MARYTESSElementary Education Undergraduate |
MARYTESSElementary Education Undergraduate |
In the months leading up to this trip, I would play scenarios in my head where I’m being interviewed for a teaching position or an education scholarship and I start talking about my experience in Zambia. Though I had not had the experience yet, I created a list of all the things I could say to the interviewer if they were to ask me why I should be set apart from the other candidates. My scenario self would say things like “I got to teach students in Zambia”, “I learned from professors at the University at Zambia”, “I’m an internationally educated baddie!” (that last version of me was interviewing herself in the mirror)! However, now that I have had the experience, I can speak about my participation in the IPDS program and how it has shaped me into the educator that deserves the opportunity!
How many people get to say they got to practice their profession on the other side of the world at 22? Well until I do something else to top that, this will be the first thing I talk about when asked what sets me apart from the competition! Having the opportunity to observe and then teach at Libala Primary was definitely in my top 3 educator moments. While we were preparing for this trip, we did not have very much communication with Libala so we didn’t really know what to expect/prepare for. But just because we didn’t know WHAT to prepare doesn’t mean we didn’t prepare anything. I mean we’re educators, why wouldn’t we have something prepared?! I was trusted with heading the math team to create a lesson plan for a mathematics activity. This gave me the perfect opportunity to show that I can be a leader as well as a team player. Jared, Lynn and I worked great together because we took my initial layout and expanded on it until we had a lesson plan that was easy to implement and adaptable for all grade levels. Unfortunately, we did not get the opportunity to use the plan but at least we had something prepared! The reason our lesson plan was not used was because when we arrived at Libala, we realized that it would be better for us to build upon what the teachers were already teaching their students. This was not too much of a shock to us because it was a possibility that we had already discussed prior to leaving Buffalo. Also, half of the group (including me) ended up being placed in 7th grade classrooms with a specialty area teacher so it wouldn’t make sense to teach math in some of the classes. My teaching partner, Jeff, and I were assigned to work with Mrs. Samwanka who is the technology and expressive arts teacher. The expressive arts unit the students were working on was track and field and with Jeff’s athletic background, he took the lead on that subject which left me to teach technology. Now technology was a STRUGGLE for me in 7th grade so I was a bit nervous about teaching it. Especially because I had one day to prepare a lesson on data retrieval and storage, something I’ve never necessarily been taught before. However, I knew that I couldn’t let my fear get in the way of those students’ education so I took a deep breath and put my all into the preparation. The teachers at Libala use handmade posters as visuals for the students so I had to make a poster showing examples of external storage devices. It took me forever but I was super proud of the final product and my mentor teacher really liked it as well! My lesson plan delivery also went really well considering I had less than 24 hours to educate myself on the topic well enough so that I could effectively instruct the students. All I had to do was think about how I look for data on the computer and what I use external storage devices for and from there it was pretty easy. This teaching experience showed me that I have the ability to pivot and create a quality lesson in a short period of time. I was so blessed to teach those amazing 7th graders at Libala Primary School who stole my heart on day one. They are some of the most intelligent, respectful, and studious kids I’ve ever met! Absolutely beautiful inside and out. My mentor teacher was THE BEST and I loved working with my teaching partner, Jeff. Though I wasn’t with them for long, the bond we formed was beautiful and they’ll forever be a huge part of my heart. It was so hard saying goodbye. The girls literally wouldn’t let me get on the bus! This experience has definitely shaped me as an educator and I can’t wait to give this upgraded of myself to my kindergarten students in the fall. I am also extremely grateful for the skills I have gained and improved on during my time there. Though I already have a teaching job lined up for the school year, there are always opportunities for graduate school scholarships and awards that I may have to interview for. Thanks to the IPDS Zambia trip, I already feel prepared to answer any questions an interviewer may have for me!
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This weekend I went WAY out of my comfort zone. I mean ALL the way out of my comfort zone. We spent our weekend at Chobe Safari Lodge in Kafue National Park. It was absolutely beautiful. As we entered the park and saw baboons on the side of the road and elephants, it really hit me that I was in Africa. My childlike wonder definitely kicked in!
