December 13th-December 17th 2010
It is hard to believe that my time at Monchy Primary School has come to an end. I had an amazing experience and have learned so much from the staff and students. I became a part of an entirely different culture which allowed me to appreciate the richness and value of diversity within our world. The teachers took time to take me around the island and experience some of the natural beauty and history St. Lucia has to offer. They welcomed me into their school as if I was one of their own. I am leaving the island with not only professional mentors, but lifelong friends. I was nervous to go abroad on my own, but I think the independence allowed me to form stronger relationships than I would have if someone else were with me. I found the confidence to open up and fully embrace a life much different from my own and in all reality, I enjoyed every second of it. I formed close relationships with my students and feel that I was able to reach each of them in a productive and efficient manner. In overwhelming and sometimes chaotic situations, I was able to pull myself together and empower my students to learn. I was a supportive teacher who emphasized the importance of education to a group of students who lacked that value and support at home. They confided in me what they felt they could not tell others and looked to me for guidance. I became not only a teacher, but also a role model, mother, sister and friend.
I think saying goodbye to my colleagues and students was by far the hardest thing I had to do in St. Lucia. My last day at Monchy was spent watching and facilitating the all-school Christmas concert. It was an awesome experience and a great way to end the term. However, the day ended with lots of heartfelt goodbyes and a few a tears. The teachers and both my grade six classes gave me gifts that I will cherish forever. I plan to go back to St. Lucia and visit in the future. But until then, I will continue to be in contact with the teachers and students when I return to Wisconsin. I have created bonds with many of them that will not be severed by distance. My words of advice to future student teachers would be: Take advantage of all opportunities that come your way. Learn, Live and Explore. The world has much more to offer than what lies immediately before us.
Goodbye St. Lucia xoxo
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Week Eight: Interactive Learning
December 6th- December 10th 2010
The main focus for this week was expository writing. The students learned how to explain a process in writing using the appropriate transitional words and fillers. I wanted to make the lesson exciting and interactive for the whole class so I decided to introduce the lesson by teaching the students how to bake a cake. I brought the supplies/ingredients needed to bake a cake and wrote out the steps on large strips of paper. The students put the steps in order on the chalkboard and came forward to perform the designated step after he/she placed it correctly on the board. The students really seemed to enjoy the activity and were eager to participate.
After the cake was prepared and ready to bake, we looked over the steps listed on the chalkboard. We then spent time discussing how these steps could be put into paragraph form (introduction,conclusion,your own details, etc). Students were then asked to use these steps to write a paragraph explaining how to make a cake. After correcting the paragraphs, I reviewed the concept with the students and discussed the general errors I found when correcting their work. I shared a few examples to show the students what was acceptable and what did not fully meet the requirements. Students were then asked to correct their paragraphs and resubmit them.
I did not give grades for the cake baking paragraphs, but instead used them as practice. The students were then asked to write an instructional paragraph on how to prepare their favorite dish. I reminded them that they must explain the process thoroughly, as though I had never heard of or made the dish before. This allowed me to see how well they understood and could use expository writing. I decided that I would assess them on their favorite dish paragraph after giving them one chance to make corrections. I found that most students understood the lesson on expository writing well, but simply just needed a little more practice with it. We spent the remainder of the week building their skills and reviewing expository writing. They were also able to do some peer editing which helped many of them to see the errors they were making. Overall, I think this was a successful lesson and I used a fun and effective way to get the students to understand the concepts.
The main focus for this week was expository writing. The students learned how to explain a process in writing using the appropriate transitional words and fillers. I wanted to make the lesson exciting and interactive for the whole class so I decided to introduce the lesson by teaching the students how to bake a cake. I brought the supplies/ingredients needed to bake a cake and wrote out the steps on large strips of paper. The students put the steps in order on the chalkboard and came forward to perform the designated step after he/she placed it correctly on the board. The students really seemed to enjoy the activity and were eager to participate.
After the cake was prepared and ready to bake, we looked over the steps listed on the chalkboard. We then spent time discussing how these steps could be put into paragraph form (introduction,conclusion,your own details, etc). Students were then asked to use these steps to write a paragraph explaining how to make a cake. After correcting the paragraphs, I reviewed the concept with the students and discussed the general errors I found when correcting their work. I shared a few examples to show the students what was acceptable and what did not fully meet the requirements. Students were then asked to correct their paragraphs and resubmit them.
I did not give grades for the cake baking paragraphs, but instead used them as practice. The students were then asked to write an instructional paragraph on how to prepare their favorite dish. I reminded them that they must explain the process thoroughly, as though I had never heard of or made the dish before. This allowed me to see how well they understood and could use expository writing. I decided that I would assess them on their favorite dish paragraph after giving them one chance to make corrections. I found that most students understood the lesson on expository writing well, but simply just needed a little more practice with it. We spent the remainder of the week building their skills and reviewing expository writing. They were also able to do some peer editing which helped many of them to see the errors they were making. Overall, I think this was a successful lesson and I used a fun and effective way to get the students to understand the concepts.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Week Seven: Eager to Learn
November 29th-December 3rd 2010
Every week the students review how to identify the main idea of a passage. This is a skill that they will need to use on their Common Entrance Exam. We usually do one together as a class and then students are instructed to do one on their own. After correcting them, it seems that most students are able to identify the topic and main idea of a passage. I think it is good that the teachers consistently review this with them because I have noticed that many have continued to improve over the past few weeks.
