I really cannot believe this is our last day in Namibia. I feel like just yesterday we were finding out we had a 12 hour delay at JFK. Every night I can't bring myself to fall asleep because I know it's one day closer to being our last. Each day I learn something new about myself, teaching, the students and the amazing group of people I came here with.
I wish more than anything I could be here for an entire year. Teaching and being with these first graders have taught me so much. I know that we did everything we could in the week that we were here, but it saddens me to know and see how much these kids need us. Laura and I transformed our classroom into the best we could in the time we had. I know that these children have so much potential and can get so far in their life if given the education they deserve. I hope more than anything that each of these kids have someone in their life that never gives up on them. I know I could be that person for these children and for me, that is the saddest and hardest part about leaving. I honestly think this will be the hardest goodbye I will ever have to do today.
To Dean Merriman, Dr. Nicholson, Brother Nicoletti, and Dr. McCarthy, thank you for being along our sides during this journey. Coming to Namibia would not have been possible without each of you. Thank you for making all of our dreams come true by bringing us to Africa. I know that the hard work you all put in this week to help the BNC will be worth it. The eight of us could not have been better prepared for this trip and it is because of each one of you. I know that each of us is proud to have graduated from MC's education program. Thank you for everything.
I have never seen a group of eight students get along so well. I can't imagine being on this journey without each and every one of them. Every one of us has added something incredible to not only this trip, but the BNC. To Christina, Mary, Becca, Laura, Danny, Mike and Kate, I have watched each of you emerge out of your shell and dive right into the classes you were in. It is so obvious by the look in each of your eyes how much love you have for not only teaching, but for these kids at the BNC. I know how difficult it is going to be today to say goodbye to the children and this place, but I hope you all know how big of an impact you have had in Namibia. I know for sure that these kids will never forget the eight of us. I can confidently say that you each changed at least one students life for the better at the BNC. Never forget how amazing each one of you are and how much potential you have. I know we've all said at one point or another that we would love to change the world and I believe that if there was any group of people who could do it, it would be us. Thank you for showing me compassion, dedication, determination and most importantly passion. I wish we never had to leave or ever say goodbye..
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
One Day More...
I'm sitting here attempting to plan for not only tomorrow but for the weeks after I leave Africa. These kids are amazing. All of them. Arguably the best group of children I've ever worked with. Their passion and desire to learn is high, even though they lack the skills needed. But it's okay, because both them and us volunteers are doing our best.
I can't believe tomorrow we finish our teaching experience. My first teaching experience post-graduation couldn't have been more extraordinary (shout out to Brother Ray). I only with that I could stay longer... and I hope to be back here by next June. My 9 fifth graders are the most lovable group of kids one could ever encounter. I feel like I've known them for years. I can't wait to show pictures and share better stories when I'm back home (although, I can wait to be back home).
Being my last blog post while in Africa I wanna say thank you to all the followers from Nashua & Needham Crawfords to family and friends back in the USA, especially Amy Rowe who we all miss constantly. Amy, people out here really want to meet you.
Thank you to this incredible group of talented teachers. The professors have been great resources. Mary and Christina, I'm excited to see what the two of you will do for Mu Sigma and international outreach next year. Laura, it's been a blast getting to know you better outside of the MC classroom. Becca, I only wish I know you were this hilarious regardless of your grouper fish status and ability to photobomb all my pictures. Mike, I can't believe it's taken us 4 years to know each other but I'm thrilled you're out here in Africa with us. Sinead, I'll never understand why you're always sick but I'm glad we're not sick of each other. And Kate, I don't think I could survive this experience without you (also, life). Sorry for being corny. I hate being corny. But I love you guys.
Africa, you've been amazing. The BNC needs more help from Manhattan College in the future. My fellow education majors, I hope you can come out here next summer. It will be the trip of your lives!
There is beauty all around us out here in Namibia.
One More Day
I can't believe we only have one more day at the centre. I am truly heartbroken thinking that I only have a couple of hours left with my sixth graders. I feel as though, I still have so much work to do with all of these kids. Kate and I have decided to develop a math and ELA curriculum for the sixth class, so that future volunteers will be able to follow a well organized weekly plan. For the rest of the night, Kate and I will be planning out the next couple of months. We will also be planning something fun and educational for tomorrow.
