Graduation

Some of the group at convocation!

Pi Day!!

Found this for Pi Day. It’s cute so I thought I would share!!

Looking Back

I know that I have already posted about looking back, but it was a short post and I promised Lisa I would write more when I got home. Now that I am home and cleaned up and rested (to an extent) I am finding myself missing it more and more. I can tell you that it is the weirdest thing to not see my group today! I miss everyone in the group so much. We have gotten so close over these four weeks and it is the weirdest and saddest feeling to not see any of them today! But looking back at the trip as a whole, it was such an amazing growing experience. It made me do things that I would not have done other wise. It grew me not only in my career choice, but in life in general. I am now a stronger, bolder, more confident person.

Being in the classroom for three weeks really allowed me to get used to teaching. It has prepared me for anything! I am so ready to have my own classroom to teach, I am so excited to start getting into the classroom more and more. I was able to co-teach with Diana which was a great experience within itself. We worked so well together and we were able to help each other grow as teachers. Teaching over 20 lessons in front of not only a class, but a class in Africa has made me so much more confident. Diana and I were thrown into many classrooms on the spot and being able to think up lessons in five minutes was a stretch but a great test! We were able to adapt to the different situations that we were thrown into. I have to say again that I am so prepared to be up in front of a classroom and I am even more excited to see even more differences and similarities between the classrooms!

The trip as a whole was a growing experience like I said earlier. This trip grew me physically, emotionally, and relationally. I was able to climb a mountain and I can tell you that I would have never been able to do it with out the group! There was so much encouragement and support from our group which is i think the only reason I made it! I truly think that I have created life long friendships which I am so thankful for! We not only have this trip in common, but we have the love of teaching in common! I am so excited to be able to share ideas and stories with all of them as we begin to have our own classrooms. This trip will be one that I will never forget and I already want to go back!

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!?!?!?!?!?!

Hello Everyone!

So today is the second to last day in Arusha and we will be “Leavin’ on a jet plane!” as John Denver would say. We had our last day at school today and it was a lot of fun. We started the day off with a football match (soccer game) and it was students against teachers…

It was a crisp Friday morning and the air was cool as a soft breeze blew. Our ragtag team of teachers and students (we didn’t have enough teachers), dressed in burgundy, made our way onto the pitch. We gathered as a team and did a few quick warm ups and played keep-away until the field was available. Our opposition, dressed in a menacing lavender and comprised of most the best student athletes, used their time to warm up very poorly and instead let their heads swell with confidence as they watched us stumble through the warm-up.

The game before finished in a short amount of time and both of the Sekei teams took the field. We struggle to pick our positions because we did not understand the numbering system that the teachers were familiar with. Despite the massive amount of confusion we eventually ended up in positions that we preferred. The students took the kickoff and the game was underway; both teams hell bent on winning. A long time passed and Zack turns to Dan and I… “It’s only been five minutes.” After about another 5 minutes the Lavenders made their move and scored on a controversial goal (off sides should have been called). The half ended with the score 0-1 in favor of the Lavenders.

The second half brought with it a second wind to the Reds. We came out of the half like a man on fire, scoring 2 quick goals on the Lavs (both were scored by students). Then the time came for me to shine. One of our players passed the ball back to our goalie in a high traffic situation so instead of playing the long ball he tried to dribble though the crowd of opponents. Not surprisingly he lost the ball. Anticipating that happening, I moved directly in front of the goal where the keeper would normally stand. The Lavenders were licking their lips with anticipation as the keeper was out of position and the goal was left unattended. A shot came from about 20 yards out and was heading straight for the goal. Like a dark knight I came to the rescue and jumped in the air, heading the ball out of the box and out danger.

Soon after my achievement, Zack had his opportunity to make history. The ball made its way to the opposite end and the attack for the Reds began. After a bit a fancy footwork Mike gets some room to take a quality strike and sent the ball flying towards the goal keeper. A Lavender foot comes out of nowhere and the ball is deflected into the air. Zack, seeing his opportunity, charges forward. The keeper, realizing that he was the only one who could stop Zack, sprang into action with fear gripping him as Zach rapidly closed the gap. The ball slowly descended. Tensions were high as the two players were nearing collision. Zack leaped with all his might, head cocked back as the keeper reached for the ball. Cheers erupted from the sidelines! Zack spins around to face the field, dirt from the ball covering his forehead, and hands raised in triumph.