The students also have to read a weekly passage and answer the corresponding comprehensive questions. We read the passage together as a class and discussed any unfamiliar words or sections talked about. Students then must answer the multiple choice questions that follow on their own. This activity makes students think at a higher level because most of the questions cannot be directly answered by using the text. Students are forced to read, comprehend and apply their knowledge to the passage in order to answer the questions correctly.
Another main focus this week was introducing the formal letter of complaint. Students were familiar with writing a friendly letter from prior lessons, but had not yet dealt with the letter of complaint. It was nice that they at least had a frame of reference which they could compare this new knowledge to. I had to explain the components necessary to form a letter of complaint and then we constructed one on the board together as a class.
The remainder of the week had a large focus on grammar and punctuation. We discussed various topics: words with "ie" and "ei," homophones, internal punctuation (commas,apostrophes,quotations), and subject/verb agreement.I was a little nervous about teaching grammar and punctuation because I have never had to do so yet. I tried to make it as interesting as possible by allowing the students to get out of their seats and participate in partner and/or group work. Students came up to the chalkboard to write answers, which was something they seemed to really enjoy. They learned how to encourage and guide one another. Peer to peer correction seemed to really help the students understand the material.
Students at Monchy mainly use recitation and repetition to learn the curriculum, so they were very interested in any active approaches I tried to integrate into the lessons. For example, I gave each student a card with a word on it and they were asked to pair up with another student based on some type of similarity (compound words,homophones,etc.). The students really enjoyed the active participation and responded well to the activity. They also had to share a brief explanation of why they paired up with the person they did. It was a great way to start a lesson and get students interested. Not to mention, students felt that they had a sense of familiarity with the topic as a result of the opening activity.
Every week the students review how to identify the main idea of a passage. This is a skill that they will need to use on their Common Entrance Exam. We usually do one together as a class and then students are instructed to do one on their own. After correcting them, it seems that most students are able to identify the topic and main idea of a passage. I think it is good that the teachers consistently review this with them because I have noticed that many have continued to improve over the past few weeks.
The students also have to read a weekly passage and answer the corresponding comprehensive questions. We read the passage together as a class and discussed any unfamiliar words or sections talked about. Students then must answer the multiple choice questions that follow on their own. This activity makes students think at a higher level because most of the questions cannot be directly answered by using the text. Students are forced to read, comprehend and apply their knowledge to the passage in order to answer the questions correctly.
Another main focus this week was introducing the formal letter of complaint. Students were familiar with writing a friendly letter from prior lessons, but had not yet dealt with the letter of complaint. It was nice that they at least had a frame of reference which they could compare this new knowledge to. I had to explain the components necessary to form a letter of complaint and then we constructed one on the board together as a class.
The remainder of the week had a large focus on grammar and punctuation. We discussed various topics: words with "ie" and "ei," homophones, internal punctuation (commas,apostrophes,quotations), and subject/verb agreement.I was a little nervous about teaching grammar and punctuation because I have never had to do so yet. I tried to make it as interesting as possible by allowing the students to get out of their seats and participate in partner and/or group work. Students came up to the chalkboard to write answers, which was something they seemed to really enjoy. They learned how to encourage and guide one another. Peer to peer correction seemed to really help the students understand the material.
Students at Monchy mainly use recitation and repetition to learn the curriculum, so they were very interested in any active approaches I tried to integrate into the lessons. For example, I gave each student a card with a word on it and they were asked to pair up with another student based on some type of similarity (compound words,homophones,etc.). The students really enjoyed the active participation and responded well to the activity. They also had to share a brief explanation of why they paired up with the person they did. It was a great way to start a lesson and get students interested. Not to mention, students felt that they had a sense of familiarity with the topic as a result of the opening activity.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Week Six: Back to School
November 22nd-November 26th 2010
Students returned to school on Monday, but it was not a typical school day. We gathered together for the morning assembly and briefly discussed the hurricane. We prayed like usual, but particularly focused on the hurricane victims. Students also commented on how thankful they were that more damage did not occur and that God protected them throughout this tragedy. Students were dismissed from the assembly and went back to their individual classrooms to debrief with their homeroom class.
In grade six, we started by having students share stories about their hurricane experience. It was very interesting to see how detailed their recollections were. One girl was somewhat broken up about the damage that was done to her house, but stated how quickly members of the community came to her family's aid. The roof on her house completely came off and several windows were broken. However, she still had a positive outlook on things and was thankful that her house is still standing. I thought it was very neat how many of these students were still able to see the light during such a devastating time.
The students watched a video about Hurricane Tomas that some of the teachers put together. Since most of the severe damage occurred in the Southern part of the island, students had not yet been completely exposed to it all. I thought the students were very receptive to the video, which helped to make our debriefing session even more beneficial. It was nice to see the students come together and console one another.
The remainder of the week was spent reviewing prior concepts that were taught before the hurricane. Principal Jean did not want the teachers to dive right into the curriculum again and introduce new topics. Teachers were asked to construct a plan for review so that they could determine where the students were at and what they remembered. The first term of the school year is usually the biggest teaching term. A lot of time was lost, however, it is important to make sure that the students did not forget what was already taught. New concepts will be introduced next week.
