more weeks to go!!

I just had a COST (Consortium of Overseas Student Teachers) meeting at Grand Valley State with my cost coordinator and I am feeling more at ease with everything that I need to get done before I leave. Must register with the embassy so they know where I am going, register at Padnos International Center at GVSU, figure out the money situation, and pack lightly (this won't be hard for me to do....HAHA).I am finishing up my unit on Michigan History and should have it 100% done by Wednesday. Student teaching is totally awesome at Lincoln Elementary.

I am loving my third graders, it will be hard to leave them since I have only been with them for such a short time. I am planning a South Africa day the last day I have them, Oct 15, so they can experience the culture too. I plan on having my third graders at Lincoln pen pal with my students in South Africa. I think that would be such a learning experience for both sides as well as myself.

My immunizations made me slightly sick, fever, stomach ache, so I took today off to recuperate. I am feeling much better and I refuse to get sick for the next three weeks. Can't happen, too much to do. I am dreaming of all the traveling I will get to do the last 2 weeks in South Africa. Wine tours, elephant parks, safaris, shark diving, bungee jumping....man oh man.

All for now,
Miss P

Beginning of the School Year!

So here we are....a few more days until school starts. I will be teaching the first half of my semester at Lincoln Elementary School in South Haven, MI. My cooperating teacher, Carrie, is fantastic and I know I am going to learn a lot about whole group teaching, pacing and general education curriculum from her. I am excited to start my unit plan which will be on Michigan. The curriculum in South Haven focuses a lot on Michigan History. I plan on also doing a special day focused on South Africa so my students can make the connection that I will be leaving soon to teach there. I would love for my students at Lincoln to correspond with my students at Kingswood College through blogging and writing letters. I think that would be an experience that would help motivate students to WRITE as well as it would be very relevant and tangible insofar as the letters would be coming from where I am located!

All for now....

Miss P

Can't wait to leave!!

I am so excited to leave for South Africa and start my adventure! I will be teaching at Kingswood College, which is a boarding school in Grahamstown that emphasizes helping students to reach their full potential through individual attention focusing on building self-esteem, self-motivation and independence. 

Check it out:
http://www.kingswoodcollege.com/