Thanksgiving in South Africa

There is so much in this world to be thankful for. I cannot express enough thanks for my friends, family and the amazing opportunity of working with the inspiring kids of Emafini Primary School. This morning was jam packed and it started at 8 a.m. when Neil picked us up and drove us to The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Missionville campus. We met with Vernon, a lecturer at the University and he gave us a tour of the campus and explained to us a brief history of the University.

Vernon then led us to a conference room for tea, where he told us about his role as the project manager for the DG Murray Trust. He explained that this trust helps with whole school development for schools in the Port Elizabeth area. It helps with school development in the following areas, Action research, which helps students cope with problems, Science, Math, Language Arts and Financial management. He showed us several of the manipulative's kits that they donate to schools, to help boost instruction. One of the kits was geared towards math, and it had several math manipulative's and activities to help students increase their abilities. Vernon also mentioned, that these kits are used to help members of the community, develop basic life skills, such as personal finance, literacy, problem solving etc. I think it is great that they are striving to help not only the students, but also the friends and family members of the students as well. 

Part of the program donates computers to many of the Primary Schools in the Port Elizabeth area. Emafini was a recipient of 20 of these computers, unfortunately they have yet to take advantage of this resource as they do not have the personnel to teach computer instruction. Also, the copper wiring that enables the computers to run has been stripped from the computer lab.  It is a shame that someone would try and deprive these students of the education that they deserve and inhibit them from using the computers. However, it shows you the destitution that many of these people are in.

 

After the tour of NMMU, we drove to The Ubomi Obutsha Centre, which is a community development project of the Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor. The Obutsha Centre, was established to take care of orphans and others in the community. It provides academic support, life skills training, and a soup kitchen. It is located about 10 minutes from the University. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Mark, who is the director of the centre and also brother in law of Vernon. As we walked in, a group of 15 adorable children were gathered around in a circle, waiting to be read to by a smiling women who gracefully greeted us. Mark then took us on a tour of the facility. He showed us the classroom, a computer lab, kitchen area, and then took us out back to show us the pride of the facility, the community garden.

The garden occupied a parcel of land right beside the main building. In the garden, they grew carrots, potato's and other vegetables. More than just a source of food, this garden epitomizes the spirit of the community. It started out as rocky, non-fertile soil but through hard work, determination and some elbow grease it is now a flourishing garden. Mark explained that for many in the community the garden offers a deep sense of pride. It enables them to show ownership and offers them gratification that they were able to create something positive.

Throughout the tour, it was clearly evident how much compassion and love Mark had for these kids. In an emotional, tearful speech he explained to us how much it meant to him to work with these children. He reflected on how rewarding it is to see the children create a better life for themselves. I was touched by this  profound organization and it has struck a deep chord with in me.  

After the emotional experience at The New Life Center, we travelled to The Gray Academy, an ex-Model C school, 10 minutes down the road. Although it was only minutes down the road, the contrast between the two locations was huge. We went from being surrounded by abject poverty to being in an affluent part of town in a matter of minutes. The X-Model C school was a big contrast from the Bantu educational institutions, like Emafini. The facilities were impressive, with smart boards in many of the classrooms, two computer labs, art classes, and special needs support. It was shocking to see this huge disparity, and it broke my heart to think that our students at Emafini were deprived of the same opportunities that the students at Gray received.

Following the trip to The Gray Academy, we went to the Kama Primary School, which reminded me a lot of Emafini. The school had just created a new playing field, which the faculty was very excited about. Vernon took us on a tour of the school and showed us the computer lab that he helped set up. It was a prideful moment, and you could tell how much it meant to Vernon to have inundated this school with technology. The faculty were all very nice, and the highlight of the visit came when several of the students sang us four different songs. One of the songs was about never giving up, which I loved. Their harmonies, and choreographed dance movements, were truly spectaculiar.



After Kama, we went back to the bed and breakfast and had a delicious Thanksgiving feast. Mr. January and Neil even joined us, making this occasion even more special. The food was prepared by Billy Jean's mother, and she did a terrific job with everything. Although I dearly missed my friends and family back home, I couldn't be more thankful  to spend my Thanksgiving here in South Africa with our spectaculiar group!

Dwindling Attendance...