Students returned to school on Monday, but it was not a typical school day. We gathered together for the morning assembly and briefly discussed the hurricane. We prayed like usual, but particularly focused on the hurricane victims. Students also commented on how thankful they were that more damage did not occur and that God protected them throughout this tragedy. Students were dismissed from the assembly and went back to their individual classrooms to debrief with their homeroom class.
In grade six, we started by having students share stories about their hurricane experience. It was very interesting to see how detailed their recollections were. One girl was somewhat broken up about the damage that was done to her house, but stated how quickly members of the community came to her family's aid. The roof on her house completely came off and several windows were broken. However, she still had a positive outlook on things and was thankful that her house is still standing. I thought it was very neat how many of these students were still able to see the light during such a devastating time.
The students watched a video about Hurricane Tomas that some of the teachers put together. Since most of the severe damage occurred in the Southern part of the island, students had not yet been completely exposed to it all. I thought the students were very receptive to the video, which helped to make our debriefing session even more beneficial. It was nice to see the students come together and console one another.
The remainder of the week was spent reviewing prior concepts that were taught before the hurricane. Principal Jean did not want the teachers to dive right into the curriculum again and introduce new topics. Teachers were asked to construct a plan for review so that they could determine where the students were at and what they remembered. The first term of the school year is usually the biggest teaching term. A lot of time was lost, however, it is important to make sure that the students did not forget what was already taught. New concepts will be introduced next week.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Week Five: Tutoring
November 15th-November 19th 2010
School has still not resumed yet. Troy Nestor and I coordinated tutoring sessions for grade six students to attend throughout this week. The lessons are not mandatory, but students are highly encouraged to attend them. As previously stated, students have lost a lot of learning time due to the hurricane. The Common Entrance Exam is quickly approaching and students need all the study time they can get.
Troy and I had difficulty finding other teachers who were willing and able to give tutoring lessons this week. Many have children of their own and could not make the appropriate arrangements for childcare. The Ministry of Education suggested that no tutoring takes place because of the lack of water. However, we were able to use a community center near the school, that has a water tank, to conduct lessons. Out of the 40 grade six students, we had a turn out of about 20. It was nice to see that some students were able to come and make use of the extra lessons. Hurricane damage did make is difficult for everyone to reach the school grounds. Some roads are still blocked and bus transportation is still not back to normal.
The students seemed very eager to come back to school. Many of them said that they were bored spending so much time at home. School is not only a learning institution for them, but also a place to grow and develop socially. They missed not only the academics, but also their peers and the staff. The same students attended the lessons throughout the whole week, however, we did have to back track at times to compensate for the new-comers who straggled in over the week.
The lessons were 4 hours long, focusing particularly on Math and English. This was because Troy and I were the only teachers who were available to tutor. He taught Math to the students and I taught English,but we both helped each other carry out the lessons. It was nice to have another person to continually make sure the students were on the right track. It was refreshing to come back and see the students so anxious to learn and participate.
After lessons on Friday (November 19th), we had an all staff meeting at Monchy to discuss how things would unfold when classes resumed on Monday (November 22nd). Principal Jean stressed the importance of taking a day to debrief about the hurricane with the students. Teachers were instructed to counsel the students and show how lessons can be learned from a tragedy. A counselor came in to talk with the staff and share appropriate ways to discuss the event with the students. Many of them were personally affected by the disaster and it is extremely important that the students know they have continual support from all members of the school.
We also learned that the CEE will be pushed back 2 weeks later than planned due to the loss of teaching time. Principal Jean also decided that formal examinations will be suspended until after Christmas break. The rest of the term will be spent reviewing and teaching new concepts.
School has still not resumed yet. Troy Nestor and I coordinated tutoring sessions for grade six students to attend throughout this week. The lessons are not mandatory, but students are highly encouraged to attend them. As previously stated, students have lost a lot of learning time due to the hurricane. The Common Entrance Exam is quickly approaching and students need all the study time they can get.
Troy and I had difficulty finding other teachers who were willing and able to give tutoring lessons this week. Many have children of their own and could not make the appropriate arrangements for childcare. The Ministry of Education suggested that no tutoring takes place because of the lack of water. However, we were able to use a community center near the school, that has a water tank, to conduct lessons. Out of the 40 grade six students, we had a turn out of about 20. It was nice to see that some students were able to come and make use of the extra lessons. Hurricane damage did make is difficult for everyone to reach the school grounds. Some roads are still blocked and bus transportation is still not back to normal.
The students seemed very eager to come back to school. Many of them said that they were bored spending so much time at home. School is not only a learning institution for them, but also a place to grow and develop socially. They missed not only the academics, but also their peers and the staff. The same students attended the lessons throughout the whole week, however, we did have to back track at times to compensate for the new-comers who straggled in over the week.
The lessons were 4 hours long, focusing particularly on Math and English. This was because Troy and I were the only teachers who were available to tutor. He taught Math to the students and I taught English,but we both helped each other carry out the lessons. It was nice to have another person to continually make sure the students were on the right track. It was refreshing to come back and see the students so anxious to learn and participate.
