This is a long post. If you don’t wish to read it all (I wouldn’t blame you), please at least read the letter at the bottom and the few paragraphs that precede it.
It’s a chilly, foggy, and misty Monday morning. I just finished a nice cup of coffee and two pieces of banana cake. I’m wrapped in my shuka to keep warm. The cold (or cooler) season came suddenly and without much warning. The mornings and evenings require sweatshirts and shukas to stay comfortable. The priests wear stocking caps at the dinner table. Out of stubbornness I still wear my shorts. If the calendar says June, I say shorts. I sleep under two heavy blankets and my shuka. The wind picks up some nights, and it’s not hard to imagine a blizzard outside as I climb into bed. It really isn’t that bad, though. The days are still pleasant when the sun shines.
Last night the water stopped running in the house. Water is being carried in from large collection tanks outside for cooking and washing. It rained Saturday night. We are in the dry season, so it has rained only a few times since I have been here. Of course my clothes would still be hanging out on the line to receive the complementary second washing. Hopefully the sun will come out this afternoon to dry them.
I taught my last class on Wednesday afternoon. All of Thursday and Friday morning were set aside for exams. I enjoyed putting together the tests, but it took a lot of time for Charlie and me to go through them all and mark them. Writing exams and grading them takes a lot more time and effort than preparing a lesson plan for a day! We could have used a couple TA’s.
As I graded some geometry problems Thursday night, it was very clear that a handful of 2nd year students had been copying answers during the test. One student made a simple calculation error, and his wrong answer showed up on about six other tests. I looked over and compared their tests very carefully. Some of these students didn’t show any work at all. Charlie had noticed there was some similar cheating going on during his English exam. I wish I could have stopped it during the exam, but I didn’t even notice it because I was giving individual help at the front of class during the entire test.
Charlie and I were put in a tough situation. Not only were these our students, but they were also our good friends, and Friday was going to be our last day together. Could we actually be angry with them? Do we report it to the disciplinarian? (We suspect that they still practice corporal punishment here although we haven’t witnessed it.) We may have been done teaching, but we knew that there was one more lesson to teach.
There was an assembly Friday afternoon for all of the students to attend. It was first an open forum where students got to voice their opinions and suggestions concerning the school. There were complaints about the housing and food. Others were more concerned about the disrespect between students. This lasted for probably more than an hour. It was welcoming to see the other teachers and staff listening to the students. They really seem to have a voice here. Next came awards and recognitions for those who performed well during the term. Those at the top of the class received notebooks and pencils as their award. Finally, Charlie and I were asked if we had anything to add before the assembly was released.
Everybody was in a good mood, and we didn’t want to end the assembly on a sour note, but Charlie and I knew it was necessary. I spoke on behalf of both of us. I told them that we knew there had been cheating on the exams and that we were really disappointed and felt betrayed. I’m no great orator, but I spoke about character and values and honesty. I said that those who were suspected of cheating were given a failing grade on the exam. I also said that Charlie and I would appreciate a private apology from anyone who had cheated whether it was caught or not. I may have killed the party, but I possibly gave the only lesson that they will take to heart.
Thankfully, the real party came that afternoon. There was a big end-of-the-year lunch and celebration for the closing of the school. It was also a farewell party for Charlie and me. (The students are actually the ones leaving. Charlie and I still have a month left at the school and parish. They go home for what is basically their “winter” break. They return late in July. We may or may not see them before we have to leave for our homes.) We sat at the decorated head table. The meal was superb: rice, lamb, beans, cabbage, bananas, and soda. There was enough for everyone. Following the meal a large group of students walked up to the table. They delegated a speaker and gave a very nice apology for cheating on the exams. They asked what their punishment should be. We told them no punishment. A failing grade and a promise to consider honesty would be enough. We shook hands to seal the deal.
There was a short comedy skit, and singing and dancing. The lyrics to the song went something like “we are so sorry, so sorry to have to say goodbye.” This was followed by the reading of a letter (printed below) to me and Charlie. I have the copy of the letter, and it reads almost like poetry. I even appreciate the grammar and spelling mistakes even though I was their English teacher for three weeks. Next came a surprise gift. The girls sewed us some pretty sweet purple shirts. They are short-sleeved button-downs. We put them on right away and took pictures with our friends. My shirt has an outline of the African continent on it. (Very appropriate.) Charlie’s has black bunnies. (Quite random.) We are still laughing about the bunnies.
