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
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
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
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
Sunday, October 24, 2010
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
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
Friday, October 22, 2010
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...
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...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
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 =)
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 =)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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 =)
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