Week 25- final reports and goodbyes...

Maxime and I on our way to the airport- even his last few hours were an adventure, African-style.

June 24- Just as I was finishing up my last week at UJ, my neighbor from the guesthouse, Maxime, was flying back to Paris. Maxime had become like a brother to me- the type of brother I could talk/learn about politics with and someone who understood the reality of TIA (this is Africa). Because I didn’t have a car for a moment, I could empathize with his personal “prison” (not leaving the guesthouse except to go to the university), so I would take him out and about when I could (and he wasn’t studying). He was there to hear about my day, to share an occasional powercord for the Mac, and I was even able to edit an email (I didn’t take out some of the more precious English Language phrases). He would join me for dinner out when I was too tired to cook and understood the power of complimenting my cooking (more food offered). That Monday I was a bit sad to see him off at the airport because he had become a part of my day and living in the guesthouse. We made it safely, and after a near heart attack (getting stuck in an elevators…and TIA), he returned to France. Maxime will do brilliant things in this world…I am proud to be his friend, mentor, and "sister."

My UJ experience (clockwise):  view from school of education, student research groups, view from my office of cooling towers with bird, Orlando Stadium, and mini-buses/combies (center)

June 25- So much of my last week was full of writing, typing, backing up, and making sure the information I had worked so hard on was passed on so the work could continue. I worked on the binder of information (hard copy) for the UJ Early Childhood Education/Foundation Phase program, completed reports for the Fulbright, and finalized materials for the local schools I had worked with over the last few months. Much of my work was taking the materials, lectures, feedback, and reflections I had completed over the last six months and making the information accessible to anyone. Some of the major topics (in additions to the ones I went over in earlier blog posts) was literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, and inclusive practices. 

My drive to work...two tires blew on my rental about 3/4 mile from this gas station (in the dark)...but luckily I had students with me!!!

Literacy- Literacy is the ability to read and write. At the university, the need for student-teachers to increase their English literacy skills seems to stem from the language challenges students faced (due to the 11 official languages). For example, many students at UJ education program were not raised speaking English, they do not necessarily use English in their conversations so their vocabulary skills may be lower, and although they all passed their matric test (high school exit exam), the accepted low scores allowed for a lack of literacy skills in English. This being said, all of the students would be future teachers and needed to increase their skills. I recommended professors and lecturers work at increasing students vocabulary through morphology, explicit vocabulary instruction, reading instruction, and more opportunities to write (more than one draft). One area I really noticed the deficits was when I was teaching the classes on Reading. In the Harry Potter book activity, many of the students were not able to identify supporting details or critically think about the topics. When teaching reading assessment, I realized that many of the students would score at the frustration level and if students are at the frustration level, it is harder for them to access the curriculum. I recommended the faculty find work that is at the instructional level and move students up rather than continually create classes that were above the ability level of students. It seemed like they were not writing enough, nor were they using services available to them (tutors, writing center, etc). By accessing services, the students could potentially increase their literacy levels, and in turn, they would be better teachers for their future students (maybe even better teachers than they had in their educational experience). 

In schools, teachers were begging for assessments they could use to determine students' levels. They wanted to meet the needs of the students (CAPS and ANAs- standards and assessment testing), but they were not equipped with the skills to assess a student who was not on level with the rest of the class, so they just continued on with the scheduled lessons. Literacy skills need to be taught in the schools as well as the university teacher training programs. 

UJ students reports on interventions

Critical Thinking-  Both at the university and the schools, teachers were talking about the students lack of critical thinking skills. I noticed the frustration at the lack of depth in assignments but when I reviewed the assignments I also noticed the vague instructions. In my experience in teaching, most learners will give you what you ask for- whether it is thoughtful or not. Working with educators on learning how to create critical thinking prompts and develop ideas with detailed supports came in handy here. At the university I joked that preservice teachers could quote Vygotsky but they were not able to discuss how to integrate the theory of the zone of proximal development into their lessons. I think we, as educators, often forget how to bring the theory down to the practice level. Also, we want critically reflective journals of teaching experiences, however, we don't explain what factors to examine in a classroom. 