Now that testing has ceased, there has been a significant drop off rate for student attendence. Of the 38 students that our class normally has, we have had about 14 show up over the last couple of days. I was expecting a decent drop in attendence, but nothing to this extent. It is sad to see that  many students have decided not to come to class but at the same time you almost can't blame them. Generally after exams, the teachers stop teaching completely. Many of the students come because they'd rather be at school than at home and others are forced to go by their parents. Maria and I have strived to make instruction as fun as possible for students, in hopes of retaining some of the learners that other wise would not show up. I hope the students continue to come to class on a regular basis, eager to learn and have fun.

"Problems Are Part of Life But I Will Fight Until I Win"

Imagine living in a cramped, 10 x 12 house, with no running water or electricity and having to share it with multiple people. For most of us, we could never fathom what this would be like, however, for many of our students this is a grim reality. On Friday, we had the opportunity to visit the local Townships where over 70% of our students call home. Although our school is technically in a middle class area, the majority of our students come from these outlying shanty towns. These makeshift houses are constructed using a variety of different resources, such as sheet metal, scraps of wood and other building materials.

None of these homes have running water, so the inhabitants are forced to gather this essential resource from a communal spicket. Electricity, is a rare commodity, but many have spliced wires from a local power source to their homes. This presents a major fire hazard, adding to the already dangerous living conditions. They also have no plumbing, so most bathrooms consist of a hole in the ground. The homes are extremely cramped inside. One home we went into housed over 7 people. We came to find out that 5 of these 7 people were children who were forced to live in these oppressive, heart wrenching living conditions and share a small twin size bed. As flies buzzed around the room, I was overwhelmed with an intense wave of sorrow, thinking about the children (our students) that must live in these conditions.

However, depite these meager living arrangements, I was greeted by many happy, smiling faces, who cordially invited us into their homes. There was an aura of positivity that emanated from the homeowners as they brought us in their homes. I recognized it immediatley as the same optimistic outlook that our students come to class with each day.
Although they have very little, they realize how precious life truly is and never take one moment of it for granted. They realize that life can be tough, but yet they persevere and remain positive. While walking through one of the homes, I saw a sign that truly exemplified this indominable will and ability to persevere over any situation. It read "Problems are a part of life, but I will fight until I win." I thought this was a great statement. This is the exact perseverant mentality that will enable our students to get the proper education that they need to advance themselves. This trip will forever change me as a person, I will strive to not take anything for granted, and will try to remain positive as always. It adds a great sense of satisfaction knowing that as an educator I can have a positive affect on students and help them achieve their goals.

Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three

This week, students at Emafini Primary School engaged in their end of the year testing. The testing structure or lack thereof was very different from what we are used to in The United States. The first major contrast between testing here and in the U.S. was that there was no real set time limit. Each day, we started at a different time as we had to wait for students who were late to trickle into the classroom. Many of the students are forced to walk to school and thus many of them come to class tardy. Once the students got into the classroom, they had a few minutes to acclimate themselves and get ready. As a class the students said a prayer lead by Mrs. Manzanse. Which I later found out was the "Our Father." The breakdown of the weeks exams was as follows:

On Monday, students sat down to take their Numeracy (Mathematics) exams. This consisted of 25 questions on the topics of two-digit addition, sequence of #'s as well as less than greater than. The students started the exam at around 8:15 and the majority finished by 9:30. After the exams, Maria and I were in charge of grading. Out of the 38 students in our class, the lowest test score was a 2/25 and the highest test score was a 25/25.

Students had a day off from testing on Tuesday. Testing resumed again on Wednesday with an exam on Reading Comprehension. Mrs. Manzanse proctored the exam and read students a passage about Nelson Mandela. Students (Learner's as they call them here) were then required to answer basic questions about this great political leader, in Xhosa. After grading the exams, the range was very similar to that of the Numeracy exams taken on Monday. The lowest score being a 3/25 and the highest being a 25/25. This broad range is most likely due to the heterogeneous composition of the classroom, and the fact that there are several special needs students within our class.

There is a contingent of students, with noticeable learning disabilities. Yet they still take the same exam as the rest of the class. There are no accommodations made to help these specialized learners. It was heartbreaking to see many of these students stare at their exams blankly, and struggle to finish problems that the majority of the class were breezing through. Unfortunately, in South Africa, it takes about 5 years for special needs students to be processed and placed at a special needs school. I found this apalling that these poor students have to struggle for so long before they can receive the help that they need.