After lessons on Friday (November 19th), we had an all staff meeting at Monchy to discuss how things would unfold when classes resumed on Monday (November 22nd). Principal Jean stressed the importance of taking a day to debrief about the hurricane with the students. Teachers were instructed to counsel the students and show how lessons can be learned from a tragedy. A counselor came in to talk with the staff and share appropriate ways to discuss the event with the students. Many of them were personally affected by the disaster and it is extremely important that the students know they have continual support from all members of the school.
We also learned that the CEE will be pushed back 2 weeks later than planned due to the loss of teaching time. Principal Jean also decided that formal examinations will be suspended until after Christmas break. The rest of the term will be spent reviewing and teaching new concepts.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Week Four: Helping Hands
November 8th-November 12th 2010
Unfortunately, the damage from the hurricane has still left the island with a tremendous amount of damage and inconveniences. All the schools were still closed this past week due to the lack of water--teachers/principals were uncertain when that problem would be resolved. Children cannot attend school when there is no water and although the island was working hard to restore it, there was no guarantee when it would be back. Thankfully most of the areas on the island had the water restored by Sunday evening (Nov. 14th), although some areas have not yet been reached.
The Ministry of Education called a meeting with all the principals of the schools on the island to discuss when school would resume. The meeting took place on Friday, so water had not reached all areas yet. They decided that school would have to resume on Monday (Nov. 22nd) regardless because students were missing out on too much. However, a natural disaster is unpredictable and unavoidable so there is only so much someone can do in these circumstances.
I went to the local private hospital to help sort out clothes, shoes, toiletries, food, toys, etc. that were donated for the hurricane victims who lost everything. Myself and the other volunteers were extremely delighted with the wonderful turn out we had. The people of St. Lucia really came together and donated a great deal of supplies for those in need. We separated the items and delivered them to several different areas on the island that were affected. I could not believe some of the damage that still remained in the Southern part upon traveling there! I have been trying to stay active and help out as much as I can with this disaster.
This week Monday (Nov. 15th) I started tutoring many of the grade six students to help them prepare for the CEE and make-up for the lost learning time due to the hurricane. I will post more about this in detail on my next blog entry.
Unfortunately, the damage from the hurricane has still left the island with a tremendous amount of damage and inconveniences. All the schools were still closed this past week due to the lack of water--teachers/principals were uncertain when that problem would be resolved. Children cannot attend school when there is no water and although the island was working hard to restore it, there was no guarantee when it would be back. Thankfully most of the areas on the island had the water restored by Sunday evening (Nov. 14th), although some areas have not yet been reached.
The Ministry of Education called a meeting with all the principals of the schools on the island to discuss when school would resume. The meeting took place on Friday, so water had not reached all areas yet. They decided that school would have to resume on Monday (Nov. 22nd) regardless because students were missing out on too much. However, a natural disaster is unpredictable and unavoidable so there is only so much someone can do in these circumstances.
I went to the local private hospital to help sort out clothes, shoes, toiletries, food, toys, etc. that were donated for the hurricane victims who lost everything. Myself and the other volunteers were extremely delighted with the wonderful turn out we had. The people of St. Lucia really came together and donated a great deal of supplies for those in need. We separated the items and delivered them to several different areas on the island that were affected. I could not believe some of the damage that still remained in the Southern part upon traveling there! I have been trying to stay active and help out as much as I can with this disaster.
This week Monday (Nov. 15th) I started tutoring many of the grade six students to help them prepare for the CEE and make-up for the lost learning time due to the hurricane. I will post more about this in detail on my next blog entry.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Week Three: The Hurricane
November 1st-November 5th 2010
I woke up Saturday morning (October 30th) to high winds and rain. The power was out by mid-afternoon Saturaday and did not come back on for a couple days. The storm quickly turned into a hurricane, leaving no time for anyone to make the appropriate preparations. Everyone was advised to stay in their homes. All the businesses shut down so that the entire island could take shelter. I was a little frieghtened and nervous that I was experiencing my first hurricane, but everyone at the house helped to keep me calm.
I felt safe inside the house, but I could see that the hurricane was likely to do some damage on the island. The two skylights in our hallway at the house actually blew out, so it was pouring rain in the hallway all night. My host family and I put out towels, buckets, cushions, etc. to catch the water, but it still seemed to be seeping in everywhere. The doors to all three bedrooms as well as the bathroom do not close now because the water caused them to swell up. I tried to help with some of the cleaning once the hurricane passed, but it is hard to do it properly with no water.
Apparently the island has not had a hurricane since the 1980's! The hurricane that occurred nearly 30 years ago was considered between a category 4 and 5 because of the high winds of 150 mph. This hurricane was considered a category1 because the winds were between 50-75 mph. However, the slower the hurricane, the more damage and devastation that occurs. This hurricane actually cause a lot more damage on the island than the one that hit years ago. In fact, this is the worst disaster in the island's history! The most severe damage was done in the Southwestern part of the island (I am in the north), although all parts of the island were affected in some way. This hurricane also remained stationary over St. Lucia for a while which did not help.