Solar Panels on the Government Housing in Soweto (I guess they could power tv and small refrigerator)

Collaboration- Many people comment on how much work I am able to produce in a short amount of time. I have to admit much of this is because I collaborate with others. If I can't find a document, I send out an email blast asking if someone else has one. At schools, I try to be creative with the staff members who are available to support students and train them on how to assess students and record data. One of the schools had multiple Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) working with them, and when I spoke to the NGOs, they told me they were not sure what to do...I trained the NGOs to assess learners' literacy so they could be effective with time and support. 

Parents and community can be difficult to work with in South Africa. Culturally speaking, many families believe it is the schools' job to educate, and they voice their opinions to school staff. By scaffolding work for students, reaching beyond the traditional "show your mom or dad you ____", schools can utilize the community members supporting kids in their educational success. Sometimes it is not about following the perfect model, rather it is creating a positive model. Students trying to read a book they are struggling with at home get lost, but having a student master reading a book and sharing that with their parent or support person is exciting for the students. 

A man pulling recycling in Soweto

Inclusion and inclusive practices- Many South African educators were not sure what inclusion meant for their school. They tried to fit their current model into inclusion, they talked about how it wouldn't work. They complained about hours/students/CAPS/ANAs/students' home life/behaviors/etc. My goal was not to change the system, rather I tried to inspire educators to learn strategies and skills they could use to make teaching diverse students more manageable, find ways to collaborate with others, assess students' abilities, and increase student interactions and quality of their work. Much of this, at both the university and school levels, seem to point back to positive behavior intervention strategies. Students need to learn how to learn, teachers need to encourage development through safe environments and increased self-esteem (someone who feels like they can do it, usually does). In my seminars and classes, I did my best to give explicit strategies and interventions. When I noticed there was more I could do, I took the time to provide additional supports. I think there is a long way to go...but there are also educators in South Africa who are willing to put the time, effort, and inspiration that are needed for a positive inclusive educational experience for ALL students. 

Dr. Ragpot and I at our Italian Dinner in Melville

Because I got to work before 8am and left after 6pm, I wasn’t able to go grocery shopping, luckily my friends and colleagues treated me that week. Thiago and I went to Southern Sun on Tuesday, my colleague Dr. Ragpot took me for Italian food on Wednesday followed by a birthday party with Davies in Melville, and on Thursday, a bunch of the ex-patriots met for an InterNations networking event. 

 

The Lovely and Intelligent Kamagelo took me to a traditional lunch (green intestine) at the Mall in Soweto

On Thursday, the UJ staff held a luncheon for me. With some help from Kamagelo (student “volunteer”) I was able to finish getting the binder put together (with color-coded tabs) and present the information to the staff. Some of the topics covered in the binder included literacy, critical thinking, staff support, and recommendations for the future.  

On Friday, I packed up my office and Kamagelo took me to a restaurant in Soweto that serves intestine (I did say I would eat the local cuisine). It seemed so strange to be driving away from UJ for the last time…at least for this trip.

 

Thiago, me, Monique, ?, and Talquin at the outdoor music festival in the park (Pretoria)

That weekend Thiago, Monique, Talquin, and I stayed busy around Joburg…starting with MishMash in Greenside (outdoor fire pits- remember it is winter here), Neighborgoods for brunch, and ending on Sunday at Park Acoustic, an outdoor rock concert in Pretoria.  

Week 24- Academically speaking (theory to practice, social justice, and inclusion) Enjoyment seeking (Dining out, kizomba, and jazz)

Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo
after being shot by South African police during a
student protest in Soweto

      June 16 is Youth Day in South Africa. On June 16, 1976 high school students in Soweto organized and implemented a series of student-led protests. Much like in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement, adults had to work, therefore, they could not participate in protests, so the youth took it upon themselves to strategize ways they could fight against the government mandate requiring the medium of instruction to be in the Afrikaans language at local schools. This was not the first time a protest had been organized by the students. Two years before students had fought the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974 which required all black schools teach in a 50-50 split of Afrikaans and English instruction. Because of the lack of Afrikaans language knowledge, this decree effectively “made critical analysis of the content difficult and discouraged critical thinking.”