The game ended with a whistle and a cheer from the Reds. We were victorious thanks to our “Stonewall” defense and relentless offence. As we walked off the field we shook hands with our opponents and made small talk as we returned to the school, heads held high… 3-1… we had done the impossible.

Things We’ve Learned in Tanzania- Part 2

Here are the final 60 things we’ve learned during our time in Tanzania. This was a group effort and not an exhaustive list.

61. When walking in the rain, you have two choices, fall in the drainage ditch or fall in a huge puddle.

62. Honey tastes like alcohol.

63. The pool guys can predict the weather better than the weathermen.

64. You can never have too much bread and butter.

65. Math majors only do good.

66. If there is a chance of rain, it means it will rain.

67. We are the only country in the United States that teaches math.

68. It is impossible to drink out of a Nalgene without spilling on yourself.

69. Our bladders are directly related to the quality of the bathroom and/or hole.

70. The number of wives a Maasai has is directly proportional to the number of cows he owns.

71. The best food is a simple vegetable broth.

72. Zack is the only one who can get girls’ hair free from the thorn tree.

73. We don’t get tan lines, we get dirt lines.

74. Grand Valley would dominate Survivor: Tanzania.

75. There are hand signals for the colon in number 74 above.

76. There are three different words for flamingo and none of us no which one is correct.

77. Ponchos will never catch on as a fashion statement in Tanzania.

78. Never take your backpack on a six and a half hour hike if it is not absolutely necessary.

79. Euchre is played everywhere, including the top of a mountain.

80. White shoes do not last more than 20 minutes.

81. When you don’t have a television, geckos are the best entertainment.

82. Power can be shut off nation-wide, by choice.

83. When hiking, there is a significantly greater chance of stepping in poop than not in poop.

84. Climbing a mountain is easier than hiking to a canyon.

85. Our parents were right, it is possible to travel uphill both ways.

86. We share everything.

87. The only way to prevent blisters is to not walk. Ever.

88. You can make anything out of a banana.

89. If you ride in the back of the safari vehicle, you will hit your head on the window at least once.

90. People say you’re welcome before you even say thank you.

91. If you don’t have bruises after the first day of safari, you’re doing it wrong.

92. Six Immodium is not too many.

93. You know it’s going to be a long day when you break your first piece of chalk on the first word you write.

94. We will never know what side of the road to walk on.

95. One little leaf can make a whole lot of racket on a tin roof.

96. You can never have enough mints. Well, Zack can never have enough mints.

97. Cody has a husband face.

98. Your passport pouch goes under your shirt.

99. Long bathroom breaks are a cry for moral support.

100. Diana is a walking drugstore.

101. You can be in the middle of Africa and learn about proper dinner etiquette…outside in.

102. If you can’t find your driver, he is probably throwing rocks at the lions.

103. Even given the chance to sleep in, we still wake up at 6:15.

104. You can take a cat down a mountain in a box and have it survive. Nice work, Bahati.

105. People say sorry even when it’s not their fault.

106. There really aren’t any problems in Tanzania. Hakuna matata.

107. Always offer half.

108. A slice of pizza can be passed down the table and touched by 9 people before being graciously accepted.

109. Sun tanning on the equator is dangerous, but gets the job done quickly.

110. You will always have a passport pouch tan line. Just accept it.

111. Ice will never again be taken for granted.

112. It is common practice to mop outside.

113. There are wild hedgehogs in Tanzania.

114. Mzungus can beat Africans in a football game.

115. You will never be able to pronounce all of your students’ names.

116. Lions claim everything, even safari vehicles.

117. You don’t need 100 pictures of zebras, but you can’t help yourself.

118. You’ll never know if a car honking means hello, get out of the way, or go ahead and cross. Just pick one and commit.