Friday evening volleyball pitted the staff against the students. We played until we couldn’t see the ball anymore. If the sun wasn’t in such a hurry to make another dawn, we could have played for hours more. There were some final goodbyes with our closest friends on the court after all the others left for dinner. Nobody was in a hurry to part ways. I don’t think anybody was ready to admit that it was time to say goodbye. Didn’t we just say hello?
So, what comes next? First, some rest and relaxation. Charlie and I watched a movie, popped some popcorn, and shared a cold beer Friday night. We agreed that sleeping in Saturday had been earned. We have more time now to spend with the priests as they travel around to the other small villages to hold meetings and say Mass. They have also agreed to take us to the Ngorongoro Crater for a safari. It’s one of the few places where we might see a rhino, and our chances of seeing a lion or two are best here. The crater has the densest population of lions in the world. However, the population is in some danger because of the lack of genetic diversity.
We also plan on doing a little traveling throughout the country. We want to visit Dar es Salaam and the island Zanzibar. Of course a trip to Moshi to see Mt. Kilimanjaro is in place. (Whether or not we climb it is still up in the air. We have a connection with a climbing company through an ND grad who lives in Arusha. If we can afford the climb, we’re going to do it.) We have been doing some research on bus routes and hotels. I have received an invitation to celebrate Independence Day at the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam on the 5th. They promise free food and fireworks for all US citizens. We won’t turn down free food. A few Notre Dame students serving in Uganda this summer have expressed interest in meeting up with us in Zanzibar. The weather should be very nice and warm on the east coast. Our plans are to spend a lot of time on the white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean. We’ll take a book or two and our swim trunks so we can swim with the dolphins.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we round the hill and begin the 2nd half of our nine weeks here. There are internet cafes in Dar, so I will post a few quick blogs during our trip if time and money permit. Happy Father’s Day to my dad! Happy Birthday to my Grandma Schank on the 27th! Grandma, I hope you enjoy the camping/ b-day part this weekend. Congrats to my cousin Justin who celebrates his high school graduation this weekend, too. Also congrats to my cousin Maria who also is celebrating her graduation this summer. I wish I could be there to help celebrate with everyone. I can’t wait to see you all in July. I send my love from Tanzania.
And lastly, as promised, here is the letter read to us at the farewell party without any editing on my part. You can blame all the spelling and grammar mistakes on their English teacher.
It’s a chilly, foggy, and misty Monday morning. I just finished a nice cup of coffee and two pieces of banana cake. I’m wrapped in my shuka to keep warm. The cold (or cooler) season came suddenly and without much warning. The mornings and evenings require sweatshirts and shukas to stay comfortable. The priests wear stocking caps at the dinner table. Out of stubbornness I still wear my shorts. If the calendar says June, I say shorts. I sleep under two heavy blankets and my shuka. The wind picks up some nights, and it’s not hard to imagine a blizzard outside as I climb into bed. It really isn’t that bad, though. The days are still pleasant when the sun shines.
Last night the water stopped running in the house. Water is being carried in from large collection tanks outside for cooking and washing. It rained Saturday night. We are in the dry season, so it has rained only a few times since I have been here. Of course my clothes would still be hanging out on the line to receive the complementary second washing. Hopefully the sun will come out this afternoon to dry them.
I taught my last class on Wednesday afternoon. All of Thursday and Friday morning were set aside for exams. I enjoyed putting together the tests, but it took a lot of time for Charlie and me to go through them all and mark them. Writing exams and grading them takes a lot more time and effort than preparing a lesson plan for a day! We could have used a couple TA’s.
As I graded some geometry problems Thursday night, it was very clear that a handful of 2nd year students had been copying answers during the test. One student made a simple calculation error, and his wrong answer showed up on about six other tests. I looked over and compared their tests very carefully. Some of these students didn’t show any work at all. Charlie had noticed there was some similar cheating going on during his English exam. I wish I could have stopped it during the exam, but I didn’t even notice it because I was giving individual help at the front of class during the entire test.
Charlie and I were put in a tough situation. Not only were these our students, but they were also our good friends, and Friday was going to be our last day together. Could we actually be angry with them? Do we report it to the disciplinarian? (We suspect that they still practice corporal punishment here although we haven’t witnessed it.) We may have been done teaching, but we knew that there was one more lesson to teach.
There was an assembly Friday afternoon for all of the students to attend. It was first an open forum where students got to voice their opinions and suggestions concerning the school. There were complaints about the housing and food. Others were more concerned about the disrespect between students. This lasted for probably more than an hour. It was welcoming to see the other teachers and staff listening to the students. They really seem to have a voice here. Next came awards and recognitions for those who performed well during the term. Those at the top of the class received notebooks and pencils as their award. Finally, Charlie and I were asked if we had anything to add before the assembly was released.