On Thursday, students had their exams on writing. Again the test consisted of 25 questions. The first section required students to come up with English words, based on a list of letters. For most of the students, this was a seemingly easy task. However, a few of the learners were unable to come up with English words and had to resort to using Xhosa. After the word lists, students were asked to fill in the blanks to basic sentences in English. Most of the students were able to complete this part of the exam effectively, with few errors. The next section consisted of several sentences in English dealing with the different phrases that you say throughout the day, i.e.) In the morning we say "Good morning." Students were then required to fill in the blanks using a word bank provided below. The majority of students were able to answer these questions, but there were a few who confused some of the phrases.

The last section of the exam, consisted of 5 spelling words. Students had to spell the words, "fool, meet, soon, book, and seek." Most of the students were able to spell each word correctly. This section was probably the most unscathed by the wrath of the red pen. Overall, there was about an 80% passing rate for the writing exam.

In conclusion, some of the major testing differences between here and the U.S. are as follows:  Students here are free to take their time on the exams as there is no set ending time. In the U.S. we are a lot more punctual. Tests must begin at a certain time and end at a certain time. Our schools adhere to a strict schedule, whereas here they tend to go with the flow, with little punctuality. Also, after the tests are finished, the teacher immediately starts grading. During this time, students sit at their seats and if Maria and I were not there, would otherwise have no instruction. In the U.S., this would be viewed as a waste of instructional time, here it is viewed as common practice.

Most notably, there is little or no support given towards the students with special needs. They are forced to take the same exam, and there are no accommodations to help these students with their test. It is extremely sad to think that these students will simply get left behind due to their learning disabilities and the lack of support available to them. It is my hope that these students will receive the necessary help and resources that they need to succeed in the classroom, and reach their ultimate potential.

Addo Elephant Park

This past Saturday, we had the lovely opportunity of traveling to The Addo "National" Elephant Park. Our guide, Mike arrived at the Algoa Bay B & B bright and early to pick us up. Instantly, Mike started telling us information regarding the rich history of Port Elizabeth, his exceptional commentary would continue throughout the trip. Mike was very knowledgeable and it made sense when he told us he had been a history teacher. After about 30 minutes of driving, we pulled up to the entrance of the sprawling 400,000 acre Addo Elephant park. Excitement took control of our group and it was clearly evident that everyone was eager to see some animals. Within the first 20 minutes of our safari, we spotted two bull (male) elephants emerging from the brush. I was shocked to see these massive, gray creatures, move with such grace and elegance despite their size. After driving down the road for sometime, we spotted several male lions emerge from the brush! This was an AWESOME and rare experience, and Mike said that it had been months since he last spotted a lion.

Throughout the rest of the safari, we saw a variety of different animals such as rhinocerous, lions, water buffalo and hundreds of more elephants. We were extremely lucky to see these animals as they are considered by hunters to be 4 of the "Big 5" (the only animal we didn't see was the leopard). These animals have been long been revered as some of the most dangerous animals to hunt. Each year thousands of hunters and travel to Africa in hopes of hunting these large beasts. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see the elusive leopard, an animal that mainly hunts at night and is known for its ferocity.   

Along with seeing 4 of the "Big 5", we also saw many other interesting animals such as dung beetles, warthogs, zebra, ostrich and a variety of multicolored birds. We had a check list of over 35 different animals and we were able to check off over 20 different species. However, we would not have had such a successful trip had it not been for our knowledgeable tour guide Mike. Our hats go off to you!

                                                                     
                                                                      4 of the Big 5





 Rhinocerous.

  


Male Lion.



Water Buffalo.





A mother elephant and her baby.



Bafana Bafana V.S. Cote d' Ivoire

Yesterday, we had the privilege of attending a soccer match at The Nelson Mandela Stadium between Bafana Bafana (South Africa's National Team) and Cote d' Ivoire (The Ivory Coast). This opportunity almost didn't come to fruition, as we heard that the game was sold out. However, after talking with Mr. January and expressing our sincere interest on seeing this athletic spectacle, he made a few phone calls and was able to get tickets for our group.