            On June 16, 1000s of students began a march at Orlando Stadium (teachers did not condone the march, but also did not interfere with the progress of the marchers). The Soweto Students’ Representative Council’s Action Committee had organized the protest and they had practiced discipline and peaceful protest skills prior to the day.

            The police barricaded the road, the crowd was reminded not to provoke the police and changed their route. The numbers increased from 3,000 to 10,000 students chanting and singing as they marched, “Down with Afrikaans” and “Viva Azania.”

            Exactly how it started is disputed, however, most say the police may have been hit by a rock or bottle and some began to shoot. Hector Pieterson was shot and killed. By the end of the day, 22 others lost their lives (including 2 white people).

        

  The next day, 1,500 armed police officers, helicopters, and tanks arrived in Soweto. The number of lives lost is between 200-600, the number over wounded was well over 1,000. That being said, it should be pointed out that Soweto was not the only place where the students protested…these youth protests happened all over the country. In fact, the Univesity of Zululand (where I am currently working) had their records and administration building set on fire. The media were present for many of these uprisings, therefore, they were effecting in pressuring the government for change. The value of the Rand (money) crashed and crisis ensued.

            June 17 was Youth Day Observed, a public holiday, so a group of people from the ex-patriot group, InterNations, got together for brunch. Having the extra day to prepare before working on my reports for the Fulbright was a nice reward. I was able to organize my documents and presentations so I could begin looking for more themes. Two major elements that seemed to present themselves include bringing theory to practice and what inclusive practice and social justice mean in a classroom with diverse learners. I noticed when I first began interviewing educators, almost everyone was able to identify scaffolding and differentiation, yet when I asked for examples, the room would get quiet. At the university level I offered to put together a plan for introducing research and research-based practices beginning with the first year students so that by fourth year (and beyond) they weren’t intimidated. I ended up giving my materials to both University of the Western Cape and University of Johannesburg.

             As I have mentioned before, I worked closely with the fourth years on a research project, which was a start, but I realized this was their first exposure to reading research (and many found it very difficult, they even expressed feelings of animosity toward me for changing their program). The fourth years struggled with the research component (finding articles), reading at the academic level, deciding whether the article was relevant, and synthesizing the information without plagiarism. My proposal for the university is to start with the research in the first year by explicitly teaching the students about the elements of journals and how to “dissect” the article based on common information (citation, introduction, statement of the problem, purpose, research questions, methodology, results, and discussion/limitation). By second year, the students should be able to dissect an article they find of interest and decide if it is relevant to their classroom (critique). Third year students can begin the researching process using databases, the library, and other resources while fine-tuning their writing without plagiarism. Finally, fourth year student would be ready to choose a topic, find relevant articles, design a small study, and write a research paper about a research-based practice.

          From the feedback I received from the fourth year students, they wished they had been exposed to research earlier, they finally saw the connection between theories and research-based practices, and they felt more equipped to deal with “unsolvable” problems in their classroom. Many said they were going to apply for honors and masters classes because they had more confidence in their abilities. Over the six months I was at UJ, I watched the students academic writing skills increase as well by reading research. The students were able to identify how well written (and not so well written) an article was, which gave them guideline, modeling, and examples of clarity and detailed supports. This brings me back to my youngest sister who had me read a paper of hers (while she was getting her masters) and when I asked her about the structure she said no one every told her about any structure…I think as academics, we become so used to how articles are set up that we forget to break down the process and show parallels for our students.
         The schools were also struggling with research-based practices. They were so used to using their own practices that many of the teachers refused to read the handouts I provided at professional developments because they had “filled” up the paper with their own interventions. Don’t get me wrong, it is great that they have so many “tricks” but I think it is imperative that we push ourselves as educators to learn more, try different strategies, and continue growing. It was reported to me more than once that the schools who did receive training on inclusion were given broad definitions and theoretical perspectives rather than practical examples and tools to use in their classrooms.

         Which brings me to my next piece- social justice and inclusive practices. Both at the university and schools educators want to know how to identify, assess, and meet the needs of diverse learners. University lecturers and professors point to the educational psychology department and say, “they take care of that.” Preservice teachers going into schools say, we “weren’t taught that.” And current teachers say, “we haven’t been trained, we need more training, we aren’t qualified, a psychologist needs to come and assess the learner, the district is supposed to give us a training…” So, where to start?