119. There are no boundaries when you live with the same people for 26 days.

120. Maisha Marefu

Looking Back

Where to even begin about being here in Tanzania! So many great things have happened in four weeks! Leaving the schools was probably one of the hardest things ever. I am going to miss talking to the teachers during break and not only teaching the students but learning from them. I think one of the biggest things that i learned here was being flexible and going with the flow. I really liked being forced to teach with a piece of chalk and chalkboard. It really forced me to get back to the basics and really think of creative ways to teach. I have really enjoyed learning about the culture. One of the best things was walking in town and recognizing people! We were talking to the locals which means we have been here a while! It was a blast becasue we felt like we belonged here!! It will be hard to leave all of these wonderful adventures, I hope to one day be able to come back and see everyone again! There is so much more i could write but i woudl be here for hours, so I will just keep it to this short synopsis.

Looking Back

As this trip comes to a close, I find myself in a blur of emotions. Before today, I was strictly excited to head back home. I feel so ready to see my family and friends, eat delicious food, and sleep in my own bed. Yet, after going to school today and seeing all of the students and teachers I am not so sure that I want to leave. This morning at school, we played a soccer game– teachers versus students. Surprisingly, our teacher team won 3-1! (see Cody’s blog for a play by play) After the game, we headed back to the school where we savored our last moments there by having chai (or in English, tea) with the teachers and talking with many different students. As we were preparing to leave for the day, all of the students gathered in the courtyard for some announcements so we were called over to say our bittersweet good-byes. Mr. Shayo, the English teacher who took us all under his wing, asked us all to say a few words. We simply could not hold it together; many of us started crying and many of the students were emotional too.  Each of the six of us mzungu teachers told the students how appreciative we were for taking us in to their school and how we hoped that they learned just as much from us as we did from them. I honestly did not think that leaving the school today would have an affect me because I was so excited to go home yet; it was extremely hard to leave all of those wonderful people. Teaching at Sekei Secondary School these past few weeks has been a wonderful, eye-opening learning experience and I will never forget the time I have had there. Through teaching here I have learned so many new things.

 I have learned about myself as a person, how to work closely to co teach with two other people, how to plan a lesson, and many other important things. Coming here originally, I was very unsure of my decision but being here has taught me to be confident in myself. I find myself being more confident in so many aspects of life including just walking around the busy streets and talking to people I don’t know to exuding confidence in front of a group of students that I am teaching. I have learned that co teaching with others is a very difficult yet rewarding experience. We had different opinions on what should happen in the classroom yet we were able to come up with and execute lessons that turned out very well. I have also learned that being a teacher is not just about the content that you are lecturing. Teaching is established around continually building relationships with your students. Having an open relationship with your students is crucial to communication and participation in the classroom. This fact was highlighted every single day while teaching here in Tanzania. The students here are not used to group work or having a voice within the classroom and so building a relationship with the students was essential in order for them to feel comfortable enough to participate.

 Ever since the day we got here, people have been so kind and welcoming to us. I think the phrase I have heard the most while here is karibu which is translated as “you are welcome”. I have seen this welcoming attitude in a multitude of places here from our safari drivers and teachers to random street vendors. I wish that this attitude toward life would be adopted in our culture. I am so appreciative of being able to come on this trip. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to spend this month with and I can guarantee that I will forever remember, and attempt to pass on, the skills I learned while in Tanzania.

Looking Back

As we wind down and begin to reflect on our experiences in Tanzania, I find myself thinking most about the relationships I have made on this trip. The group of us from Grand Valley have gotten very close and have built some really strong friendships during our time together. We started out as a group of acquaintances, maybe having one or two classes together during the previous semesters, and ended this trip as remarkable friends. We agreed to spend 26 consecutive days together, not knowing exactly what the trip would entail. Even though we had orientation meetings for months before the trip, none of us really knew what to expect when we arrived in Arusha. We boarded the first plane to Amsterdam together, and I don’t think any of us really realized how much this trip would change us as individuals or as a group. We grew personally, but also grew together. Our first weekend in Mulala village was really the starting point of a lot of our relationships. I mean, all 15 of us shared one bathroom (well, toilet), and that’s a pretty extreme way to get comfortable with other people. We quickly learned to rely on each other for support when we needed it, and we depended on each other a lot. It’s been incredible to be a part of this group, and I’m really going to miss spending so much time with everyone.