As far as our time here, I hope that we have left as big of an impact on them as they have for us. I also hope that they have learned new and important things that will help them wherever their life leads them. I will always say a special prayer for my lovely sixth graders and hope that they will always follow their hearts and dreams, and understand that with hard work and patience they can succeed great things. I really hope that they see the potential they have so they can be the individuals that beat the odds that are against them. They were an amazing group to work with and I am sad that I have to leave so soon. I only hope that I am lucky enough to return this time next year to work with the kids longer. I would love to see all the great progress they have made.
As far as our time here, I hope that we have left as big of an impact on them as they have for us. I also hope that they have learned new and important things that will help them wherever their life leads them. I will always say a special prayer for my lovely sixth graders and hope that they will always follow their hearts and dreams, and understand that with hard work and patience they can succeed great things. I really hope that they see the potential they have so they can be the individuals that beat the odds that are against them. They were an amazing group to work with and I am sad that I have to leave so soon. I only hope that I am lucky enough to return this time next year to work with the kids longer. I would love to see all the great progress they have made.
I Never Thought It Would Be This Hard To Say Goodbye
So it is Monday morning and we are about to leave to go prep for our day at the centre. It is a beautiful day, we woke up and the temperature was already above 40 degrees fahrenheit so we lucked out. It seems like all we can talk about lately is how badly we don't want to leave and how hard it is to comprehend that we have only 2 more days with these kids. I have so much left to do with them and, as embarrassing as it is to say, I cry thinking about how I won't be here to do it with them. I am so proud of all the work they have accomplished and my sixth graders will be in my heart forever because they are some of the sweetest, kindest, funniest, smartest, and most hardworking kids I have ever known.
I would love to come home for one day, give all of you a hug and a kiss and tell you how much I love you and then come back here. But I know I'll be back someday and then maybe I'll get to see my kids in secondary school...nothing would make me more proud than them passing their grade 8 tests and making it to high school.
I love you all and I miss you dearly and I can't wait to see you, but I can promise you that part of my heart will always be in Africa.
xoxo
Kate
I would love to come home for one day, give all of you a hug and a kiss and tell you how much I love you and then come back here. But I know I'll be back someday and then maybe I'll get to see my kids in secondary school...nothing would make me more proud than them passing their grade 8 tests and making it to high school.
I love you all and I miss you dearly and I can't wait to see you, but I can promise you that part of my heart will always be in Africa.
xoxo
Kate
Yes, I Ate Zebra
Wednesday June 8th
...and Spring Bok which is an animal that is kind of equivalent to an American deer to put it into simple terms. The zebra was delicious and so was the Spring bok, it did not taste like game it tasted like a really rich steak. We all tried out taste buds with the local food at a place called Joe's Beer House. It's an outside restaurant that is enclosed with fires and heat lamps scattered amongst the tables. Danny tried the ostrich and said it was awesome!
After we ate, we headed to the back of the restaurant where there was a giant fire pit to enjoy a few more Windhoek Lagers and each others company. As I looked around the circle of people I was surrounded by, this is when I realized that I have never been surrounded by people who share the same passion for educating that I do. Each teacher contributing so much of their individual skills to the trip's success, but each of us sharing one common goal. It was incredible to feel what I felt when I finally realized why this trip is so special. I may not ever be teaching along side people who are "beast mode" each and every morning, all day long, no matter how hard of a time their students give them or how hard it is to teach under certain conditions. But the fact that I get to experience this Zeal in everyone around me for at least this short period of time, will always be my motivation for the future. I admire my fellow teachers on this trip more than they can imagine.
After a few more Spring Boky! shots, we headed to Zanzibar which is a popular "night club" in Windhoek. We danced all night and met some really incredible people from all over Namibia. On our way home we all squeezed into a taxi van that probably regrets picking us up because we literally belted out Celine Dion all the way home at the top of our lungs. Thanks to Danny, we have it on video!
Thursday June 9th
We woke up early to go observe in schools around the Katatura area. We first went to the Community Hope school right down the street from the center. It offers a catholic school education for students who would not be able to afford it if this school was not opened. It was interesting to see the 2nd graders so hard at work and the class sizes were very small(maybe 15-20 students). All of the teachers are volunteers and this seems to be an underlying problem with many of the educational projects in the Katatura area, they can't get volunteers and keep them for extended periods of time. This is a problem Marybeth is having at the center, as well. One woman who is helping out with the administration of the school told us that she came for 3 months and stayed for 5 years. It's kind of odd/scary to think about how some of the student's education in Katatura is relying on volunteers. However, the fact that there are so many volunteers who understand the value and importance of a one's education is completely inspiring.