I need to remind my select readers (yes, I appreciate every ONE of you who actually reads what I write), that I have only been here 6 months at this time and of course I don’t think I know everything, nor do I believe I have the solution…what I have is some tools that may work on some days; some research that I have tediously done; some experience working with students with diverse needs; and a lot of care and love for all students who want to learn and those who haven’t figured out they want to learn yet. Okay, now I will continue...

         I recommended to the university that all lecturers and professors address diverse learning needs in all of their classes (that is what inclusion is all about, right?). Even if it is just a quick demonstration (with examples) on how a teacher would address diverse learning needs based on the topic they presented in a unit. I recommended the lecturers promote the inclusive ideas in their classes. I outline these 7-steps that I believe can be applied to almost every situation: 1. beginning with strengths, 2. then identify challenges, 3. make a plan for assessing the skill, 4. coming up with a few possible interventions, 5. implement the intervention, 6. reflect on the success, and 7. make adjustments as needed.

         My thought is that, if lecturer in teacher education became promoters (yes, I said

promoters) of inclusion, then preservice teachers would be more exposed (and not just on a theoretical basis) to how it works beyond a professional coming into the classroom and diagnosing the problem. Also, if the teacher training programs scaffolded learning for these incoming high school graduates (who often do not have the skills to succeed at university), then they would actually be developing students and modeling their practice.

          The first year students are coming in without study skills, academic writing, how to collaborate (ie, working in groups with people who you don’t know), self-advocate, ask for help, where to get support (writing center, psychological services, peers, etc), what to do if there are language issues (before an assignment is due), and problem solve (much like we have to teach our students everyday). Then, if the university taught interventions such as strategies based on brain development research, response to intervention (RtI), positive behavior intervention strategies (PBIS), and sheltered instruction observation protocol model (SIOP) then the preservice teachers would leave university with more interventions.

            In schools, teachers report parents don’t want their kids assessed because of the stigma that goes along with having diverse learning needs. They believe the community and families have to change the way they see students who need additional help. Also, they point to the various social and health issues their learners walk in the door with- abuse, poverty, crime, non-nuclear families (child-reared families, single parent, extended, etc.), family members or students with AIDS/HIV, and illiteracy. The teachers repeat they do not have the practical strategies to help their students, they do not even have the useful assessments to identify students. The lack of assessments is partially due to the fact that the teachers are required to teach to the government issued workbooks and readers (which I found out do not always correspond to each other). They have to complete reports on how the students are progressing with the lessons and because the lessons don’t always compliment each other, this is a daunting task- not to mention it takes the creativity out of teaching, much like the scripted texts we have in the United States.

Agata and I at Bottega

And on to lighter- entertainment activities:

That week Agata and I went out for her goodbye dinner in Parkhurst. We went to her favorite Italian restaurant in Johannesburg, Bottega. The owner was sad to hear she was leaving and brought deep fried olives and limoncello for an after dessert drink. Another evening I went to see the movie, The Great Gatsby, with Davies. On Friday, Eric and I decided to get together for a drink at the Griffin…Walter joined us and next thing I knew we were all on 7^th Street in Melville. 

Eric, Me, and Walter at Griffin

            On Saturday, I took Maxime to Neighborgoods and we enjoyed South African cuisine (vegetarian option from one stall and the meat option from another stall). His birthday was Sunday and he would be moving back to France on Monday- so this was our goodbye outing away from his Hillside prison (he didn’t have a car in Jo’burg and spent the last year confined to studying- his determination will allow him to succeed in life, but we have been working on his social life). That night I met up with Liemo, Caz, and Liz for a BailaAfrika Afro-Latino & Kizomba Party at Casa De Galinha. They started with a Kizomba lesson (always helpful). My friends Mawunda, Rose, and Melanie just happened to be there too. The night passed away before I knew it…

Maxime and I eating
African cuisine at Neighborgoods
Market 

Caz, Liz, Liemo, and Me

dancing...

