I find so much happiness in having dry paint on my hands and in between my fingernails. I think every piece of clothing I own is stained or ripped and I love that I couldn’t care less. I guess maybe I am turning into a crunchy Peace Corps hippie after all…
I feel a sense of sadness, to be done with the world map project I’ve been working on with class 7 at St. Andrews Primary School. It’s been a while since I’ve felt such a strong sense of accomplishment. Maybe it’s because the World Map Mural is something tangible, or maybe it’s because everyone I worked with on this project has been so receptive and committed and grateful. It’s amazing to see how much the kids have learned in such a short amount of time. They truly are sponges, and it’s so great to see the pride they take in the work they have done, how eager they are to yell out the right answers when I ask them questions about the 7 continents. The truth is I’ve also learned so much from this project… I mean, I didn’t know where the hell Georgia, the country, was before I did this project, much less what its capital was. But I’ve also learned to be more patient, to find pleasure in letting the students carry out the work, to give direction but allow for their own artistic freedom, to give them the opportunity to think critically, to challenge them to own their answers, even if they are wrong…When we first started this project, and I asked them a question, they would blurt out an answer and immediately cover their mouth and shrink down in their chairs in shame, whether the answer was right or wrong… I said they were not allowed to cover their mouths after responding to a question. That it was ok to say the wrong answer, that it was a good opportunity to learn the right one. It has been amazing to see their confidence grow. From a bunch of shy kids afraid to speak up in class, afraid to hold a paintbrush for fear of making a mistake, now they all raise their hands, their eyes open wide and bright as they yell out eager to share their answers… “Madam, I know! I know!” (yes, they call me madam J)
I had the kids place their handprints on the wall under the map and sign their name on each of their hands. I told them that when they grow older and come back to the library they will be able to see how much they have grown when they compare the size of their hands, but also that they will look back and remember that they have done this together, with their own hands.
Today was my last day at St. Andrews Primary. The world map is now completed. We played jeopardy as our last activity and had classes 5, 6 and 8 as our audience. I had some prizes donated from some local stores and included some sector nine stickers (Thanks Kata!) some Bic pens (Vinaka Ropate!) and tied them up nicely with some ribbons my sister Nat sent me. (gracias Nata!) [Presentation is key] We even had judges, a score keeper and a bell! After the game, we all went upstairs to their classroom and had some tea and pastries. They gave me some presents and a thank you card…I was so touched. And as if that wasn’t enough, one of my students, Pate, read me a poem he had written, Noa, another one of my students started crying… goodbye’s are hard. Needless to say, I was a mess!
World Map Mural Project May, 2007
completed World Map Mural July, 2007
Jeopardy
Happy kids
Vinaka to all those who donated prizes!
Ropate goes home...
and it rained a lot and the water turned brown....
and my youth group is doing awesome...
and they are thinking of ways to help their communities....
and we're talking about things that are affecting the youth in Savusavu
and my namesake was born...
and I still drink a lot of grog....
and more squishy babies were born...
and i moved into a new house with an awesome porch!...
and the WMMP is finished.
and the kids did so well...
and i love my students....
and isa Ropate, I miss you!