The next school we visited was one of which many of my student's attend, A.I. Steenkamp Primary School. Here we saw many different classrooms that were much like classrooms we could find in the states(minus the smart boards and computers). Mike and I were placed in a Special Ed. classroom with about 10-15 students of all ages. They were reading Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Afrikaans and English. Their teacher was speaking to Mike and I throughout the story belittling the students in front of them about how this is a "special class" and "none of these students understand anything." She also mentioned that she was not qualified to teach this class, which she made very obvious to us throughout the next couple of hours we were there. One of her younger students was "laughing too much" at the story and she told him that "when the American teachers leave she was going to beat him up." There were recent laws made in Namibia against corporal punishment in schools, but as we have heard and now seen for ourselves, it is not monitored.
When the kind woman working in the office, brought us around to the 4th grade class, my eyes opened so wide because when I peeked in, there were about 50 or more students squeezed into that room, with one teacher. Fortunately, a few of my students were in that class! As my eyes scanned the room, my eyes met Ruru's and he stood up, waved,and shouted, "Miss Mary!" The BIG smile that he had on his face when he saw me enter his classroom will forever be unforgettable.
Today at the BNC we read Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Suess and it could not have went over any better. Afterwards, my students and I set goals for ourselves to constantly be revisited throughout the upcoming year. They finally learned that making one draft of something is simply not what good authors do. Each student set personal, educational, and future/professional goals for him/herself. I could not have been more touched with the goals and dreams that they came up with. Since soccer is a very popular sport here I tied it in with making a big goal and soccer ball in the back of the room that says "Together We Score Goals" and each student got a moment in the special author's chair to share what their goals are with the class. Each student then posted up their own goals on the classroom wall. My students had so much fun with this activity and it was the only time all week that they were working so hard I could literally hear a pin drop! I am so proud of each of them.
After the day was over at the BNC, while all of the students were playing four square, marbles, and on the playground, Deborah, one of my very intelligent students approached me. She asked if I would stay to help her complete her math homework. Of corse, I sat down with her for a few minutes guiding her through the math that she was doing a flawless job with. She was doing a beautiful job in class with this math and I started wondering why she asked for my help. Once we got down to the bottom of the page of her workbook, the problems were written horizontally. She picked up her pencil and looked up at me. I thought to myself, OK this is what she needed help with, this is easy, I will show her how to set it up vertically and she will use this trick forever. Well, I showed her how to set it up like all of the other vertical problems were set up that she was so good at. She immediately erased the markings that I put on her paper and got very defensive and told me not to write it like that again on her workbook. She then explained that if her teacher saw her writing horizontal problems, vertically, she will beat her. I figured out the best possible way to teach her how to do the math horizontally, she continued to struggle and I really wish I could explain to her teacher that all students learn differently. The thing that makes me the most upset about moments like these, is that it is so obvious to me that these students are afraid of taking risks and making mistakes. The unfortunate part about this is that making mistakes is how one grows and learns.
...and Spring Bok which is an animal that is kind of equivalent to an American deer to put it into simple terms. The zebra was delicious and so was the Spring bok, it did not taste like game it tasted like a really rich steak. We all tried out taste buds with the local food at a place called Joe's Beer House. It's an outside restaurant that is enclosed with fires and heat lamps scattered amongst the tables. Danny tried the ostrich and said it was awesome!
After we ate, we headed to the back of the restaurant where there was a giant fire pit to enjoy a few more Windhoek Lagers and each others company. As I looked around the circle of people I was surrounded by, this is when I realized that I have never been surrounded by people who share the same passion for educating that I do. Each teacher contributing so much of their individual skills to the trip's success, but each of us sharing one common goal. It was incredible to feel what I felt when I finally realized why this trip is so special. I may not ever be teaching along side people who are "beast mode" each and every morning, all day long, no matter how hard of a time their students give them or how hard it is to teach under certain conditions. But the fact that I get to experience this Zeal in everyone around me for at least this short period of time, will always be my motivation for the future. I admire my fellow teachers on this trip more than they can imagine.