June 23- Agata’s last day before she moved back to Italy. We went to Café de la Crème for breakfast. She left for the airport and I chilled at my apartment. Well, by chilled I mean I read novels, worked on qualitative data analysis, and listened to music. While I was working John Coltrane’s “Dahomey Dance” came on my itunes. I thought to myself, Johannesburg has got to have live jazz somewhere. So I googled, “Johanesburg, Jazz, June 23” and the first thing that came up was a jazz concert at Wits music hall starting in 20 minutes. I sent a message to my Liemo to see if she wanted to join me…and she replied she was already there and would save me a seat. On the double-billed event were Malcolm Braff Trio and Jazzwerstatt Quartet. The first group was playing when I arrived…and within seconds I was on the edge of my seat. The drummer and pianist stole the show, but the stand up bass and horn section was fantastic as well. I am officially part of the Kesivan Naidoo fan club. Evidently, he won a national talent show for his drumming skills and has only improved his art since then.

Week 23- analyzing and reflecting..and having some fun

This pigeon showed up next to my window one day
and kept me company for almost 2 hours 

During this week I focused mostly on writing, analyzing data, and working on my reports for my Fulbright. In my “freetime”, I tried to catch up on this blog- I seem to always be about a month behind. 

Analyzing/Analysing

My assistant, Nthenbiseng, came in everyday at 9am and worked with me until after 4pm most days. A few of the faculty stopped by and joked that I was working her too hard, she would smile politely at the comments. Although I was done working with schools, I was still gathering documents and materials they could use based on the questions and concerns that came up during the seminars. I was also trying to organize all of the documents and presentations I had created over the last 6 months into a reference binder- this was one of those times I wished I had been writing, recording, and printing things off as I went along rather than waiting until the last month. I was trying to formulate thoughts about my experience working with educators. Here are some of the topics I have been trying to flush out about my encounters with the educators at the universities and the schools. 

• Language (University)- At the university, the students struggle with language- academic writing and speaking/reading in English. They have an academic writing textbook that reviews fundamentals, however, the struggles that I am seeing in the classes are beyond understanding language basics (vocabulary, graphic organizers, etc) and strategic reading (skimming and scanning for important information). Many of the students struggled reading the Harry Potter book (although that could have been because they thought they could get away with a lighter work load), so when I gave them an activity asking them to dissect a peer-reviewed journal article, they were overwhelmed, to say the least. In one class, I had them work on morphology, but that too is just a basic step for an English Language learner. I wonder what is the best course of action to support educators. It doesn't seem right to be pushing teachers into the field who do not have basic English skills and are expected to teach their students these skills. But what can the university do about student qualifying for the program yet not having the vocabulary necessary to access the information presented in their text? Although I was able to visit some of the university classes, many times the professors and lecturers were not in the room. So, were they able to see the strategies I used to assist the students who struggle with language and processing (such as the SIOP model strategies)? Is it appropriate for lecturers to be addressing English Language supports when they have other elements of instruction to go over in such a short time.

• Language (Schools)- At the school sites, I see that the teachers are not always fluent in English either...how can the cycle of language issues be broken if teachers and students are struggling? Maybe the key here is the preservice teachers- if we can begin to educate and "push" these preservice teachers to increase the English language skills then maybe we can begin to address these issues with students in schools more explicitly and bring the next generation of learners to the next level? 
  
