So Much

           

 Well, tomorrow’s it—the First Day of School!

 Sweetness!

Gertrude and our cart of supplies

            The teachers have been hard at work the last week making plans and decorating their rooms.  Gertrude and I have been all over the place getting the supplies the teachers need and all the other stuff that goes with opening a school—buying garbage cans, brooms, toilet paper, dish clothes for the kitchen, dusters, toilet bowl scrubbers, toilet bowl cleaner, etc.!  Who’da thunk!

            I have spent countless hours organizing materials, moving furniture, making lists of needed repairs, setting up the room that will be used for station work.  That room is “ready,” but I’m not sure the teachers know exactly what to do with it.  I think the idea of stations and kids doing separate things is totally foreign to them (no pun intended!).  I think a big part of my job will be showing them how to use stations to instruct kids, to let the kids explore on their own, to allow for noise.  I think the noise will be an issue—my impression is that Haitian schools are very quiet except when the class is responding chorally.  Otherwise, the kids are expected to be quiet, but I don’t know that that’s because teachers believe it’s best.  I think it’s because any noise is seen as lack of teaching skill.  Maybe?  I don’t know for sure—I’ll find out in the coming weeks!

Kindergarten teacher and aide

            The things I’ve learned . . . that list could go on forever! But, I’ll keep it short for ya!

Pre-school teacher and 

1.      I continually have to check (mostly) my American culture at the door.  I say “mostly” because there are many things that American education does better than Haiti.  And, I need to push those educational practices that I know are good for children.  However, I need to see what these teachers do before I force my ideas on them.

2.     American school leadership looks very different from that in Haiti (or, at least with the leadership that I’m working with).  I arranged the tables and chairs in the rooms in pods, and our financial secretary looked uncomfortable with what I had done.  He asked whether I planned to leave them like that, and I explained that I just put them that way and that the teachers could arrange the room any way they wanted.  That idea took him by surprise.  He had the same response when he was telling some teachers where he thought the tables should go in the pre-school.  I interrupted and said that the teachers would decide that.  He again looked surprised. 

One of our stations--just play!

I don’t know whether all school directors micro-manage like that, whether they see that as part of their responsibilities, but I plan to let teachers have more decision-making freedom in their own rooms. 

3.     I really need to work on my language skills!  I want to be able to be an equal partner in the professional discussions, and I can’t do that without speaking the language.  I do not want to be dependent on a translator!

Special-needs teachers

4.     I can’t do this alone.  I have a vision for what the Haiti Center for Inclusive Education can and should be.  Sharing that vision with others is hard because of language, distance, and multiple voices.  This isn’t my school (no matter how much I want it to be!), it is our school: the kids’, the teachers’, Gertrude’s, the Board of Director’s, God’s. 

5.     I’m not doing this alone!  The support from churches, friends, family, strangers—literally people all over the world—is making this happen.  Not me.  Note to self: check the ego at the door!  Totally.

Our "station" room

6.     Haitian offices/school rooms don’t come with shelving.  Or much of any storage.  I’m starting to see why so much is stored on the floor or in piles on desks.  When buildings are constructed, there seems to be no thought to shelving or storage space or placing outlets in accessible spots.  It’s been driving me nuts, but Gertrude’s creativity is wearing off on me, and I’m slowing finding ways to “store” items and still keep it easy to get at them.

I’ve probably forgotten about a bazillion other things that I’ve learned.  As they come back to me, I will make sure to post some of them because most of what I’m learning is keeping me humble.

Pre-school tables

      I, of course, have been busy taking pictures as teachers prepared and the school slowly transformed from empty rooms to school.  Some of them are shared here.  I can’t be at the first day of school tomorrow—that darn paying job has to take precedence!—but I will be there Tuesday getting as many shots as I can.  Look for them soon!