Shattering Stereotypes

March 4, 2017 | Krista

To continue the progress we’d made on teaching civil discourse earlier this school year, we challenged students to reflect upon and shatter stereotypes.

Our jumping off point was “The Lie,” a powerful video produced by students at a local elementary school, examining untrue stereotypes about religious, racial, and gender groups. Read more about the video’s production and perception here and here.

After viewing the video, students listed unfair labels or judgments that they had experienced due to their gender, age, religion, race, appearance, national background, or any other characteristic. They completed the sentence “I’m not…” with a label they’d heard, and wrote it on an index card. Here are a few:

I’m not…weak because I’m a girl/from the forest just because I’m African/stupid/unable to speak English/dirty/a terrorist/overly sensitive/ashamed of who I am/mixed-up

Using an activity adapted from one developed by this Alabama teacher, students then displayed the index cards anonymously. Each student selected one of their classmate’s cards to reflect upon in writing, describing how they could help shatter the stereotype by showing the world the truth.

As a school, we created a “We Are” display, filled with characteristics that do describe us. The display is located in the main hallway, greeting guests as they enter the building. We are…proud to be a diverse, accepting school!

Electing to teach

December 30, 2016 | Krista

My community near Washington DC is among the most diverse in the United States, with a multiracial population and a large immigrant presence. The students of my school reflect their community, representing over 50 countries. That diversity, along with the welcoming atmosphere of the school and the local community, is what first drew me to teach there. Despite its overall climate of acceptance, my school was not immune to the contentiousness of the recent election.

During a time when ugly rhetoric dominated the news, it was tempting for teachers to avoid the election entirely, and focus instead on teaching only academic content. Yet to do so would have ignored the opportunity to engage students as citizens. By confronting the election instead of retreating, we could teach students more about our messy, fascinating democracy – and also build their communication skills. Adolescents – like many adults – sometimes speak before they think. The question: how to challenge that natural impulse and encourage empathy? We needed a plan.

Part of my job is to develop daily school-wide lessons that reinforce students’ growth as lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and responsible global citizens. By consulting with other teachers and administrators at our school, and using resources from Teaching Tolerance and Edutopia, I created a road map for teachers to use the election as a springboard for teaching civil discourse. Here was the progression of our lessons:

First, we invited students to develop a list of “Rules for Classroom Discussion,” building consensus within each class. I combined the rules formulated by each class and selected the most frequently mentioned as our school-wide “Rules for Discussion.”
We asked students to reflect on collaboration and to role-play effective collaboration skills. Here is a resource our school made to help students understand what effective collaboration looks like.
Students viewed and discussed debate clips like this one for examples of civil discourse – and not-so-civil discourse.
The words of Kid President talking about “How To Disagree” helped underscore the central idea that even those with different perspectives deserve our respect. “Let’s treat people like they are people, people!”
We learned more about the election process with the help of CNN News and iCivics.
After the election, we reflected on its impact. To empower our students and to encourage them to express their opinions in positive, forward-thinking ways, our school participated in “Students Speak” through Teaching Tolerance. This campaign invited students to share their words of advice for the president-elect.

Here are some of the words of our students. I have left the original spelling and grammar intact:

Please take all of America into account. You have sparked fear into so many people’s hearts including mine. Remember that our country fought for our freedom, we deserve freedom to be who we are. I don’t know you, you don’t know me, but I know that you were not who I wanted to win. That doesn’t matter. You won. Please, please, please remember that America is diverse and embrace that diversity. Remember that your words have impact, and think before you speak. Remember that there are struggling people in this country, and it is your job to protect them too, not just the wealthy and well off. Remember that women have the right to control their own bodies. Remember that love is love.

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Dear Mr. Trump,

You’re soon going to be the official president. Congratulations on the victory. Some people may not like you, but I think they are wrong. I hope you do great in office. I hope you make all the right choices. I hope you go with your ideas to make America great again. I hope you do make America great again.

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Dear Mr. President, In school we are learning about the rules of culture. One rule we are learning is that people can accept or resist change. This relates to us because as a young female, I can choose to resist you becoming president of the United States. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have the potential to gain my interest. First off, I am an only child who lives with a single mom. As I have read, your tax plans to a certain extent discriminate single parents. My mom and I, and all the other single-parent families would appreciate if you listen to their perspective. That’s all I’m asking you, just listen. Next off, I come from a very diverse school. Even though I am a white Christian girl, I respect everyone’s opinion, no matter what race, culture, religion, or gender. As leader of our country you must represent EVERYONE. You shouldn’t put someone’s life at risk to make you feel more powerful. In my opinion building a wall and deporting illegal immigrants is not efficient. Instead of deporting them, support them and let them gain citizenship.