• Culturally responsiveness (University)- At the university level the most unresponsive thing I saw was inflexibility, interestingly enough I also saw lecturers who were too flexible. When I was working with the 4th year students on their research projects, they were not able to meet during the day, so I scheduled meetings with groups at times they could make it (after their day of teaching). I was the last person in the school of education on those days...by meeting with students based on their schedules I was able to not disrupt their learning, show I cared about supporting them, and I was cognizant that not everyone has the same schedule. Based on the evaluations the students wrote, they not only appreciated me helping them when they could meet, they were more dedicated to their group work because they understood the importance of meeting together and understanding what each person was doing so they could support each other more, and they felt valued as people with real lives. One student said she worked harder for me because she wanted me to be proud of her...I also dealt with the other side of being flexible. In two different classes I taught, students did not show up to class and turned work in late. One student told me it was because their lecturer was so nice they knew it was no big deal. I spent way too much time seeing and supporting students who missed the lecture. Looking back, maybe I shouldn't have met with the absent students, but if the idea is to get the information across and it was their first experience with me, I am not sure who it would have benefitted if I ignore them or told them to get help elsewhere. I think as teachers, we are constantly challenged with the idea of too much versus not enough help. If the students had begun the semester with me, knew I took 10% each day an assignment was late, and had strict attendance rules (behavior/classroom management), then maybe there were not have been so many turning things in late- but maybe this is just how they are... 
• Cultural responsiveness (Schools)- In the schools, the culturally responsive part that stood out the most was in working with diverse students, families, and communities effectively. It seems like there is a lot of finger pointing that students, families, and communities are not working hard enough to support the schools, but I wonder are the schools and support programs (NGOs and Non-profits) doing enough to support these individuals and groups to help them. People don't know intuitively how to be helpful and historically they haven't been expected to do much beyond pay attention and memorize your work. How can we, as educators, support those involved in the school in supporting us? 

Okay, enough of the diatribes (of course there will be more later)...There were a few after work “fun” events I managed to include into my week.

June 10- Kim flew back from Cape Town. I met her in Rosebank for dinner.  

June 11- Kim booked a bike trip through Soweto…I dropped her off in the morning, then picked her up in the afternoon. We went to the Hector Pieterson Museum that afternoon- she had been in the area for the bike tour, but they didn’t tell her it was a museum so she didn’t go inside. This was actually perfect for me because I hadn’t had the chance to go to the museum yet. That night I convinced her to meet my friend Caz at the Kizomba class they offer (kizomba is “Angolan Tango”). She was a good sport about the class, even though she was already tired.

June 12- Kim went to a conference and I went to work…That evening Agata and I met up with Kim in Sandton for Kim’s goodbye dinner. After dinner Kim and I went to listen to some jazz in Melville. My friend Walter joined us.  

At Poppy's in Melvile
(Davies, Me, Kim, ?, Walter)

June 13- Kim and I went to breakfast at 44 Stanley (a 4^th Street of Berkeley type area) and then I dropped her off at the Gautrain (the train that goes to the airport) before work. That night I went to Bioscope Independent Film House for the Film Festival called “Encounters” with Leketi. We saw a movie about the drugs in America. Not uplifting, but informative about the war on drugs…you never know what you will get at film festivals.

June 14- Cristines, my new best friend, was moving back to Brazil in the morning. We got together for dinner and wine with Adriana. Then, we ended up at the Griffin where we met another gem in this world, Eric. Cristines is one of those friends who may not live near but will always be in heart…she is a wonderful reason to visit Brazil soon too! 

My Lovely Brazilian Ladies
(Me, Cristines, and Adriana)

June 15- Saturday morning Michelle and I agreed to go to Neighborgoods. She invited her Peruvian friend Roberto as well. We enjoyed wine, paella, and an Argentinian meat sandwich…and topped everything off with bubbly and chocolate. 

At Neighborgoods with
Michelle and Roberto
(and 2 Batmans behind us-
or is that 2 Batmen?)

That evening I had plans with my special group of ladies at Montecasino. We had wine, dinner, and danced until I had to go home (I am the youngest in the group- I shouldn’t be the first to leave).

I love the women in Jozi!
(at Montecasino)

June 16- After a morning or working and reading I got my energy together and went over to Michelle’s house for dinner. Her boys were there and we talked about books and things we were grateful for that day. 

Week 22- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs- Schools-Arts on Main

Playing a clapping/dancing/drumming game

June 3- After my disappointment with the attendance of the presentations at local schools last week and my “processing” with educators and locals about the experience, I took the weekend to try to figure out how I could support schools and educators but also not compromise my integrity while supporting. I was reminded that the issues of South African townships went beyond identifying the need for “training and support” to address the issues the students and teachers encounter everyday.