The stadium was breath taking. A giant 48,000 person, feat of modern engineering, that was erected in 2009 to host  some of the prominent matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Walking up to the stadium, there was an array of vendors selling, T-shirts, flags, and Vuvuezas (the eye piercing horns that supporters use to cheer on their team.) After taking several laps around the stadium in search of our section, we finally made it to our seats. From high up in the stands we had a prime vantage point of the field below. After about 45 minutes of watching the teams warm up, and the singing of each national anthem, it was time for the game to commence.

This would be my first international soccer experience, so I was ecstatic. From the start of the match, The Ivory Coast  controlled the ball and used their power forwards to control the tempo of the game, amassing several shots on net early on. After about 20 minutes of play, the sloppy footwork of a South African sweeper who was trying to clear the ball, let an own goal slip past his feet. This was an upsetting start to the game, and you could see the distress and anguish in the faces of the fuming South African fans that surrounded us.

Fortunately, this devastating goal seemed to ignite the fire underneah them and South Africa stepped up their game big time. They started playing with a more aggressive style. Rather than staying back on defense, they began stacking their forwards, giving their strikers a handful of opportunities to score. Bafana set up a few beautiful plays, and was doing a great job working the ball around, however, they failed to find the back of the net. It wasn't until they received a penalty shot that their star striker was able to put South Africa on the board, tying the game at 1-1. The stadium erupted into a cacophonous frenzy of cheering, applause, and the piercing sound of vuvuezas. The passion was overwhelming, and I have never experienced this much love for a sport. Unfortunately, South Africa was unable to capitalize again, and after 90 minutes of play, the game ended in a tie.

Although, it would have been nice to see Bafana Bafana, achieve a triumphant victory, it was a great experience non-the less. The enthusiasm and passion for soccer that the South African fans exemplified, was profound and is a testament to their love of life. Since arriving in South Africa, I have been thoroughly impressed with the generosity and kindness of everyone we have met. It seems that South Africans truly are a passionate people, who wear their hearts on their sleeves, and live life to the fullest. As Americans, we have a  lot to learn from these passionate people.

  

Un Dia Hermosa!

Finally, after hours of torrential downpour, the clouds have lifted and the sun is peeking out its luminous, vibrant smile. I have awoken, fully recharged and rested from my first week at The Emafini Township School. The first three days of school have truly changed me as a person and as an educator. Throughout the week, I have learned a multitude about myself and education as a whole. While working with these children, I have realized how much they truly value their education. Realizing that it is their ticket to advancing themselves, each child comes into class each morning, enthusiastic and eager to learn. These children embody vigor and passion in whatever they do. Their enthusiasm is contagious and it is impossible to leave the classroom without a smile.

This zeal is inspiring and has made me realize several things. For one, how lucky we are in the United States to have the access to a proper education. Many in the United States take for granted the educational opportunities that we are afforded in the U.S. Rather than realize how important an education is to aggrandize ones status, many in the U.S. view it as an arduous and often mundane task. Here it is completely different. It is really invigorating, to see the students who love to learn!

For two, I have learned a more minimalistic approach to teaching and how to instruct using limited resources. With the absense of Computers, Mimio's and other technologies that facilitate instruction, I have rely more on creativity and working on implementing lessons with the limited resources that we have. I have been able to adapt my teaching style, and have learned to think outside the box more.

These students vibrancy and passion for education is inspiring and I cannot believe how much this experience has changed me as both an educator and a person already. I can only imagine how my views on pedagogy and life in general will evolve over the next few weeks.

My First Day of Class!

My first day at the Emafini Township School was fabulous and exceeded my expectations. After meeting the friendly staff, we were taken on a tour of the school and met with the principle, Mr. January. He was an extremely kind man and within minutes of meeting him, you could tell how passionate he was for his school. Afterwards, Mr. January asked us which grade levels we had taught in the states. I told him that I had taught in a 1st/2nd combination class and he paired me with a wonderful 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Gladyss.

Upon arriving in my new classroom, I was greeted by the smiling faces of 38, 2nd graders who eagerly rushed over to me as I walked in the door. Initially, I became nervous by the massive wave of students students that came my way. However, as I walked around the room and introduced myself to each student, my anxieties dissipated. The students were very respectful and smiled ear to ear as I shook each of their hands. As they introduced themselves, I tried my best to repeat their names in Xhosa (their native language). After introductions, my partnership teacher left the room and it was up to me to take charge.