I’ve also developed a lot of relationships with the teachers and students at my school. The students were so excited to have us in the classroom and truly seemed to appreciate us being there. We were greeted each time we walked in a classroom, with the students standing and repeating a chant that I will never forget: “Education is the key to life. Our motto is to face the future with confidence. Good morning, teachers”. We would reply and then ask them to take their seats. It was so interesting to see how respectful the students were of the teachers, going to get extra chalk, offering up their seats, and passing out workbooks. But, like all elementary classrooms, we did have our fair share of classroom management issues to tackle. The students were very interested in us and our lives in America, asking questions and treating us like celebrities in the classroom. It was a completely different dynamic than I was used to. Our students were eager to learn and were truly some of the greatest kids. It was a privilege to be able to teach in their class, and I loved every minute.

The teachers at our school were a little hesitant of our presence in the school, but quickly warmed up to us. After the first few days passed, we settled into a routine and spent a lot of time in the staff room. We talked with the teachers during our free periods, and we learned an incredible amount of Swahili from them. Like the students, they were very curious about our lives in America, asking about the schools, government, politics, culture, and weather. It was so nice to have the opportunity to have long conversations and ask them questions as well. We were able to observe their teaching and interaction with the students, and I learned so much from my time at school with them. It was really hard to say goodbye and walk out of the school, knowing I probably won’t see any of them again. The teachers had us promise we would ever forget them, and I easily agreed to that. This experience has changed the way I think of myself as a teacher, a student, and an individual. I have created some amazing relationships that I hope never fade.

Getting Ready to Leave

We leave in less than two days. I am ready, but at the same time I am not ready to leave. I feel like I have just arrived, but at the same time I feel as though I’ve been here forever. I love almost everything about being here. The people are all so friendly. It’s really something you don’t get in America. You walk down the streets and people will just start tagging along. Most of the time they want to sell you something, but they’ll converse with you as well. Even today we were walking home and practicing our Swahili and some Masaai men just started walking with us and helping us out with it. It’s just incredible the amount of interaction the public has with each other. Walking down a street in America you might say hi to someone passing, but it is a rare occurrence that you would stop, change your route, and start a conversation with them.

The kids here are so wonderful. I feel so blessed to have had the chance to teach them. I feel as though they are much more willing to learn and more appreciative of education than students in America. I know that I am different from all of their teachers, which makes them love me so much. I had them write for me yesterday what the liked about my teaching, what they think I should change, and any other comments. I was shocked by some of the things the students said about me. They loved that I smiled while teaching or that they weren’t afraid to ask me questions or that I let them work with each other. These are things I feel as though we take for granted in our teachers in America. I was walking through the Masaai Market today and one man asked me how Zanzibar was. I gave him a slightly puzzled look and explained that I have never been to Zanzibar, assuming he had just mixed me up with some other white person he had had recent interactions with. He apologized and noted that henna is a very common thing in Zanzibar so he just assumed. I explained to him that I am a teacher and my students did the henna for me. He told me that I must be a very good teacher and very loved by my students because it’s quite an honor. I am so thankful for my time here teaching them and I really am going to miss them.

I feel as though I have grown so much throughout my time here. I have definitely become much more culturally aware. I’ve learned many things about Africa, and even some things about America. It is incredible how much the people here know about our country and how little we know about theirs. In regards to my teaching I’m glad I’ve gotten to try some techniques out and to gain experience in the classroom. I think I am much more sensitive to ESL learners now and that I am more capable of making culturally relevant lessons. At the beginning of the trip I found it very difficult to relate my lessons to the students, but throughout the trip it’s gotten easier and easier. I think this comes from getting to know my students better and getting to know the culture better. I have learned so much about Africa, about teaching, and about myself on this trip. I have loved almost every minute of it, but I also miss everyone back at home. Just one more day in the schools, and then we are headed back to the United States. It’s gone by so quickly! It’s been absolutely amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The Serengeti