I often use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs when teaching. Basically, he said people can only address issues and move towards success if certain things are taken care of first, i.e. the physiological needs like food/water/shelter/breathing. Once your physiological needs are met, then one can worry about safety and security (health, employment, property, and stability within family and social world). Next, love and belonging can be addressed- this includes friendships, family, intimacy, and connection with other beings. If someone feels loved, then they can work on their self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect, and individuality. Finally, the top of Maslow’s triangle of needs is self-actualization (creativity, experience, meaning, morality, and fulfilling personal potential). 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Many of the people living in the townships and attending the government schools still don’t have safe and stable housing or enough food to eat. The idea of improving practice when they have much more trying issues on their plate may seem futile, however, educators have shown up to every one of the seminars (although I wish there were higher levels of participation), children are grateful for my presence on campus (as demonstrated from “Hello Dr. Reebs” and the endless hugs I get as I walk around), and the principals have welcomed me into the schools, given me access to their staff, and a space to work. All of these are great accomplishments when teachers are loaded with student struggles, reporting and paperwork on standards, and administrative pressure to increase scores. The story of the township government schools needs to be examined from more than on-time attendance.

            I left the university very tired from all of the energy I found myself giving to education, I remembered that part of being an educator means taking care of ourselves and making sure we are giving our energy to the right places. I heard someone say, if you find your energy drained by something- let it go, the things that matter will fill you up rather than take from you…although the schools were draining, they were also waking something up inside of me. I felt like I needed to get quiet to find out the answer- which meant, I had to be cautious this week when deciding where I focused my energy. As I was leaving, a student came to my office and asked for consultation help. I let her know that I had made myself available for all of the students last month and that now I was helping schools and I couldn’t help. I also asked her if she had spoken to her writing group, she said, “No, but I will go to them, they said they understood the assignment since meeting with you. I was embarrassed to ask them for help because I missed the meeting we all had with you last month.” I agreed that her group should be able to help her. She thanked me for all of the support I had been giving them this year. I felt my shoulders relax with the realization that I had supported the class to the best of my ability and because I held a self-care boundary- I said no (but reminder her of the supports that existed to help her).

June 4- I met my friend Michelle for lunch at the fire station in Rosebank. Evidently, on Tuesdays they have an open kitchen…basically you pay for a box (R50= $5), go inside, fill your box from food on a table, and enjoy an Italian-themed lunch. Not only was it tasty, but it was nice to catch up with my beautiful friend. I left Rosebank and drove to Soweto to present part II of my workshop at a special school located on the hospital grounds.

I arrived, set up, and was ready to present at 2pm- although just to change things up I moved the “front of the presentation” to the side of the room- sometimes just moving where you stand changes the dynamics of the room. By 2:10 almost half of the staff were present. I reviewed some of the information I had presented last week- we talked about student barriers and positive solutions that educators see happening at their school. Then I moved into the activity. I gave them graphic organizers, handouts, and poster paper. I let them know I would walk around the room to help/answer questions, then in 10 minutes I would check in and see if they were ready to present what they had discussed. I broke them into group (people they were sitting by because last week when I asked them to move, a few people moved their way right out of the presentation). The teachers seemed really engaged in the activity from the start. They started working talking/writing/reading and asked on-task questions about what they would present. Even as I meandered around the room, teachers were asking when I could return because they had more questions. I said I am here now, I will answer to the best of my knowledge. At the end of the group work, the presentations and discussion seemed to illicit stimulating conversations about practice. Some of the topics being discussed included: 

·      students' lack of confidence (how to build self-esteem),

·      how to organize information before writing,

·      good editing practices,

·      how to deal with students who take longer to read/finish an assignment,

·      teaching and re-teaching necessary skills, not just repeating activities/assignments

·      incorporating math into every day life (helping students make connections to real life)

·      dealing with kleptomania and overcrowded classrooms using respect instead of punishment (big topic!)

·      how to teach problem solving

·      how to really do group work so that everyone participates and contributes

I then went over different assessments they could use in the classroom for reading, writing, math, and attention issues. We talked about modeling behavior (such as respect).  I had the teachers complete evaluations and many came up to me and thanked me for returning, for my time, and for being a support even though I wasn’t greeted well in the beginning (they acknowledged the lack of participation the week before). 

