MARYTESSElementary Education Undergraduate |
MARYTESSElementary Education Undergraduate |
I. Love. It. Here! I truly do and it has only been a few days. I’ve always wanted to visit Africa because, as a Black American, I know that my roots lie in one of these 54 countries. Though I don’t know which one(s) yet, just making it to the continent feels like I’m one step closer to truly embracing who I am. I will say that even though I love being here, I do feel a bit awkward or out of place at times. Before getting here, I thought that I would feel some sense of being at home or belonging which I don’t feel that often in America. However, every time someone here asks me where I’m from and I can’t give them an answer beyond the United States, I always get a slightly disappointed (or what I perceive as disappointed) “Oh…that’s okay” which then makes me feel a little ashamed. I know that it’s not my fault that I don’t know all the details of my African heritage but I still wish that I did. I’m really big on looking for the positives though so this is just more motivation for me to finally figure out my family’s history!
Yesterday and today, we had the opportunity to visit the University of Zambia or UNZA and meet some of the faculty, professors, and students. From now on, whenever I reference “students” I’ll be talking about the university students because in Zambia, that is who that word is reserved for. Children in primary and secondary school are referred to as “pupils” or “learners” which I thought was pretty interesting. It will take some time to adjust but I think I’ll get it by next week! Yesterday, we toured UNZA’s campus, learned some facts about Zambia’s education system, and got the chance to speak to the interim vice-chancellor of UNZA who was super humble and kind to us. Though I know we’re in Zambia, it was so powerful to see so many Black people in positions I’m not used to seeing a lot of Black people in. Today, we met the UNZA students majoring in Special Education (many of whom have a concentration in sign language)! I loved every single one of them. They were all super sweet and extremely passionate about educating children with special needs. A lot of them wanted to pursue special education because they saw the stigma around those with special needs in Zambia and wanted to change that which I thought was super powerful. Mrs. Lavin and Dr. Hashey both went to another room so that they could meet with the UNZA students’ professors, Mwanssa and Benson (who I also adore), which gave us college students the opportunity to bond in a more relaxed environment (even though all of our professors are great)! We did a few ice breakers and played a few games which was a great way for us to show our fun sides. After our games, we were split up into groups of Buff State and UNZA students so that we could observe some of the classrooms in the UNZA Special Education Resource Center. Before our tour, Mwanssa asked the UNZA students to give us all Zambian names which I was super excited about, especially because I don’t feel as if my name reflects much of my cultural background. Before I could even fathom the name I would receive, one of the students named Getrude looked at me with the most welcoming smile and said “I’ll give you Timwani which means loving”. I can’t even describe how powerful that moment was for me. I try to be as loving as possible and let God shine his light through me with that love and sometimes I don’t feel like I let it shine bright enough based on the actions of others; however, Getrude gave me confirmation in that moment. I almost cried…BUT I didn’t have time to cry because we had to tour the Special Education center! The tour was beautiful (you’ll be seeing that word a lot in my blogs)! The class sizes were small allowing each child to receive the attention that they need and the classrooms were breathtaking! Every classroom was painted bright, the furniture was appropriate for the different age groups, and all of the posters and visuals were handmade which was my absolute favorite part. They were so neat and vibrant that I could not believe they weren’t made on a computer! I guess not every item in my class has to be purchased or made on Canva haha. The classrooms were so welcoming and homey and they had teachers and had teachers that matched the vibe. All of the teachers we observed and talked to spoke about the children as if they were their own and you could tell the children saw them as nurtures. That warmed my heart ALL the way up because I believe one of a teacher’s main responsibilities is to be a nurturer, no matter what grade they teach (12th graders need love and nurturing too!). After the tour, we all exchanged contact information because we formed beautiful bonds in the short period of time we spent together. I think I got at least 20 new numbers and emails haha! I’m looking forward to seeing the UNZA students again before we come back to Buffalo because their energy was absolutely, you guessed it, BEAUTIFUL and for that reason, I truly cherished the moment we spent together.
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It’s so crazy that by this time tomorrow, I’ll be on my way to a country on the other side of the world! In saying that, I probably should be packed by now instead of staring at two empty suitcases! I have been trying to pack for the past week but I’ve been super stressed and despite my excitement for this trip, packing for it didn’t excite me as much. I recently just graduated with my bachelors and I had to move out of my dorm the day right after graduation so a lot of my clothes that need to be in my suitcase are still in moving boxes and totes. Once I get all of that sorted, I’ll be able to pack my bags,
You may be thinking, “Mary, this is not a fashion show. Who cares what you have on?”. While you are correct in that thought, I want to make sure I represent not only myself but my school, specifically the elementary education department, in the best light possible. Some clothing that I wear when going to class and to teach while in Buffalo may not be as accepted in Zambia so I want to make sure my wardrobe is respectful as I am in someone else’s home. My biggest concern honestly is not the clothing itself but if the clothing covers my tattoos. Again, accepted in Buffalo but maybe not in Zambia. I want to make sure I have clothing that covers my tattoos but won’t cause me to have a heat stroke. I think I can finesse a lot of my outfits with a jean jacket and some lightweight cardigans that I have so I’ll be fine. In all that I stress about, I know that they’ll work out in the end so I just have to put that at the front of my mind and get to packing! Despite my clothing debacle, I’m super excited to go to Zambia tomorrow morning! I can’t wait to meet the college students from UNZA, the women and children at Chikumbuso, and all of the primary students at the American International School of Lusaka and Libala Primary School. I’ve heard that Zambia is a beautiful country filled with beautiful people and I think I need to experience that. I can’t wait to give everyone reading updates upon arrival but I should probably get to packing haha. Until next time! |
AuthorHey y’all!! My name is MaryTess and I am an incoming graduate student at Buffalo State pursuing a degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an Early Childhood concentration. I love love LOVE working with kids. I’m currently a Youth Services Counselor for CAO of WNY and in the fall, I’ll be starting my first full time teaching position as a Kindergarten teacher at King Center Charter School! Every student I interact with, no matter how long, has a special place in my heart so I can’t wait to add the Zambian students I’ll meet to that list! ArchivesCategories |