Model School

Part of our training here in Pohnpei was participating in something called model school. This was a 2 week summer school that was open to all students on the island in upper elementary school. Students were interviewed and then divided into levels and classes. Each volunteer was then assigned to a class of students to teach with a co-teacher. Some trainees had local teachers to work with and others, like myself, worked with another Peace Corps Trainee.

I loved model school! It was so wonderful to be teaching students in a classroom again. Before arriving I wasn’t sure how useful or effective co-teaching would be. This was something I had never done before and didn’t know what it would be like to share teaching responsibilities with another teacher. I only had a 9-day experience with co-teaching, but it was wonderful! Jake was fantastic to work with and our skills complemented each other quite well. One of the greatest advantages was being able to walk around and help or assess students while the other teacher was teaching. I felt like I knew the students and their abilities much better because I wasn't the one always teaching.

Working with another teacher meant we had at least twice as many ideas of how to teach the students. It did require planning together, but it meant I couldn’t procrastinate and I enjoyed discussing ideas with someone else. It was also really helpful to reflect on the day’s work with Jake who was there in the classroom seeing the same things. We were also able to give each other feedback and suggestions.

I am super excited to be co-teaching for the next two years. I know it will be a lot different teaching with a local teacher. It will likely take much longer to build trust, figure out teaching styles, and feel comfortable with one another. I was very lucky to be able to co-teach with Jake almost seamlessly, trading back and forth lead teaching with hardly any effort at all. Through the model school experience, I now know the kind of co-teaching relationship I am looking for when I am working in Chuuk.

As most of you know, I LOVED my job teaching music. I still think it is amazing that my job was to sing, dance, play instruments, and teach kids about music all day long. My job was fun and felt like play! I had no idea how to teach reading, writing, speaking, or math. I have only taught these things for 9 days, but it was the perfect way to give me insight into what I will be doing. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I feel confident that I can teach these things!

Site Placement

I found out my placement for the next two years!  I’m heading off to Chuuk!  I will be on a small island, with a population fewer than the number of students I taught in the US.  The school I’ll be working in has grades 1 – 12, so I don’t know yet what I’ll be teaching.  There will be 7 other volunteers with me Chuuk, with the closest one being about a 20 minute motor boat ride away on a clear day.  I will be able to swim because there are beaches.  Here on Pohnpei most of the island is surrounded by mangroves, which means there are many fewer beaches.

On Saturday I’ll be heading off to the second stage of training.  I’ll have another host family for the four weeks before moving in with my permanent family in August.  I am going to miss my current host family very much!  It has been a fun experience to have such a large family, with so many people around all the time.  I have to remember to take pictures them before I leave! 

Language training has begun and I am looking forward to using it soon.  It’ll be easier to learn if I am hearing it around me.  I’m hoping to do a few more updates in the next few days.  So much has been happening and I’m determined to catch up!

Team Chuuk

or as we've come to call ourselves

Chuukadoodledoos!

Snorkeling

I had water safety training this weekend.  I am now trained to start a boat, put a life jacket on while in the water, and make a safety circle with a group of people in the water.  We were told about all the things that can hurt, sting, puncture, and poison us when in the water a week ago.  The only thing I saw that we talked about being dangerous was white tipped coral.  This is either poisonous or stings, I can’t remember which, I just know that I don’t want to touch it if I see it.

After training we got to go snorkeling and it was amazing.  I thought two things immediately when I jumped in the water, wow, this is really warm and it tastes really salty!  The water here is even warmer than Maine lakes in the summer.  It was still refreshing to be in, but incredibly comfortable.  I could have easily stayed in the water all day.  The water is so salty it seemed to take hardly any effort at all to stay afloat.

When I was snorkeling I saw so many different fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes.  At first I felt like I was looking into a fish tank because that is the only place I have ever seen colorful fish.  As I began to adjust I felt like I had discovered a whole new world.  At one point I was surprised to look down and see an entire school of fish swimming below me.  Their scales shimmered when they changed directions and glided through the water.  Later I was surrounded by a school of fish.  It was a little strange at first.  How often are you completely surrounded by something and don’t feel intimidated?  Once I relaxed a bit it was an incredible feeling.  No matter what way I turned I saw the silvery, blue fish.  They were so close I could see their mouths snap open and shut as they ate.