This weekend, I don’t know where to start. I could say it was unbelievable, I could say it was amazing, I could say it was life changing, but all of these are just too poor to describe what I actually experienced and felt. This weekend is something I will never forget and something I will always tell everyone about, it was truly magnificent, and I absolutely loved it. My job here is to describe the Serengeti, which is so difficult to do, I will try my best to put into words what we probably all experienced but know that words can only help describe what was felt and conveying my actual feelings about this weekend would be next to impossible. The weekend started off with the long drive to the Serengeti National Park, it took at least 4 hours, if not longer with our tourist shop stops or bathroom breaks. But we finally made it there and the scenery to start was breath taking. Seeing pictures of the Serengeti plains is amazing but being there and seeing only tall grass for miles upon miles is awesome. All you could see was the plains, but even in the nothingness that was the beginning of the park there was so much beauty. We started our first game drive and we saw everything. From impalas to zebras, to wildebeest, cape buffalo, warthogs, and ostriches. They were all there just like I had imagined. The first truly majestic thing was the zebras. Apparently migration season is right now, so we drove up on the zebras and saw thousands upon thousands of them, somewhere between 10,000-15,000 zebras. You looked out both sides of the safari vehicles and literally all you could see were zebras. They are cool to look at in a zoo when you see 4 or 5, but that many zebras in one place at one time is so great it is hard to describe. The weirdest thing of all is that they travel in a single file line. My driver said this was to make it look like there are more of them then there actually is, but having that many of them in a single place I don’t think they need to make themselves look any bigger. We continued on seeing a lot of the expected animals and then we got a call that a leopard had been spotted, so we went searching. We finally pulled up at the tree where the leopard was. She was lying up on the branch and not too far from her was her half eaten kill she had apparently gotten earlier that day. We were so close and we all got some awesome pictures, it was really rare to see a leopard like this so it was extra special, and being that close to it was really amazing. We stayed and just watched a napping leopard for the longest time and then headed back to the lodge for the night. I could take up a huge blog post with just stories about the lodge, but assuming most want to hear about animals I can keep this short. The lodge was super nice. We had great food, great rooms, and some nice hot showers! At night we had to be escorted around by armed guards because animals often walk onto the lodge grounds, in fact outside my room a small family of dikdiks lived under a tree, so we woke up each morning seeing them. The next day we learned that dikdiks do some interesting things. They stay with one mate all their lives and the female and male go to the bathroom together and the male then rolls around in the feces, mixing them together. It makes him smell like the female and it is actually her way of marking the male as taken, really interesting! The second day out on the Serengeti was just as amazing as the first. We continued to see all the animals that you would expect, twiga (giraffe), nyumbu (wildebeest), samba (lion), kiboko (hippo), punda milia (zebra), and swala tomi (gazelles), among others. But the main story comes from the end of the day. We had four drivers for our whole group and three of the drivers decided to take a shortcut back to our lodge, but my driver decided to take the long way back because it was a smoother road, and I am so glad he did. We ended up driving up to a group of about 20-25 elephants and literally got to be less than 10 yards away from them. I was in awe of them, they were so magnificent. They are also so big! As we pulled up the main elephant stood in the middle of the road and stared us down, our driver had to rev the engine multiple times to scare it enough not to charge us, it was crazy! Anyways, we watched the elephants for a long time and then completed our drive back to the lodge, we were exhausted so we all went to bed and got up for our third, and last day, in the Serengeti. Our drivers got separated again today, some got to go see a family of lions but my driver went another way. We ended up seeing huge groups of zebras and wildebeest again and we also pulled up on a group of hyenas about 1-2 minutes after they had made a kill. They were all running around doing their high pitched laugh and eating on what looked like a gazelle. We were decently close to the hyenas, close enough to hear them crunch the bones as they chewed on them. It was really cool, we were all hoping to see a kill because that would be very “Discovery Channel-ish” but coming up just a short time after one was really cool as well. We eventually met up with the other group at the entrance of the Serengeti and headed to our lodge in Ngorongoro Crater for the night, ending our time in the Serengeti. It was an amazing weekend that does not even begin to describe what we all experienced. We saw all sorts of animals and seeing them in their natural habitat, as wild beings is infinitely better than seeing them in a zoo. If ever given the chance I would come back in a heartbeat and encourage anyone who may be thinking of trying to experience the Serengeti to do what they can to make it there, it was so cool and something that I will never forget.