How are the lessons going? The process is ongoing, but I’m pleased to report that feedback from staff, students, and parents has been positive. Our students weathered a tough election season and maybe emerged just a little wiser and a little kinder. I’d love to hear what other schools have done to discuss the election with students.

For our next steps as a school, we will continue to examine perspectives and foster communication. This winter, we plan to teach a series of lessons on shattering stereotypes.

More on that to follow in the new year. Wishing you and yours a 2017 full of growth and adventure!

Going home and getting global

October 23, 2016 | Krista

My hometown, site of this year’s Global Education Forum.

Philadelphia is my hometown, and though I no longer live in the area, its proud, gritty sense of character appeals to me. I still cheer for the Flyers and love the LOVE statue. When the opportunity came to return to my hometown as a presenter at the Global Education Forum, I didn’t need to think twice.

Krista at the Global Education Forum in Philadelphia.

The forum brought together teachers, administrators, and thought leaders from all over to discuss best practices in global education. Craig Kielburger and Heidi Hayes-Jacobs inspired with keynote addresses that explored the possibilities for engaging students as thinker and doers, examining perspective and taking action to improve their world.

From Craig Kielburger’s presentation: the traits we want our students to have.

Through the generosity of IREX, several alumni of the Teachers for Global Classrooms were able to travel to the forum and host workshops for other teachers about how to globalize instruction. Sara Damon of Stillwater, Minnesota, Faith Ibarra of Ashburn, Virginia, and I collaborated on our workshop, “Motivating Students and Staff to Take Action on Global Issues.” I was delighted to share my school’s Middle Years Exploration into the topic of poverty, a starting point for future service learning activities. (To check out the exploration, you can join our Google Classroom using code gcempu ).

Sara Damon presenting at the Global Education Forum.

Nothing motivates and inspires quite like connecting with other passionate educators. Thank you, IREX for the opportunity to attend the Global Education forum this year!

Summer adventures

August 28, 2016 | Krista

These last few nights, there’s enough crisp in the air that we can sit out on the porch, watching the sun set behind the crape myrtle. Teachers returned to school last week to prepare for the school year. Our school population has grown enough to merit a huge addition, and over half of the staff moved to new digs, including me. My new office is small and bright, and desperately in need of some wall décor and plant life. Summer is nearly over, and oh, what a summer it was!

My new office, looking spartan.

The day after students finished, when most teachers were still finishing up with packing and submitting grades, I was on a plane to Orlando to attend the Korean War Veterans Digital History Teachers’ Conference. So soon after the tragic events in Orlando, I couldn’t help but connect current events to the historical ones we learned about at the conference. Thoughts of lives cut short, of divisions and community, of tremendous bravery and selflessness…the highlight of the conference was the opportunity to speak to several Korean War veterans, now in their 80s, and hear their stories.

Memorial to the Pulse Victims, Orlando

Later in the summer, I spent ten days on a grand sweep of the Southwestern United States with my husband and stepsons.

Zion National Park

The Narrows at Zion

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon

Mesa Verde National Park

Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque

ABQ Biopark, Albuquerque

The Grand Canyon

The best part of the journey was seeing through the eyes of my stepsons many of the same places that had captivated me as a young child. My parents had the wisdom and endurance to crisscross the country multiple times with three young children in a station wagon, toting a pop up camper. As the National Park Service celebrates its 100^th anniversary, I remember the diverse and beautiful places I had the opportunity to see as a child and an adult.

First time visiting the Grand Canyon

And now I start a new school year with a continued commitment to bring the world to our students, with same can-do spirit that my parents embraced over 30 years ago. Here’s to a year full of adventure, discovery, and joy!

In fine company

September 24, 2015 | Krista

Philippines cohort, East Coast travelers

I traveled to the Philippines this summer along with 13 other wonderful TGC educators from around the United States. Each of us kept a blog to reflect on our experiences and share them with others. Here are some of my fellow teacher’s blogs, each with a unique voice and perspective on the Philippines:

1. Jennifer Anderson of Oregon provides a generous dose of dry humor along with her insights into teaching and learning in a new place in her blog Teach Travel Share.