Due to the mountainous terrain, there were also a ton of landslides. Bridges collapsed, houses were demolished, yachts/boats sank, roads were destroyed, and many people are dealing with a tremendous amount of mud and water damage. Many places, including the schools, are covered in goopy, thick mud. Some areas are not even reachable by road, so they are bringing help in by helicopter and boat. So far 14 people have been declared dead with a number still missing. Debris is everywhere, trees, cars, fences, leaves, garbage, roofs, and much more is strewn all over the place. I have seen large steel signs torn in half and houses with no roofs. It is hard to believe that so much damage can occur fomr one event. I know the men and women are working hard here to restore the island, but it will definitely take a lot of time and effort.
All the schools are closed due to the hurricane damage. Some schools are worse than others, but they all have been affected. I went to Monchy Primary School on Monday (Novemeber 1st) with some teachers to check out the damage. It did not appear to be too horrible, just a lot of broken trees, branches, and leaves everywhere. Many of the classrooms had mud and water in them , but the damage was not horrendous. Part of the roof started peeling up as well, but luckily it did not come off. It seemed to me that the damage could be taken care of before the week was over, but they cannot have school because many of the roads and bridges that lead to the school are down and therefore kids will be unable to get there. Also, the fact that there is no water plays a big factor.
I was also able to check out another local school to see what problems they were dealing with there. Although it is not a very prestigious school, it is newly built and has more protection than Monchy. However, they have piles beyond piles of that thick, wet mud everywhere. It was in the hallways, classrooms, offices, etc. and there was a LOT. I almost slipped a few times just trying to walk around in there. There was nothing any of the teachers could do yet besides start shoveling it up. However, they have no water to wash anything with and nowhere to take all this mud!
I have been helping to clean several different schools, but now most are at a stand-still due to the lack of water. I have been in continual contact with the teachers and have visited Monchy a few more times to make sure things are getting back in order. There will be a meeting this week to determine possible solutions to this problem. If school does not resume by Monday (November 15th), I will be able to help out and faciliate some tutoring sessions (especially important to Grade 6 who has the CEE in June).
I woke up Saturday morning (October 30th) to high winds and rain. The power was out by mid-afternoon Saturaday and did not come back on for a couple days. The storm quickly turned into a hurricane, leaving no time for anyone to make the appropriate preparations. Everyone was advised to stay in their homes. All the businesses shut down so that the entire island could take shelter. I was a little frieghtened and nervous that I was experiencing my first hurricane, but everyone at the house helped to keep me calm.
I felt safe inside the house, but I could see that the hurricane was likely to do some damage on the island. The two skylights in our hallway at the house actually blew out, so it was pouring rain in the hallway all night. My host family and I put out towels, buckets, cushions, etc. to catch the water, but it still seemed to be seeping in everywhere. The doors to all three bedrooms as well as the bathroom do not close now because the water caused them to swell up. I tried to help with some of the cleaning once the hurricane passed, but it is hard to do it properly with no water.
Apparently the island has not had a hurricane since the 1980's! The hurricane that occurred nearly 30 years ago was considered between a category 4 and 5 because of the high winds of 150 mph. This hurricane was considered a category1 because the winds were between 50-75 mph. However, the slower the hurricane, the more damage and devastation that occurs. This hurricane actually cause a lot more damage on the island than the one that hit years ago. In fact, this is the worst disaster in the island's history! The most severe damage was done in the Southwestern part of the island (I am in the north), although all parts of the island were affected in some way. This hurricane also remained stationary over St. Lucia for a while which did not help.
Due to the mountainous terrain, there were also a ton of landslides. Bridges collapsed, houses were demolished, yachts/boats sank, roads were destroyed, and many people are dealing with a tremendous amount of mud and water damage. Many places, including the schools, are covered in goopy, thick mud. Some areas are not even reachable by road, so they are bringing help in by helicopter and boat. So far 14 people have been declared dead with a number still missing. Debris is everywhere, trees, cars, fences, leaves, garbage, roofs, and much more is strewn all over the place. I have seen large steel signs torn in half and houses with no roofs. It is hard to believe that so much damage can occur fomr one event. I know the men and women are working hard here to restore the island, but it will definitely take a lot of time and effort.
All the schools are closed due to the hurricane damage. Some schools are worse than others, but they all have been affected. I went to Monchy Primary School on Monday (Novemeber 1st) with some teachers to check out the damage. It did not appear to be too horrible, just a lot of broken trees, branches, and leaves everywhere. Many of the classrooms had mud and water in them , but the damage was not horrendous. Part of the roof started peeling up as well, but luckily it did not come off. It seemed to me that the damage could be taken care of before the week was over, but they cannot have school because many of the roads and bridges that lead to the school are down and therefore kids will be unable to get there. Also, the fact that there is no water plays a big factor.
I was also able to check out another local school to see what problems they were dealing with there. Although it is not a very prestigious school, it is newly built and has more protection than Monchy. However, they have piles beyond piles of that thick, wet mud everywhere. It was in the hallways, classrooms, offices, etc. and there was a LOT. I almost slipped a few times just trying to walk around in there. There was nothing any of the teachers could do yet besides start shoveling it up. However, they have no water to wash anything with and nowhere to take all this mud!
I have been helping to clean several different schools, but now most are at a stand-still due to the lack of water. I have been in continual contact with the teachers and have visited Monchy a few more times to make sure things are getting back in order. There will be a meeting this week to determine possible solutions to this problem. If school does not resume by Monday (November 15th), I will be able to help out and faciliate some tutoring sessions (especially important to Grade 6 who has the CEE in June).
