“All I
really need are some ears to hear me dream!”
Extra credit if you can name that song J Once
again, I have been in worlds far away from the World Wide Web. It figures that I would have taken the time
to remember my long-forgotten blog during a power outage, sitting by
candlelight with rain pounding against my roof and thunder I can feel deep in
my bones. So let’s jump in, as quickly
as the mighty rainy season descended upon the dry, thirsty soil in my village.
Before I
fully realized that the eventful holiday season and the turn of the new year had
come to a close, I found myself once again center stage in front of the bright
eyes and impressionable minds. This
year, I have the opportunity to teach each and every one of our 380 students;
which is a blessing, but provides quite the workload! Through feelings of intense homesickness and
occasional despair as I learn more about the self-propagating factors that are
preventing this Tanzania’s development, I am realizing many things. One of them is that all I really do need are
young people to keep me on my toes and at my best.
This
year, I am teaching Biology to Form III students – a new class of students for
me. I am making it a point to have
interactive activities and teaching aids during every single class period, which
occupies my nights but helps to bring momentum into my classroom. In response to poor student responses to the
homework exercises I assigned last year, I introduced a carefully monitored
grading scale in my classroom this year.
Immediately, students were enthusiastic about knowing that their work in
the classroom everyday would play a part in their overall grade. Even a few weeks into the school year, I
notice a definite difference in the motivation and behavior of my students. I hope that other teachers will take notice
soon (Sidenote: Before the start of the school year, I gave a presentation to
teachers regarding teaching strategies, creating a positive classroom
environment and student rapport, as well as my views toward corporal
punishment. Together, we wrote and
signed a covenant to make Uroki Secondary School a safe and enriching place for
students, teachers, staff, and guests. I
have yet to see any changes in the matters that frustrate me the most, but I
think I’m just feeling a taste of the frustrations of generations of
change-makers around the world.)
This
year, I am wearing many, many hats. One
of my favorite hats is one that I wear everyday. During my first few months at Uroki, I saw a
definite lack of creative thinking skills in my students. In both Chemistry and Biology classes, I
often assigned homework questions that would require students to apply their
science knowledge to every-day situations (as well as practice writing their
own ideas in English). I would reiterate
the importance of “using your own words” almost every day. Inevitably, however, I would receive a stack
of 80+ exercise books with identical answers.
I left the school year unsure if students were incapable or just
unmotivated to think for themselves.
So, I
decided to create a course for all students centered around problem solving,
critical thinking, creative writing, study skills, and science activities. The name is “UFANISI” – a Kiswahili word for
success. To me and my students, however,
it stands for “Unlocking Future Achievement, Namely, Intrinsic Student Ingenuity.” Since our students range from Form I students
(who speak only a handful of English words) to Form V students (who are already
scoping out various universities), I plan a variety of activities for each
class. I open each period with different
riddles and puzzles, and continue with all sorts of activities. Especially for the classes taking national
examinations this year (Form II and Form IV), I have trouble balancing
hands-on, fun activities with teaching study skills and memorization
tricks. To say the least, we have a long
way to go this year.
I won’t
deny that the challenges of living and being change maker in Tanzania get the
best of me on some days. However, the
curious eyes and malleable minds in my classroom, garden, and football field keep
me focused on larger goals. However
frustrated I can be with the education system, some cultural factors, and other
teachers, my commitment to my students, and theirs to me, makes my small, enchanting
part of the world keep turning. All I
really need, for my life to feel complete, are some ears to hear me dream.