After a few more Spring Boky! shots, we headed to Zanzibar which is a popular "night club" in Windhoek. We danced all night and met some really incredible people from all over Namibia. On our way home we all squeezed into a taxi van that probably regrets picking us up because we literally belted out Celine Dion all the way home at the top of our lungs. Thanks to Danny, we have it on video!
Thursday June 9th
We woke up early to go observe in schools around the Katatura area. We first went to the Community Hope school right down the street from the center. It offers a catholic school education for students who would not be able to afford it if this school was not opened. It was interesting to see the 2nd graders so hard at work and the class sizes were very small(maybe 15-20 students). All of the teachers are volunteers and this seems to be an underlying problem with many of the educational projects in the Katatura area, they can't get volunteers and keep them for extended periods of time. This is a problem Marybeth is having at the center, as well. One woman who is helping out with the administration of the school told us that she came for 3 months and stayed for 5 years. It's kind of odd/scary to think about how some of the student's education in Katatura is relying on volunteers. However, the fact that there are so many volunteers who understand the value and importance of a one's education is completely inspiring.
The next school we visited was one of which many of my student's attend, A.I. Steenkamp Primary School. Here we saw many different classrooms that were much like classrooms we could find in the states(minus the smart boards and computers). Mike and I were placed in a Special Ed. classroom with about 10-15 students of all ages. They were reading Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Afrikaans and English. Their teacher was speaking to Mike and I throughout the story belittling the students in front of them about how this is a "special class" and "none of these students understand anything." She also mentioned that she was not qualified to teach this class, which she made very obvious to us throughout the next couple of hours we were there. One of her younger students was "laughing too much" at the story and she told him that "when the American teachers leave she was going to beat him up." There were recent laws made in Namibia against corporal punishment in schools, but as we have heard and now seen for ourselves, it is not monitored.
When the kind woman working in the office, brought us around to the 4th grade class, my eyes opened so wide because when I peeked in, there were about 50 or more students squeezed into that room, with one teacher. Fortunately, a few of my students were in that class! As my eyes scanned the room, my eyes met Ruru's and he stood up, waved,and shouted, "Miss Mary!" The BIG smile that he had on his face when he saw me enter his classroom will forever be unforgettable.
Today at the BNC we read Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Suess and it could not have went over any better. Afterwards, my students and I set goals for ourselves to constantly be revisited throughout the upcoming year. They finally learned that making one draft of something is simply not what good authors do. Each student set personal, educational, and future/professional goals for him/herself. I could not have been more touched with the goals and dreams that they came up with. Since soccer is a very popular sport here I tied it in with making a big goal and soccer ball in the back of the room that says "Together We Score Goals" and each student got a moment in the special author's chair to share what their goals are with the class. Each student then posted up their own goals on the classroom wall. My students had so much fun with this activity and it was the only time all week that they were working so hard I could literally hear a pin drop! I am so proud of each of them.
After the day was over at the BNC, while all of the students were playing four square, marbles, and on the playground, Deborah, one of my very intelligent students approached me. She asked if I would stay to help her complete her math homework. Of corse, I sat down with her for a few minutes guiding her through the math that she was doing a flawless job with. She was doing a beautiful job in class with this math and I started wondering why she asked for my help. Once we got down to the bottom of the page of her workbook, the problems were written horizontally. She picked up her pencil and looked up at me. I thought to myself, OK this is what she needed help with, this is easy, I will show her how to set it up vertically and she will use this trick forever. Well, I showed her how to set it up like all of the other vertical problems were set up that she was so good at. She immediately erased the markings that I put on her paper and got very defensive and told me not to write it like that again on her workbook. She then explained that if her teacher saw her writing horizontal problems, vertically, she will beat her. I figured out the best possible way to teach her how to do the math horizontally, she continued to struggle and I really wish I could explain to her teacher that all students learn differently. The thing that makes me the most upset about moments like these, is that it is so obvious to me that these students are afraid of taking risks and making mistakes. The unfortunate part about this is that making mistakes is how one grows and learns.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
It's Almost the End...
I can't believe that we only have today and tomorrow left at the BNC. The time has flown by and as much as I miss everyone back in the states, I really am not ready to go home yet. Here's what's been going on the past few days...
My kids at the BNC are amazing. I am working with a group of 21 7th graders who are full of energy, life, and enjoyment of learning. We are in a relatively small classroom, but compared to the rest of the rooms, there is enough space for me to walk around during lessons. We have been working on multiplication and division in math, and writing and spelling for English. In 8th grade, they have a big test to take to see if they qualify to move on to high school, so we are trying to prep them for that as best we can. It's been really rewarding to implement teaching techniques I have learned about over the years and see how they work in a classroom that is so different than those in the US.