“I learned that no matter how much of an old dog you are, there are always new tricks to learn.”

2. Adventure Is Out There by Julia Brockman. Julia knows a thing or two about cultural integration; a native of Moldova, she now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Her thoughtful blog contains observant cultural reflection — for example, Julia cites several reasons why you wouldn’t want to be a chicken in the Philippines! She also expresses insight into the educational system and what we can learn from it in the US and beyond.

The Philippines makes me think. How hard is it to make this work in the US or other places? Does it take much time or effort to rise when a teacher or other adult walks into the room? Does it cost anything to wish someone a good morning and smile? We have spent just 2 days in JRU, but almost every student takes time to stop, wish us good morning or afternoon, smile, or at least wave their hand.

3. To the Philippines and Beyond by Alex O’Callaghan Alex’s enthusiasm and energy are contagious. Now living in Chicago , she has roots in the Philippines, including a grandmother who still lives there, and she embraced the people and culture of that country wholeheartedly.

I have been continuously amazed and in awe of the talent and creativity I have seen during my time here in the Philippines, these kids are all around incredible, from the arts to academics, I wish everyone could witness this, they are one of a kind!

4. What’s Bruing by Ilsa Bruer Ilsa of Portland, Oregon personified a spirit of adventure. She traveled solo to Vietnam and Cambodia following her fellowship in the Philippines! Her travel gave her a chance to shape insights into teaching and indulge a love of world cuisines.

As I continued to walk through the city, I contemplated my gratitude for the diverse group of students I teach and how important it is to me to have their unique perspectives in my class every day. I think about how much we can learn from one another, and how much insight can be gained by listening to one another and trying to understand others’ perspectives. We may not all be able to go on trips around the world, but I know with confidence my students bring the world to my classroom.

5. Global Classroooms by Washington, DC teacher Diana Gibson uses Tumblr’s combination of photos and captions to take us on a visual journey of the Philippines. A science teacher, Diana pays special attention to environmentally sustainable practices and instruction.

I also thought the phrase “feedback is a gift” was incredibly powerful. We talk at our school all the time about growth mindset in which feedback truly is a gift. However, I thought a child might not see the “feedback” or correction he receives from his teacher as a gift at all times… but when the teacher does it with love, it is the gift that she cares enough to want her student to do better.

6. Susan Groff of California also noted the positive energy of the Philippines educational institutions in her blog, Fantastic Philippines.

Again, the positive interaction between students and staff was evident throughout the entire school. Students were actively engaged in learning and having fun in the process!

7. Gail Heard of Virginia writes about the resilient community of Tacloban, ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda, with gorgeous prose in her blog Travel Tacloban.

Beauty is everywhere in the Philippines. From the pristine white, pressed uniform shirts of the students climbing out of the crowded, chrome plated, colorfully-painted jeepneys, or tricycles, to the beautifully laid out wares in the market place.

8. The sole man in our cohort, Kev Jones of New York appealed to the people of the Philippines with his friendly spirit and his love of basketball! In his blog, Global Boogie Down, he uses his wisdom from years as a teacher, coach, and mentor to advise the young people of the Philippines:

In the end, my message was that whatever was done…is done. You have to now move forward with the knowledge that every single time you make a decision, you are either moving forward or backwards; what is certain is that you don’t get to remain where you are once you take a decision — any decision. Don’t focus on where you are, but where you want to go…where you are going, and don’t let the setbacks turn you around.

9. Tara Kajtaniak already had experience with global education; she initiated a global studies program at the California high school where she teaches. Her knowledge served her well as she traveled to the Philippines willing to learn more, From the Boondocks to Bacolod:

Truth be told, we have a lot to learn from the amount of joy and warmth present in the community of Bacolod. The streets are teeming with life.

10. Sandra Makielski comes from the smallest state, Rhode Island, but her travel experiences are anything but tiny. She has attended teaching workshops all over the world, and then brings her learning back to her seventh grade social studies classroom. In her blog, Footsteps Across the Planet, she answers many questions asked by her students back home about life in the Philippines.

The students in the schools that I visited listen to pretty much the same music you do. Can you imagine what they said when I did “The Whip”?

11. Joann Martin of Arizona captivated all of us with her open-minded, joyous outlook. She was often the first to engage others in conversation: students, teachers, people on the street. That mindset is clear in her blog, Learning from the Desert.