When we got to the lodge, we had a short amount of time before our evening game drive so we were given lunch before we went to our rooms. Let me tell you how AMAZING the food was. It was the type of meal that makes you sad when you take the last bite. I’m hungry just thinking about it! We were then given the rundown of how things work at Chobe. I was…petrified. Purity, one of the guides, told us that we were not allowed to walk outside once it got dark because there would be hippos and baboons outside and they’re not the friendliest animals. Now, I am NOT a nature girl at all. I was already afraid to go on the safari and with my new knowledge of how aggressive the animals are, I was 100 times more afraid! Even though I was excited to see the animals, my mind was racing because I didn’t know what to expect from them. Step one of our safari already had me feeling some type of way and let me tell you why… we had to ride a boat. No I’m not scared of boats (well I am but not THAT scared). It was the fact that 10 minutes before we got into the boat, we saw a crocodile swimming in those very same waters we were about to be floating on! Luckily, we made it across unscathed. Once we crossed the river, we split the group in two and each group got into a Jeep with a guide. The first animal that we saw was what I thought was an antelope but our tour guide, Chanda, actually told us that it was a type of antelope called an impala. After that, we started seeing so many impala I looked at them like deer! They were super cute (and really playful)! My safari game plan was to just ride in the truck and then see what we saw. My group had other plans. We ended up going on a full blown lion hunt which turned our nice little safari cruise into a “ferrari safari” as Chanda called it. There was so much wind and so many bugs! After we were riding around for what felt like hours and we still didn’t see any lions, I felt super relieved. Unfortunately (for me) Chanda got word that there were some lionesses feeding not too far from where we were and he drove us to them. My heart was RACING. When we saw them, Jeff and Jared had to tell me to calm down because I was about to lose my marbles. The first lioness we saw was a bloody mess because she was eating an antelope. I thought we were going to be next. I was too afraid to make a sound! Chanda then drove us to see a few more lionesses. They were actually really beautiful and calm. He said that they ate already so they were full and tired which sounded perfect to me! We then concluded our safari by watching the sunset and enjoying some light refreshments. The sunset was absolutely beautiful. The pictures I took just don’t do it any justice. I felt so peaceful…until I heard the hippos then it was time to go! I’ll probably never do another safari again, BUT I can say that I faced my fears and got to see the animals thrive in their natural habitats! Lions in the African grasslands (obviously) look and act a lot different than the lions in the Buffalo Zoo. Though my emotions (and nerves) were all over the place during the safari, I absolutely loved that I had that experience! I write this blog with a brand new heart. The love and community I experienced today at the Chikumbuso Women and Orphan project was like no other. Our ears were graced with the melodies from the women at Chikumbuso not only the moment our bus entered through the gates, but before we were even able to see them! I’ve never felt so welcomed somewhere in my life. After the women greeted us with their song, the CUTEST group of 1st grade students performed a song and dance for us (one of the students was getting all the way into it haha)! I wish I would’ve recorded it so that I’d be able to watch it over and over but I was too deep in the moment, which is a good thing! Mind you, this was all within the first 5-10 minutes of our arrival and I was already overwhelmed with joy. The warm welcome was then followed by an explanation of what the Chikumbuso project is, their mission, and who they serve. We were then given a tour of the Chikumbuso school and it was amazing! The students were so well behaved and they looked very happy to be learning (and to see us). Their little faces lit up and they could not stop waving when they saw us. We concluded our tour of the school right before the students had lunch/break so that we could prepare to help serve them lunch. I do that at my job with my after school students and it felt so familiar… it was just a lot less chaotic. My students have a LOT of energy haha. It also just felt great to be doing something for others and putting a smile on their faces. While I was serving the students, I was also talking to some of the young mothers who prepared the food. They were super sweet and it was really nice to talk to people from Zambia that were close in age to me.
We served the students in shifts so while some of our cohort was serving, the others were playing games with the students who finished eating. I couldn’t tell you the name of the games but they were super fun and community oriented. They were games that students of all ages could get involved in. There were dancing games, follow the leader games, and a game that I can only explain as a combination of “Duck, Duck, Goose” and dodgeball (I lost 3 times in a row BUT IN MY DEFENSE, I didn’t have my running shoes)! One thing that all of the games had in common was that they all had a song so there was constant singing the whole time. It just sounded so joyful I loved it! As we approached the end of our visit we had an extremely touching moment with the women and girls at Chikumbuso. Before we arrived in Zambia we did a lot of fundraising. Part of that money went to a grandmother and the safe haven for girls program at Chikumbuso. We had the honor of meeting the grandmother we sponsored as well as some of the girls from the safe haven. The grandmother that we sponsored told us her story and how Chikumbuso has helped her and right after the girls from safe haven sang us a beautiful song. There were a lot of tears coming from our cohort. It was a very touching moment. The other women of Chikumbuso saw that everyone was pretty emotional so they called us up to sing and dance with them which, again, was just an absolutely beautiful and touching experience. We concluded our Chikumbuso visit with shopping at their store. Everything in the store was made by the women of Chikumbuso and they were absolutely gorgeous. I bought some bags for my family and jewelry though I wish I could've gotten more, especially because all of the proceeds went to Chikumbuso. When we left we were sent off with song. There was a LOT of singing and dancing while we were there! I fell in love with Chikumbuso and I hope I can find my way back there someday! 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. 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 |