Do the Hokey Pokey

As I come to the close of our second week of lessons, I'm sensing one striking resemblance between Tanzanian and American classrooms. In both cultures, songs and games are a fun and effective source of learning. While most of our time is reserved for the strenuous amount of lessons we have to get through, an occasional opportunity to be silly is greatly appreciated by both students and teachers.

One song I recently taught my students is the age old tune, the Hokey Pokey. It was an excuse to get out of the classroom while encouraging students to review all the body parts they had learned during the day's lesson. The students enjoyed being exposed to a traditional piece of American culture, in addition to showing off their newly gained knowledge. As we sang the song and followed the dance, I was able to sense my students' excitement for their developing English and the promise it brings their futures.

However, I also realized the Hokey Pokey reflects my own experience in Tanzania. I often feel like I'm throwing myself into a ring of chaos. Whether it be brushes with culture shock, struggles at school, or resistance to change, I seem to always find myself being shaken all about. But, when I'm faced with the hardest times, I have to remember to turn myself around, or at least my attitude! I lose track of the fact that I'm not just here to give, but to learn and accept, also. Despite the confusion and frustration, I am here to grow as a person, not to become more narrow. I hope to leave here in five weeks feeling like I let the people of Tanzania help me, not solely the other way around.

Because, hey, that's what it's all about! :)

School of thought... Or not.

It's Sunday night, and as I'm used to doing, I'm planning out my lessons for our first full week of classes. Typically, I would have a very detailed outline of my objectives and how I expected to meet them. In the WorldTeach program, they actually give us numerous resources that pretty much outline our days for us. Although it seems restricting, I understand that not all volunteers come from a background in education. Plus, WorldTeach encourages us to branch out in anyway we find effective for the students. However, this is where my frustrations grow...

WorldTeach prepares international volunteers for the tribulations that will arrive at school. The differences in the American education system and the Tanzanian education system are vast, to say the least. Even after hearing this, I remained ignorant to the facts. I assumed Tanzanian schools would be open to advice and suggests that would push the schools towards "Americanization." Boy, was I wrong.

As of now, we have about 50 students enrolled in Form 1 (first year of middle school) and four Form 1 teachers. As the American, I suggested we split them into two classes and each co-teach a class. My idea was met with a couple chuckles and the rationalization that 50 students was way too small to split, and instead all four of us would divvy up class time. While aggravated, I tried to understand that Tanzanian schools have always conducted large classes, it was a part of their culture. However, my role as an American volunteer is not to teach 1/4 of the day by somebody else's rules. My job is to be a teacher, an innovator, at Mtanga Secondary School. Unfortunately, instead of breaking through the culture barrier, we pushed the class size issue off to the side, into shaded gray area.

So, now as I sit trying to plan my Monday lessons, my frustration bubbles up again. Even in the areas I could add creativity to my lesson, I'm still extremely restricted in my ability to plan. My class size, my classroom, even my role in the classroom all remain a mystery to me.

Hopefully tomorrow, a fresh day, a fresh week, we will again be able to confront the issue and work out a cultural compromise.