I love working with teens! The frontal lobe of the brain is still developing in teens, but usually their critical thinking skills have picked up on injustice in the world. They distill complex problems into simple statements of action. If we could remain teenagers forever, we would be more passionate and less jaded. Teenagers see that the world can and should be a much better place. They are our future, and we are in good hands. My heart and my hope hold me in the classroom.

12. I was lucky to have the hilarious Roma Stutts of South Carolina as my travel partner in Iloilo. Roma has taught in China and Peru, and brings her humor and adventurous zest to her blog, Engaging in Our Global Community.

If people laugh at you it may be because they’re nervous or self-conscious. It could also be because you’re funny to them. Get over yourself.

Giving Back to Leganes

September 14, 2015 | Krista

Ever since I met the wonderful students and dedicated staff at Leganes National High School in the Philippines, I have been thinking about how my school community in the United States might help them gain access to much-needed resources. The staff do their work without adequate books or technology, and pay for many needed supplies, even photocopying for lessons, own of their own pockets from their meager salaries. When I returned, I shared the story of Leganes with our school’s leadership team, and asked for ideas for how we could make a difference.

Our extraordinary media specialist Anita jumped right on the idea and suggested centering a fundraiser around International Literacy Day on September 8. Since the school year started on August 31, we needed to move quickly to spread the word and generate enthusiasm.

We organized a “hat day” event on September 8 and 9, where students could wear a hat to school, normally not permitted, in exchange for a one dollar donation to the Leganes fund.

Sixth grade students with me on Hat Day.

Seventh grade hat day participants.

Eighth grade Hat Day students. Note the giant squid hat!

We also wrote announcements to publicize the event, sharing some statistics about Leganes. Student members of the National Junior Honor Society collaborated to create informative posters and announcements. I also spoke to a gathering of parents at our school’s Back to School Night to explain the purpose of our fundraiser. I connected our goals to the school’s International Baccalaureate program, which encourages students to be internationally minded and to serve others.

Raising funds — and awareness.

Result? We raised over $400 which will shortly wing its way to the Philippines to support the school resources fund of Leganes. Even more rewarding than the money raised were the conversations I had with countless teachers, students, and parents who had heard about the fundraiser. Here are some of the repeated themes of those conversations:

We are so fortunate to live where we do.
My school (in Ecuador, Morocco, Uganda, Peru, El Salvador, and so on…) also lacked resources, so I can connect personally to the experience of the students at Leganes.
I’m from the Philippines originally. I love it there, but the poverty can be overwhelming.
I’d like to learn more about Leganes and communicate with the students there.
So, when are you going back?

Literacy king and queen in our royal hat day gear!

Leganes, you are always in my heart. I’m so glad we can do one small thing for you to return some the infinite kindness you showed towards me.

I shall return

July 13, 2015 | Krista

I am back in the land of reliable Internet, bright lights, functional crosswalks, dependable air-conditioning, consistently flushing toilets, and water I can drink straight out of the tap.

I am missing the land of crazy jaywalkers, uncomfortable “comfort rooms,” boku halo, warm smiles, ubiquitous Jeepneys, endless coastline. I miss being greeted with a smile and a “good morning Ma’am,” pronounced with an accent that made it sound just like “Mom.” I miss feeling that everyone is family.

I am already plotting my return to the Philippines, but I plan to make a few changes next time. During my next trip to the Philippines, I will:

Visit some more places

Even the youngest Filipino can rattle off the “must visit” places of their country: the beaches of Boracay, the unspoiled paradise of Palawan, the mountains and rice terraces of the Cordilleras.

Beautiful Palawan. Image source: Flickr

Cordillera rice terraces. Image source: Flickr

Engage more directly with students

Much of our time was devoted to official meetings with government representatives and administrators. Next time, I’d bypass most of those meetings in favor of interaction with students. Less schmooze, more kid time.

Selfie with students

Spend longer in one school

I appreciated the opportunity to see the range of public and private schools in the Philippines, but I longed to spend more than a few hours at a time in one school. Ideally, during my next visit I could spend most of my time getting to know the students of a single school better.

Leganes students (picture by Sana Mahmood)

Shoes outside the classroom at Leganes National High School (picture by Sana Mahmood)

Be more cautious about food

All of the endless meals and snacking in the Philippines finally took their toll. I ended up combating tummy trouble during the last week of my journey. Next time, I’d heed the advice of medical professionals and stick to cooked foods and bottled water only. Raw fruits and vegetables are tempting but are probably to blame for my distress. Don’t worry – a dose of antibiotics when I returned home cured me!