That night, I went to a Kizomba class with my friend Caz. Kizomba is African Tango from Angola. I had tried it once before and decided to go to the class again. Because I had only attended one other class, I decided to go to the beginner for true beginners and learn the history and basic step. It was fun to get outside of my head for a bit. The lessons are from a group in Johannesburg called BailaAfrika, who gives lessons in Kizomba and Salsa.

June 5- Today I returned to the third school I was working with in Soweto for the final presentation. I had put together a binder with all of the information I had collected for the school including: my report based on the survey, observations, and interviews; a synopsis of the workshops I had given, resources for assessment, organization materials for putting on a college/career expo; assessments for reading, writing, math, and behavior; tools for increasing literacy skills; and a list of 10 daily reflective practices I use as an educator.

            At 2:10pm I started the presentation…two of the teachers were present and seven volunteers from outside programs working with the school. The week before I let them know that I would review the information I had given seminars on and then, if we had time and they collected the information I asked for, I would help them write a grant for their library. I reviewed the information in the binder and answered some questions. I asked if they had gathered the information for the grant, they said they would email it to me tomorrow because it was not complete. I reminded them that I had to write my reports and that I would not have time after today because I still needed to complete work for the Fulbright and University of Johannesburg, but that I was here today and giving them my time and service. They thanked me for showing up and said that if they could implement these strategies and use these resources maybe their school performance would increase. I told them I appreciated being involved with the school and learning more about education issues within the townships. I also said I hoped the resources were helpful and that they could email me and I would respond. We gave hugs and I left.

We asked someone to
take a photo...we
got a video ;)

That evening I met up with Cristines, my Brazilian new best friend who was soon leaving Johannesburg. You have to love friends who know to say “come over and let’s have a glass of wine, you have had a long day.” We shared a pinotage and went to dinner at a place called Koi- laughing with those you love is priceless!

June 6- Downtown is not really a good place to be in Johannesburg, however, there is a few blocks in the Central Business District (CBD) that are safe and fun every Sunday and the first Thursday of the month, it is called “Arts on Main.” Thiago and I decided to go there for dinner. One of my favorite things to do is introduce people to new food…that night Thiago tried oysters and Ethiopian food. We finished it with chocolate brownies (not because I was particularly hungry, rather why not finish with chocolate!?!). They had music in the outside/rooftop area as well.

Arts on Main

June 7- Thiago was going to Brazil on Saturday so we decided to have a goodbye dinner for Cristines that night with Yean (work colleague) and Chris (Cris’ friend/colleague) at a local restaurant in Parkhurst. After waiting for a table for over an hour, we finally were able to sit and order. We talked about Afrikaner history within South Africa, education, mining, and traveling the world.

June 8- After a relaxing Saturday morning, I met up with Cristines to see a movie. We didn’t know anything playing, so we ended up seeing “Side Effects.” It was about a drug for depression having a side effect that made a woman kill her husband…not the most uplifting movie I have ever seen. Later that night we met up with some people from Cristines job who were in town from London for a week of training.   

June 9- Sunday morning I woke up feeling like I wanted to do something fun. Seeing it was Sunday I called Caz to see if she wanted to go to Arts on Main for some food, wine, and dancing (Kizomba, salsa, mixed with house music). We spent the afternoon there. Her friend, Walter, was also hanging out that afternoon with his rugby-playing friend and a Canadian girl from a hostel.  

          That evening I read another book that was recommended by a guy on the radio called, Some of My Best Friends Are White: Subversive Thoughts from a Zulu Warrior by Ndumiso Ngcobo. This book, in addition to be hilarious and witty, is basically short essays about issues in South Africa. Some of the chapter names are:  Eish, I ain’t got it, Joe! (having friends who never seem to have $), Crazy-Ass White People, Have You Hugged a Zulu Today (the role of violence in Zulu society), Taxi Commuting: An Experience from Hell (rules about riding in a combi/mini-bus). Mr. Ngcobo does a phenomenal job telling the stories from his perspective. Very funny, worth reading! Although google will give you a preview of the first few chapters, this one is definitely worth buying and reading (even with my kindle I have been carting it around).