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Week Two: National Creole Celebration
October 25th-October 29th 2010
This past Friday the school celebrated Jounen Kweyol (National Creole Day). I came to school earlier than usual to prepare for the celebration and help with the cooking. The teachers were preparing the original Creole dishes and it took an immense amount of time and effort. The students were asked to pay eight dollars for the meal. They had a choice between bouillon (a stew that contains beans, peas, lamb and dumplings) OR salt fish and figs. I chose to try the bouillon because I had already tasted the salt fish before. The bouillon did not look very appealing, but it tasted good. I think my favorite part of it was the dumplings. I saw the amount of time it took to make these dumplings and even helped make a few myself. It is pretty time consuming and your hands start to hurt after a while from kneading the dough so much. They really work the dough until it is completely smooth and round... forming the perfect dumpling. They also had breakfast foods, which included fish cakes, floats (sweet bread/donut thing), buns, a delicious bread (coconut, cinnamon, and sugar), lime juice and cocoa tea. I was fortunate enough to try everything and I really enjoyed it all. The cocoa tea was a little different…it reminded me of hot coco, but it had more of the herbal tea flavor. I thought it was nice that they offered breakfast to the students, but it was not included in the eight dollars they had to pay for lunch so they needed to pay extra if they wanted anything.
This past Friday the school celebrated Jounen Kweyol (National Creole Day). I came to school earlier than usual to prepare for the celebration and help with the cooking. The teachers were preparing the original Creole dishes and it took an immense amount of time and effort. The students were asked to pay eight dollars for the meal. They had a choice between bouillon (a stew that contains beans, peas, lamb and dumplings) OR salt fish and figs. I chose to try the bouillon because I had already tasted the salt fish before. The bouillon did not look very appealing, but it tasted good. I think my favorite part of it was the dumplings. I saw the amount of time it took to make these dumplings and even helped make a few myself. It is pretty time consuming and your hands start to hurt after a while from kneading the dough so much. They really work the dough until it is completely smooth and round... forming the perfect dumpling. They also had breakfast foods, which included fish cakes, floats (sweet bread/donut thing), buns, a delicious bread (coconut, cinnamon, and sugar), lime juice and cocoa tea. I was fortunate enough to try everything and I really enjoyed it all. The cocoa tea was a little different…it reminded me of hot coco, but it had more of the herbal tea flavor. I thought it was nice that they offered breakfast to the students, but it was not included in the eight dollars they had to pay for lunch so they needed to pay extra if they wanted anything.
Everyone dresses in a certain type of plaid for the holiday, which was pretty neat to see. All the kids came to school in their little outfits and looked absolutely adorable. I spent a lot of the day talking with the kids and learning about the culture. When I first got there the students were firing off bamboo bursts. It is basically a large bamboo chute that is propped on the ground and faces up into the air. There is a small hole on the top of the bamboo where you can pour kerosene in. The grade six boys were shooting them off so they showed me how to do it. You then blow into the hole, light a stick on fire and place the fire into the hole and then blow air into it again. It makes a loud booming sound as the air/flame shoots out the end. It was fun to watch and cool to see all the students enjoying it so much.
The school was decorated very nice with lots of palms, plaid, and Creole signs hanging up all over. The teachers were speaking a lot of Creole, which was hard for me to understand, but they seemed to be somewhat conscientious of it and would translate for me here and there. It was nice because Amber and Brian (couple from the Peace Corps) were there too and they do not really know much Creole either so I did not feel like the only outcast. I have been learning a few words though which is nice, but it seems like a difficult language to catch on to.
There was a man that came to the school and showed the children how to weave baskets which was really neat. He let a couple of the students try to do it themselves too, but it was amazing how quickly he could get it done. I guess when that is your profession you learn to do the job fast and well. One of the classrooms was also basically turned into a dance floor where most of the children gathered to sing and dance to the souka music. Souka music is fast paced and has some vulgar language and words in it, but it is the typical dance/clubbing music that you will hear on the island (I would say it is a mix between rap and a fast reggae). Calipso is another type of music you may hear on the island, but it often contains a story or a message, usually a political one. I found that the students dance very provocatively in St. Lucia regardless of age. It does not matter if you are an adult or a child; they all learn the same dance moves. It looks a lot like what we would consider grinding
The students were each charged a dollar in order to enter the dance room. I thought this was logical seeing that they were trying to fundraise for the school, but I also thought it was unfair because many students did not have the money to enter the room. I think they should have at least told them ahead of time that there would be an activity like this that would require them to bring extra money. I ended up giving one young girl a dollar to enter because she was balling in the corner of an empty classroom. I felt so bad and I figured it was just one dollar. I know Amber ended up giving a dollar to another young boy who was angry and pouting on a chair. Amber and I both thought it was not really fair to charge the students a dollar, but it again was not our place to say anything. We were also a little concerned about the students that did not get to eat lunch because they did not have/bring the money. It did not seem right, but that is the way they do things. Some of the students just didn’t eat and others brought a bag lunch.