This whole experience, although it's not over yet, has already been life changing. These kids, unlike many in the US, cherish their educations and don't take them for granted. For most of them, an education is a way to escape the difficult lives they are currently living. There is a policy at the BNC that if they miss more than 3 days in a month, they lose the privilege of being able to attend the program, so they are all really dedicated and committed to learing. I've been writing goodbye letters to give to my 7th graders to give them on Tuesday, and it's honestly been so hard to keep it together when I think of how hard they have been working... they ALL have so much promise and potential to follow their dreams and I'm so proud of them for their hard work.
This trip has been great because not only have we had the amazing opporunity to work at the BNC during the week, but we have taken two very memorable weekend trips. Last night we got back from Swakopmund, a coastal tourist town about 5 hours away from Windhoek. It was SO adventure-packed and exciting! Our first day, we left Windhoek at 2 am and got to Swakop early for sandboarding!! Basically what this is is speeding down the dunes on a piece of wood at incredibly high speeds lying down face first (my top speed was 45 mph!!!!) I was petrified at first; but for a girl who hates heights and rollercoasters and high speed I foud it to be such an amazing adrenaline rush. I was fearless by the end of it. On Saturday we went on a seal cruise, and seals jumped up onto the boat and we could feed them fish and pet them. We also saw dolphins and had a great lunch with champagne and oysters! After that we went four wheeling through the desert for about 3 hours. The scenery was amazing... I really can't to it justice here but when I post pictures you'll get an idea.
Anyway, we're off to the centre soon so I have to get ready... just trying to soak everything in these last couple days before we head back to reality in the US. This has been an incredibly educational, rewarding, life-changing trip... and I don't want it to end!
My kids at the BNC are amazing. I am working with a group of 21 7th graders who are full of energy, life, and enjoyment of learning. We are in a relatively small classroom, but compared to the rest of the rooms, there is enough space for me to walk around during lessons. We have been working on multiplication and division in math, and writing and spelling for English. In 8th grade, they have a big test to take to see if they qualify to move on to high school, so we are trying to prep them for that as best we can. It's been really rewarding to implement teaching techniques I have learned about over the years and see how they work in a classroom that is so different than those in the US.
This whole experience, although it's not over yet, has already been life changing. These kids, unlike many in the US, cherish their educations and don't take them for granted. For most of them, an education is a way to escape the difficult lives they are currently living. There is a policy at the BNC that if they miss more than 3 days in a month, they lose the privilege of being able to attend the program, so they are all really dedicated and committed to learing. I've been writing goodbye letters to give to my 7th graders to give them on Tuesday, and it's honestly been so hard to keep it together when I think of how hard they have been working... they ALL have so much promise and potential to follow their dreams and I'm so proud of them for their hard work.
This trip has been great because not only have we had the amazing opporunity to work at the BNC during the week, but we have taken two very memorable weekend trips. Last night we got back from Swakopmund, a coastal tourist town about 5 hours away from Windhoek. It was SO adventure-packed and exciting! Our first day, we left Windhoek at 2 am and got to Swakop early for sandboarding!! Basically what this is is speeding down the dunes on a piece of wood at incredibly high speeds lying down face first (my top speed was 45 mph!!!!) I was petrified at first; but for a girl who hates heights and rollercoasters and high speed I foud it to be such an amazing adrenaline rush. I was fearless by the end of it. On Saturday we went on a seal cruise, and seals jumped up onto the boat and we could feed them fish and pet them. We also saw dolphins and had a great lunch with champagne and oysters! After that we went four wheeling through the desert for about 3 hours. The scenery was amazing... I really can't to it justice here but when I post pictures you'll get an idea.