I was also able to swim over coral reefs.  This was where I saw fish of so many colors, it was truly incredible!  It was so interesting to watch them swim in and around the coral.  All the different fish were doing their own thing while I am watching and swimming by. 

When we were in the boat we saw a few manta rays (similar to sting rays, but harmless).  We would see the top fin surface and then watch the dark spot glide under the water.  I caught a glimpse of one when I was snorkeling, but didn’t it get a good look because I got lost in the bubbles of another volunteer. 

Many people had waterproof cameras on our excursion, so I will try to get some pictures from other volunteers to post.  I would like to try and show you what I saw!  It was wonderful to have a chance to be in the water after being on the island for two weeks.  One of the volunteers lives right on the water, so perhaps I’ll get some swimming in next week.

That’s all for now!

First Impressions

I have embarked on a new journey that has landed me in Pohnpei, one of the states in the Federated States of Micronesia.  The process to get here was long, but now that I am here it seems hard to believe that it’s really happening!   A new chapter in my life has begun and this blog will hopefully allow you some insight.

I’m sure I’ll say this every time, but there’s so much to say I don’t know where to start.  I am on the island of Pohnpei for training to become a Peace Corps Volunteer.  As a volunteer, my job will be to co-teach English in a school.  Through co-teaching we (the volunteers) will hopefully leave our skills behind with the local teachers and not take them with us when we leave.  Principals have to apply to have volunteers come, so it’s nice to know that our help is being sought after rather than forced upon them. 

There are so many things here that are similar to my life in the US and so many that are different.  Thus far the culture shock has been a lack thereof.  One huge difference for me is the weather.  I’m so sweaty and/or sticky all the time.  I’m currently lucky enough to have a fan in my room, but that will probably change when I get my placement.  It rains quite a bit, but the sun often comes out shortly after (I’m hoping to see some great rainbows).  An umbrella has become an essential item to carry as long as I’m carrying things I don’t want to get wet, otherwise I welcome the extra shower.

Animals are very present here, but in a much different way.  There are many dogs and cats which are not thought of as pets so much as having a functional purpose.  Cats take care of rats, dogs are loosely used as guard animals, though they appear to be street dogs.  Pigs are a status symbol and are brought to important gatherings (I saw them at a funeral) and then the pork is shared with everyone.  I found out after my arrival that the spiders are not poisonous, nor are there snakes!  Both of those things were quite a relief.  There are lots of insects and ants, things that like to eat people or food. 

My host family is very generous and welcoming.  I have been given the master bedroom with my own bathroom.  I was so shocked because I thought I might have to take bucket showers outside!  I feel very lucky about my accommodations.  My host parents have twelve children, many of whom have children of their own.  I’m doing my best to learn everyone’s name and relations.  My family has multiple houses located close together and now that a week has passed I’m figuring out who lives in which house and who doesn’t live close by.  My host mother was very patient with me and wrote down all her children, their spouses, and their children so that I could try to learn who everyone was.  This helped so much!

Another big adjustment for me has been the food.  There is a lot of American food here (chips, bread, ramen, beverages, etc.) most of which I didn’t eat much of in the US.  I’ve had lots of chicken, rice, and some fish so far.  We were told that there wouldn’t be many fresh fruits and vegetables available here and that is correct.  I have had oranges, bananas, cucumbers, and cabbage, though typically only one per day.  If you know me, this is a big adjustment.  I never realized just how much I like to end my meals with vegetables until I got here! 

I brought my guitar with me and my family loves it when I play for them!  I’m glad that I can use music as a way to connect with people.  Some of the grandchildren want to learn to play, so hopefully I can teach a few chords before I leave.  I forgot how much of a challenge it is to teach guitar when there is only one!  I was so spoiled when everyone in my music classes had their own ukulele!  One of the grandchildren requested “The Cat Came Back” the second time I brought out the guitar after hearing it the night before.  So far I have only been playing songs by ear and I haven’t looked at any books.  I’m hoping that my ears will improve while I’m here.

That’s probably enough for now.  I just wanted to give you all an idea of what life is like for me so that maybe you could picture my life half way across the world a little more accurately!

Oh, just a side note.  I’m a little paranoid about making writing mistakes in my blog.  Just bear with me!  I’ll do some editing before I post, but I also don’t want to make it a huge chore.  I’ll be curious to see if my writing gets better or worse as I teach English here.

Testing

Just checking to see that I am capable of making a blog post.  More later!