It ended up being a really fun day and I was glad I got to be a part of the celebration. Monchy is the community holding the celebration in the northern part of the island this year so that works out great for me. They already had people setting up for it all around the community. They even built little huts out of sticks and aluminum to represent the way people on the island used to live. They have started preparing food, drinks, music, and crafts particular to the natives that were on the island years ago in order for the community to celebrate and understand the culture they have evolved from.
The whole island had been preparing for the big celebration, which was supposed to take place this Sunday (October 31st). However, an unexpected hurricane came through the island and all celebrations were cancelled as a result. Apparently they will be post-poned for a later date, but people who live here claim that it will not be the same.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Week One: Monchy Primary School
October 18th-October 22nd 2010
Monchy Primary School has only about 240 students all together from grades K-6 and a total of 15 teachers. The entire school is outside which was something much different than I am used to at home. There is an open courtyard in the center and then all the classrooms are situated around the courtyard. There is one building for the two Kindergarten classes. The classrooms in there are divided by a moveable wall, almost like the walls that make up a cubicle and/or moveable chalkboards. The dividing walls do not go all the way up to the ceiling so the classes can hear each other. There is a larger schoolhouse where the Principal’s office is as well as the classrooms for grades 1-3. Those classrooms are also divided by the moveable walls (with exception to the Principal’s office), so it seems to me like it would be hard to teach in there with so many classes going on at once, but they seem to manage. Grades 4 and 5 are in a separate schoolhouse and each have their own classroom. The classrooms all have no doors and the windows have no screens or glass on them, but instead have aluminum panels that are slit and can be adjusted like blinds. Needless to say, it is usually pretty warm in the classrooms, but the occasional breeze coming through helps a bit. The two grade 6 classes are in a separate building and are set up the same way as grades 4 and 5. All the schoolhouses are very close to each other in proximity so you can see right into one another’s classrooms.
Monchy Primary School has only about 240 students all together from grades K-6 and a total of 15 teachers. The entire school is outside which was something much different than I am used to at home. There is an open courtyard in the center and then all the classrooms are situated around the courtyard. There is one building for the two Kindergarten classes. The classrooms in there are divided by a moveable wall, almost like the walls that make up a cubicle and/or moveable chalkboards. The dividing walls do not go all the way up to the ceiling so the classes can hear each other. There is a larger schoolhouse where the Principal’s office is as well as the classrooms for grades 1-3. Those classrooms are also divided by the moveable walls (with exception to the Principal’s office), so it seems to me like it would be hard to teach in there with so many classes going on at once, but they seem to manage. Grades 4 and 5 are in a separate schoolhouse and each have their own classroom. The classrooms all have no doors and the windows have no screens or glass on them, but instead have aluminum panels that are slit and can be adjusted like blinds. Needless to say, it is usually pretty warm in the classrooms, but the occasional breeze coming through helps a bit. The two grade 6 classes are in a separate building and are set up the same way as grades 4 and 5. All the schoolhouses are very close to each other in proximity so you can see right into one another’s classrooms.
The entire school gathers together every morning for a brief assembly. A different teacher leads the assembly each week. During the assembly, important issues are discussed and the children pray and sing songs together. Principal Jean introduced me to the entire school at the assembly and then gave me an opportunity to speak. (I was not expecting that, but it went fine). I can tell the school has a strong sense of community and religious base. The students are very close to one another and seem to help each other out. It is a Catholic school so religion and prayer are integrated into their daily routine. Everyone returns to their classrooms after the assembly to begin class.
Grade 6 has three different teachers that teach the classes, each with their own subject areas. I will be working with all three, but most closely with the Language Arts teacher, Julietta Benjamin. The students stay in the same classroom with the same classmates all day and the teachers move between classes. This is specific to grade 6 only as most of the other grades have one teacher that teaches all the subjects. Julietta introduced me to both classes and I gave each of the students a Halloween pencil and some candy. They were all very excited and glad that I was there to work with grade 6 (they never had a student teacher before). The classes are mostly lecture based and the teachers use the chalkboard a lot to relay information. The students have a separate notebook that they use for each class and they glue any handouts they get into the notebook. The handouts are limited and the teacher sometimes collects them back so they can be used in both classes. The school has very limited resources, which is one of the main issues there. They have no technology integrated into the classroom either. I spoke with Julietta and she agreed to help me come up with a list of resources that I could give to my co-operating teacher (Stephane) in Green Bay. I spoke with Stephane before I left and we decided that the students back in Wisconsin would have a collection drive and compile some school supplies to send to St. Lucia. Julietta was more than thrilled with the idea.
Monchy Primary School enforces the idea of competition, with the thought in mind that the real world is very competitive and students need to learn that competitive nature now. When students have an assignment or an exam, the teacher reads their scores out loud in front of the whole class before returning them. Grade 6 is also required to take the Common Entrance Exam before they can move onto secondary school. The exam is very competitive as well. The students need to do well on it because it determines the secondary school that they will attend. The higher the score on the exam, the better secondary school the child is able to go to. It is basically like an ACT/SAT for sixth graders! Grade 2 and 4 are also tested at the end of each year with a Minimal Standard Test to make sure that all students are performing at the appropriate level.
The entire school is also divided into four different houses, each with the name of a flower. These houses are used to compete in sports during gym class as well as other academic competitions. The students normally wear blue and yellow uniforms (the school colors), but on gym days or competition days, the students have a uniform that is the color of their flower along with the name of the flower on the back of their shirt.