As a warm up activity, I decided to have the students play "Simon Says." After several rounds, I realized that there was a significant language barrier. While playing, I saw students look at me with some bedazzled looks. It was clear that some of the students were having trouble understanding my English. Within the next few weeks, I look forward to helping my students gain a better understanding of the English language. I also, hope to learn some Xhosa along the way.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first day at The Emafini Township School. I look forward to working with these inspiring kids on a regular basis and helping them develop as life long learners.

Touching down, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

After three planes, over 8,000 miles and a day of travelling, we have finally arrived in South Africa! It feels surreal to be here, after months of preparation, I cannot believe that this adventure is finally underway. Yesterday at the crack of dawn, we departed from RDU Airport and flew to JFK, commencing the first leg of our trip. The first flight took about two hours total. After a two hour layover at JFK, we boarded a jumbo jet to Johannesburg, where we were in the air for approximately 15 hours. Surprisingly, the flight seemed to go by rather quickly.

Aside from the casual deep sleeping snorer, and the flight attendants cart which was magnetically attracted to bumping into my elbow, it was a rather pleasurable experience. Catching up on South African 6th and 7th grade curriculum, and reading Alan Paton's, Cry The Beloved Country seemed to enable time to pass by rather quickly. Throughout the entire flight, we were able to track our airplanes progress, via a t.v. screen that recorded our planes speed, distance to destination and estimated time of arrival. It was fascinating to see a visual representation of our planes route, and the countries we were passing over along the way.

After a smooth landing in Johannesburg, we barely had enough time to gather our luggage and race to the gate to catch our connecting flight to Port Elizabeth. While on this short, hour and a half flight, I sat next to one of the Consulates of South Africa, who was just returning from a diplomatic trip from Singapore. This  interesting woman told me that her son was actually going to school at Springfield College, in Massachusetts and was an avid rugby player, instantly we hit it off. After conversing and brief bouts of dozing in and out of consciousness, the wheels of our 747 touched down smoothly in our final destination, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The process of getting our luggage, was pretty painless and after about 20 minutes we headed towards the exit, to find our ride to the bed and breakfast. At first the driver didn't realize how much luggage we had and only brought one vehicle to pick us up, a white Hyundai SUV that could barely fit three people comfortably let alone 9 of us with luggage. After waiting approximately 15 minutes, two more vehicles showed up. We eagerly piled into the SUV's and began our drive from the airport to the bed and breakfast.

Our cab driver was very friendly, enthusiastic man in his mid 50's. During the drive he informed Dr. Roseboro and I of some of the cool things to do and see while in P.E. Some of his recommendations were to visit the Addo Elephant park, The Nelson Mandela Stadium (built for the World Cup in 2010), and a few adventure tourism spots in the surrounding area. From the airport, to the bed and breakfast was about 10 minutes away. For most of the drive, I sat nervously in the passenger seat, as driving on the left side of the road was a completely foreign experience to me. After a few minutes of the nerve racking cab ride, we arrived at The Algoa Bay Bed and Breakfast, our home away from home for the next 30 days.

This beautiful, quaint piece of real estate is blocks away from Algoa Bay, and we can see its pristine blue water from our balconies. I have my own room, with Wi-fi access, a nice size T.V., and a balcony that over looks the bay. The accommodations and staff could not be nicer. We are located in a very safe, secure neighborhood in Port Elizabeth. So far everyone that we have met has been extremely friendly and cordial. The weather here is absolutely beautiful, a little windy, but in the mid 70's with zero percent humidity.
Right now, it is springtime in South Africa and within the next couple of weeks summer will kick into full gear; this already nice weather will only get better.

Tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m., we will be heading to the Emafini Township School to begin our Township teaching experience. I absolutely cannot wait, for I know that this experience will be an eye opening opportunity, that will have a profound affect on me and help strengthen my views on pedagogy.

It's almost here

I cannot believe that in 6 days I will be boarding an airplane to embark on our trip to South Africa. I am very excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity, and couldn't ask for a better group of individuals to share it with.