Hold the halo?

Learn more of the local language

I visited the Philippines believing that most residents spoke Filipino and English. While it’s true that those two are taught in school, in reality the languages of the Philippines encompass a much more diverse range. In fact, over 100 languages are spoken at home. In the area we visited, most residents speak the Ilongo language. While learning a few words and phrases of Filipino was helpful, even better would be mastering enough Ilongo to navigate a conversation.

Students writing in English, their third language (picture by Sana Mahmood)

Visit old friends and make new ones

I will never forget the friendships I made in the Philippines, especially the kind teachers and students of Leganes National High School. I want to visit them once again, and I also would like to meet more of the friendliest people in the world.

During World War Two, General Douglas MacArthur made a promise to the people of the Philippines: I shall return. And he did. And I shall.

With new friends in Leganes

Saying goodbye…for now

Magic Penny

July 4, 2015 | Krista

Over the last several days, we had the opportunity to visit a variety of schools in the province of Iloilo: elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. Most private schools had affluent students with plentiful technology and other resources, while most public schools functioned with large class sizes and severely limited resources. The desks housed in a museum of historical artifacts at one fancy private school would have been welcome additions in the classrooms at some of the public schools, where students sat at broken, rusted desks or had no desks at all.

Typical public school desks

Private school students

No matter the setting, the best resources in every school we visited were the teachers. Universally upbeat, they teach with passion. Each teacher we observed focused not only on imparting knowledge but also on creating a warm, family-like classroom atmosphere. We witnessed no negative interactions between staff and students. Zero yelling, zero put-downs, lots of supportive comments and occasional gentle reminders, always delivered with a genuine smile.

A high school teacher supports a student as he presents.

An elementary school teacher models respectful listening.

Like their teachers, students displayed a consistent attitude of resilience. While I was teaching a journalism class, a storm hit, knocking out electrical power. Strong winds blew through the open windows and shattered glass objects in the classroom. The students calmly closed the windows and continued their lesson, completely unfazed. Their American teacher was a little fazed!

Journalism class in the dark

Intrepid journalism students (with their trepid teacher)

Fearless journalism students (with their slightly fearful teacher)

As we became more comfortable in different school settings, my teaching partner and I eschewed formal presentations for open dialogue with staff and students. Their insightful questions impressed us. Here’s a sample:

How do you think gay marriage will affect life in the United States?

I think it will improve life in the United States!

Is life in the United States as violent as portrayed in movies?

Nope! One student wanted to know how many shootings there had been at my school, and was surprised when I answered zero.

What will you miss most about the Philippines?

That’s an easy one: the people.

What do you really think about gay marriage?

I support it! At one Catholic school, I quoted Pope Francis, “Who am I to judge?” and students applauded.

When are you coming back? And will you bring those guapo stepsons of yours?

Soon, I hope, and yes, I hope so!

Music is a central part of life in the Philippines. At each school, students sang or danced for us. The fifth graders at Leganes Elementary performed “Magic Penny.” For me, the lyrics exemplify the attitude of the students and teachers of the Philippines:

Joy is something if you give it away,

You end up having more.

So let’s go dancing till the break of day,

And if there’s a piper, we can pay.

To the wonderful students and teachers of the Philippines: like a magic penny, I hope to return to you one day! Salamat and palangga ta ka! Thank you and I love you!

Thank you notes from Leganes National High School students. Gratitude is something if you give it away - it comes right back to you.

Thank you notes from Leganes National High School students. Gratitude is something if you give it away – you end up having more.

Testing the comfort zone

July 1, 2015 | Krista

Back when I was a timid middle school student, my PE teacher (the terrific Mr. Canzanese) encouraged me to take risks by saying, “You’re only really learning when you’re out of your comfort zone.” I’m learning a lot in the Philippines as I test my comfort zone daily.

Transportation

Our daily commute to school involves two Jeepneys and a tricikab, a motorized bike with an attached passenger compartment. There seems to be no limit to how many passengers can be squeezed into these contraptions. Roma and I have navigated the process of paying, transferring, and asking for a stop, all in the local Ilongo dialect.

Tricikab

Stuffing into a trikab. Not pictured: the two or three riders often dangling from the top.

Stuffing into a tricikab. Not pictured: the two or three riders often dangling from the top.