Anyway, we're off to the centre soon so I have to get ready... just trying to soak everything in these last couple days before we head back to reality in the US. This has been an incredibly educational, rewarding, life-changing trip... and I don't want it to end!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
BNC Grade One
It's amazing to see that regardless of which grade or subject each of us is teaching at the BNC, one thing is clear: we've all fallen in love with each of our students. Each day that I have spent at the center, I've grown as a learner, teacher, friend, and compassionate human being. When I decided to partake in this service trip, I only hoped that I had the teaching abilities and experiences to make a profound difference, if not to all, to at least just one of my students. But to be completely honest, I knew little about the LaSallian virtues and wouldn't have been able to name half of them. But in my short time here in Namibia, with 7 amazing friends and 4 fantastic professors, I have seen all 12 virtues at work both inside and outside of the classroom. As a team, Sinead, Kate, Danny, Mike, Becca, Mary, Christina, Dean Merriman, Dr. McCarthy, Dr. Nicholson, and Brother Nicoletti have shown me what each of the 12 virtues truly means. The result: a compassionate teacher who touches the minds and hearts of her students.
When Sinead and I stepped foot into our first grade classroom on our first day at the BNC, we immediately took notice to things we wanted to establish: namely, a behavior system, a set of classroom rules, and a text rich environment. Our second day, we were hard at work completing these tasks. Together we figured out a way to rearrange the classroom as a means to provide the sudents with an effective learning environment in such a confined space. We moved around students' desks and chairs based on our judgement of cooperative learning groups, we created a list of positive classroom rules with the students to balance out the feeling of community and give students the sense of responsibility for their actions, and we labeled the entire classroom and created a Word Wall to provide our students a print-rich environment, which is pivotal during this developmental time.
More and more, as Sinead and I grew to know our students and their ability levels, we realized that even the alphabet and letter sounds gave them such a hard time. While the alphabet was painted to the wall in the classroom, there were no pictures of objects that would help students make the connection to letter sounds. I spent hours drawing pictures for each letter of the alphabet, but the result was well worth it. Who would have known that I was quite the Picasso? Just kidding! When we went over each letter, sound, and corresponding picture with the students, we asked each of them to hang the picture next to the corresponding letter, to provide them with a sense of pride in transforming their humdrum classroom into a beautiful and effective environment designed to maximize their learning.
Following this activity, we took our students outside and split the class in half to write the alphabet and words in chalk on the concrete, while the other half of the class jumproped to "Strawberry shortcake cream on top! Tell me the name of your sweetheart, is it A,B,C,D..." We engaged our tactile, bodily kinesthetic, and musical learners, where sometimes, these intelligences are neglected in the classroom. The students' reactions were amazing to see, and the end result was so rewarding.
It's beginning to sink in that after our weekend in Swaka-waka (Swakopmund?), we'll only have a few days left at the center. In such a short period of time, I have learned so much about myself and my students (dang, I'm already calling them "mine!"), and it's going to be so hard to say goodbye!
When Sinead and I stepped foot into our first grade classroom on our first day at the BNC, we immediately took notice to things we wanted to establish: namely, a behavior system, a set of classroom rules, and a text rich environment. Our second day, we were hard at work completing these tasks. Together we figured out a way to rearrange the classroom as a means to provide the sudents with an effective learning environment in such a confined space. We moved around students' desks and chairs based on our judgement of cooperative learning groups, we created a list of positive classroom rules with the students to balance out the feeling of community and give students the sense of responsibility for their actions, and we labeled the entire classroom and created a Word Wall to provide our students a print-rich environment, which is pivotal during this developmental time.
More and more, as Sinead and I grew to know our students and their ability levels, we realized that even the alphabet and letter sounds gave them such a hard time. While the alphabet was painted to the wall in the classroom, there were no pictures of objects that would help students make the connection to letter sounds. I spent hours drawing pictures for each letter of the alphabet, but the result was well worth it. Who would have known that I was quite the Picasso? Just kidding! When we went over each letter, sound, and corresponding picture with the students, we asked each of them to hang the picture next to the corresponding letter, to provide them with a sense of pride in transforming their humdrum classroom into a beautiful and effective environment designed to maximize their learning.
Following this activity, we took our students outside and split the class in half to write the alphabet and words in chalk on the concrete, while the other half of the class jumproped to "Strawberry shortcake cream on top! Tell me the name of your sweetheart, is it A,B,C,D..." We engaged our tactile, bodily kinesthetic, and musical learners, where sometimes, these intelligences are neglected in the classroom. The students' reactions were amazing to see, and the end result was so rewarding.
It's beginning to sink in that after our weekend in Swaka-waka (Swakopmund?), we'll only have a few days left at the center. In such a short period of time, I have learned so much about myself and my students (dang, I'm already calling them "mine!"), and it's going to be so hard to say goodbye!
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