The students have an hour long lunch from 12:00-1:00. They all eat and run around and play during this time. I decided to walk around and talk with the kids and teachers during my lunch, which was a great opportunity to get to know everyone and get a sense of the school. The children are SO sweet and I got an endless supply of hugs from them. The children look so adorable in their uniforms too! They were all eager to show me around and talk with me. It made me feel very welcome. I also got lots of compliments from them and I took plenty of pictures. They really liked being in pictures, making lots of silly faces. The school area is fairly big and although all the children seem to be running wild, they are definitely aware of their boundaries. There is the main courtyard, a church, restrooms, and a kitchen in close proximity to the classrooms. Other buildings near the school include the library and health room, although they are down the pathway a little ways. Then there is a small hill you can walk down to reach the soccer field, basketball court, a small school store where they sell snacks, water, etc., an ice cream shop, a little restaurant, and a post office. It is basically a small community just for the school. The students are allowed to run around anywhere in this area seeing that it is all part of the school. The teachers do not have assigned areas to supervise and therefore most just sit in the courtyard area or their classrooms to eat lunch and watch over the students. I found it odd that they let the students wander all around with little supervision, but the students did not prove that they needed anything different. It seems like the students know where they are allowed to go within the confines of the school and they do not try to test those boundaries. It also helps that the older students watch out for the younger ones.
The school day runs from 9 am to 3 pm for grades 3-6 and 9 am to 2:30 pm for grades K-2. However, the time slots are very flexible. If the teacher is in the middle of a lesson and needs to continue, they may do so. Some of the classes end up cutting into the next period anywhere from 15-30 minutes. This is something I will definitely need to get used to. Therefore, sometimes the students do not get out of school until well after 3 pm. The bell is rung, by hand, at the appropriate time, but the class does not always end right then. Oddly enough, the students are not watching the clock or waiting to pack their things up, but are engaged in the lesson the entire time.
Classroom management does not seem to be a huge issue at Monchy. The students are very well behaved and show a great amount of respect for their teachers. However, if discipline does need to be put in place, most of the teachers either move the student to a different seat or have them stand at the back of the classroom for a few minutes. The teachers do not want to send them out because then they will have to spend their time re-teaching the student what they missed. Corporal punishment is also allowed in St. Lucia, although it is not institutionalized. The teacher may choose if he or she wants to use that form of punishment. Mr. Nestor, one of the grade 6 teachers, says that he strikes a student on the hand with a stick 4 times if he/she gets a 50% or lower on an exam, 3 times for a 51-64%, 2 times for a 65-79%, and 1 time for anything below a perfect score---Not exactly sure if the percentages are correct, but around there. However, I have not seen this done at the school so far.
Julietta had me correct the spelling tests, which was definitely different because they do not use the same marks that we do in the U.S.A. They put a check mark by every answer that is correct and a dot by the answers that are wrong. It took me a little bit to get used to that seeing that we normally put a check by answers that are wrong. I was able to pass back their spelling tests and some other papers so I could start putting names to faces. I read the names out loud, which the students found funny because I pronounce them differently than they are used to hearing. It is weird to be in a place where I am the one with the accent!
I spoke with Julietta about the school system in St. Lucia and found out some interesting things. Anyone may become a teacher immediately after they graduate from high school. They do not need any type of degree or certification! They have an orientation prior to teaching that focuses on teaching methods, but that is all. They may go on to get a degree and/or certification, but it is not required. However, the more education they have, the higher they are paid. This shocked me, seeing that I had to go to four years of college before I could even enter the classroom. However, Julietta said she feels that the U.S. way is more effective because she felt so overwhelmed and under prepared when she entered into the field and going to school before hand would have eliminated some of these uneasy feelings.
We also spoke about differentiated teaching in the classroom and the approaches they take in St. Lucia. Julietta says they basically do whatever they can to help every student, but they have not come up with any revolutionary solution. Correcting the spelling tests gave me an idea of the wide variety of skill levels that each grade 6 class consisted of. Some students did remarkably well, some were average, and some did not do so good. There were two students in particular whose test caught my attention. The spelling words were a jumble of letters, some not even containing a single letter needed to spell the word. I honestly asked Julietta if it was written in a different language, thinking maybe they were writing in the French Creole. However, this was not the case. I was appalled that these students were so far behind! How do you even begin to teach them when they never even mastered the skills they should have in the first grade?!? How did they get this far in the system without getting help? Julietta asked herself the same questions and said if I have any ideas they are more than open to trying them. I plan on brainstorming about this and hopefully can find some way to help them!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Objectives
- I enjoy learning about other cultures and am willing to try new things.
- I want to learn about the educational system and values in St. Lucia and experience something outside my comfort zone in hopes that it will make me a stronger, more open minded teacher.
- I will look at the different teaching styles, curriculum, goals/objectives, classroom management and the general school system in St. Lucia so that I can see the cross cultural differences and similarities.
- I want to discover more about myself and leave with some useful strategies/philosophies that I can use back in Wisconsin, both personally and academically.
- I will take advantage of all opportunities while I am in St. Lucia and take the time to learn about and appreciate a culture and way of life that is different from my own.
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