Riding on a Jeepney. They are the size of large vans with two side-facing benches. The open sides have plastic covers that can be pulled down in the rain.

Communication

Personal questions and comments are the norm. It’s not considered rude to ask someone age, income, or marital status, or to comment frankly on a person’s physical appearance. “You’re so white!” and “You don’t eat much, but you’re chubby” are no different from mentioning that someone is tall or has blue eyes. One woman introduced her daughter to me by saying, “She’s chubby,” and another greeted her friend with, “Wow, you are much fatter since I last saw you!”

With some students at Leganes Elementary School. Can you find the white, chubby American lady?

In the spotlight

We have needed to adjust to a constantly shining spotlight. We stand out as foreigners and people are eager to converse, take our picture, and see us perform. Every day we are asked to speak publicly to large groups at the schools we visit. Our audience often insists that we follow our speech with a dance, to an accompaniment of uproarious laughter and copious photographing and videotaping as we muddle our way through. I cringe to think what evidence might have crept onto YouTube! Our hip-hop performance was atrocious, while our Tinikling (traditional Filipino dance of hopping quickly between moving bamboo sticks) continues to improve.

Tinikling dancers at Barotac Nuevo National Comprehensive High School

Food

As guests, we are offered multiple meals each day, prepared by our wonderful and generous hosts. While unfamiliar, nearly everything I’ve tried has been quite tasty, and sometimes downright delicious.

Typical lunch spread.

Mangos, rice cakes, boku, and other traditional dishes

Mangoes, rice cakes, boku, and other traditional dishes.

Enjoying a refreshing drink of boku (coconut juice).

Learning, growing, testing and expanding my comfort zone; Mr. Canzanese would be proud.

A spirit of community

June 28, 2015 | Krista

The theme that pulls together our weekend experiences is community. We saw it everywhere we went: a resilient and proud community of people working together and enjoying life despite enormous challenges. The more time I spend in the Philippines, the more impressed I become with this spirit.

Early Saturday morning, we met volunteers from the school and other local groups who have transformed an abandoned fishpond into the thriving Katunggan mangrove plantation. Volunteers unearth and bag delicate mangrove seedlings to improve their survival chances. Mangroves provide essential wildlife habitat and flood protection. Since 2009, the community has worked tirelessly to protect 82,000 mangroves. Well, make that 82,005 thanks to the efforts of Roma and me!

Transformation from abandoned fishpond to mangrove sanctuary

With volunteers at mangrove bagging

The Philippines is the land of festivals, celebrating both religious and non-religious events. Our guides might not have exaggerated when they told us that a festival happens 365 days a year in the Philippines. We arrived in the midst of the Biray Paraw festival in Leganes, held at the Riannes Beach Resort. A paraw is a double outrigger sailboat traditional to the Visayas region. Roma and I experienced biray-biray (enjoyment of sailing) when one of the riggers took us for a ride. We also enjoyed some exercise in the form of sandbar soccer and a dance-off with local performers. We had a great time chatting with the young people attending the festival about school, sports, and music.

Biray Paraw Festival, Leganes

Paraw sailboats

Dance-off? Yes, please!

Biray-biray, enjoying the paraw ride

Sandbar soccer

In the afternoon, we attended a BINGO fundraiser sponsored by the Leganes National High School Alumni Association. The association hopes to build an Alumni Hall, the first of its kind in the town, that can be rented out to raise revenue for the school. This community-supported and self-sustaining project exemplifies the Filipino sense of community and ingenuity that we have seen in evidence everywhere. While did not win BINGO, we were happy to contribute to this worthwhile endeavor.

Bingo in the rain, with pebble markers

After BINGO, we had perhaps our most candid conversation so far with educators from the school, aptly held in the faculty room. Roma and I asked more about the challenges they face: lack of resources, family difficulties, crushing poverty (estimated at 95%), nearly obsolete technology, and not enough support for students who are falling through the cracks. Teachers at the school regularly pay out of their own pockets for basic supplies, for food for hungry students, even for photocopies so that they can conduct their lessons. I asked why the overworked teachers don’t transfer to another school with more resources or an easier workload, and the answer was simple: this is their community and they love it. What an inspiring, remarkable, dedicated group.

Ideas are percolating in my brain for what we can do back in the United States to unite ourselves with this wonderful community. How can we make this resilient, spirited community even stronger?

Beatnik Safari

Love of Words. Love of Travel.