Everybody was in a good mood, and we didn’t want to end the assembly on a sour note, but Charlie and I knew it was necessary. I spoke on behalf of both of us. I told them that we knew there had been cheating on the exams and that we were really disappointed and felt betrayed. I’m no great orator, but I spoke about character and values and honesty. I said that those who were suspected of cheating were given a failing grade on the exam. I also said that Charlie and I would appreciate a private apology from anyone who had cheated whether it was caught or not. I may have killed the party, but I possibly gave the only lesson that they will take to heart.
Thankfully, the real party came that afternoon. There was a big end-of-the-year lunch and celebration for the closing of the school. It was also a farewell party for Charlie and me. (The students are actually the ones leaving. Charlie and I still have a month left at the school and parish. They go home for what is basically their “winter” break. They return late in July. We may or may not see them before we have to leave for our homes.) We sat at the decorated head table. The meal was superb: rice, lamb, beans, cabbage, bananas, and soda. There was enough for everyone. Following the meal a large group of students walked up to the table. They delegated a speaker and gave a very nice apology for cheating on the exams. They asked what their punishment should be. We told them no punishment. A failing grade and a promise to consider honesty would be enough. We shook hands to seal the deal.
There was a short comedy skit, and singing and dancing. The lyrics to the song went something like “we are so sorry, so sorry to have to say goodbye.” This was followed by the reading of a letter (printed below) to me and Charlie. I have the copy of the letter, and it reads almost like poetry. I even appreciate the grammar and spelling mistakes even though I was their English teacher for three weeks. Next came a surprise gift. The girls sewed us some pretty sweet purple shirts. They are short-sleeved button-downs. We put them on right away and took pictures with our friends. My shirt has an outline of the African continent on it. (Very appropriate.) Charlie’s has black bunnies. (Quite random.) We are still laughing about the bunnies.
Friday evening volleyball pitted the staff against the students. We played until we couldn’t see the ball anymore. If the sun wasn’t in such a hurry to make another dawn, we could have played for hours more. There were some final goodbyes with our closest friends on the court after all the others left for dinner. Nobody was in a hurry to part ways. I don’t think anybody was ready to admit that it was time to say goodbye. Didn’t we just say hello?
So, what comes next? First, some rest and relaxation. Charlie and I watched a movie, popped some popcorn, and shared a cold beer Friday night. We agreed that sleeping in Saturday had been earned. We have more time now to spend with the priests as they travel around to the other small villages to hold meetings and say Mass. They have also agreed to take us to the Ngorongoro Crater for a safari. It’s one of the few places where we might see a rhino, and our chances of seeing a lion or two are best here. The crater has the densest population of lions in the world. However, the population is in some danger because of the lack of genetic diversity.
We also plan on doing a little traveling throughout the country. We want to visit Dar es Salaam and the island Zanzibar. Of course a trip to Moshi to see Mt. Kilimanjaro is in place. (Whether or not we climb it is still up in the air. We have a connection with a climbing company through an ND grad who lives in Arusha. If we can afford the climb, we’re going to do it.) We have been doing some research on bus routes and hotels. I have received an invitation to celebrate Independence Day at the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam on the 5th. They promise free food and fireworks for all US citizens. We won’t turn down free food. A few Notre Dame students serving in Uganda this summer have expressed interest in meeting up with us in Zanzibar. The weather should be very nice and warm on the east coast. Our plans are to spend a lot of time on the white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean. We’ll take a book or two and our swim trunks so we can swim with the dolphins.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we round the hill and begin the 2nd half of our nine weeks here. There are internet cafes in Dar, so I will post a few quick blogs during our trip if time and money permit. Happy Father’s Day to my dad! Happy Birthday to my Grandma Schank on the 27th! Grandma, I hope you enjoy the camping/ b-day part this weekend. Congrats to my cousin Justin who celebrates his high school graduation this weekend, too. Also congrats to my cousin Maria who also is celebrating her graduation this summer. I wish I could be there to help celebrate with everyone. I can’t wait to see you all in July. I send my love from Tanzania.
And lastly, as promised, here is the letter read to us at the farewell party without any editing on my part. You can blame all the spelling and grammar mistakes on their English teacher.
“We shall meet one day”
For both of us, and our audience.
We stay infront of you, to say something
About learning, and teaching activities
We hope that, you will remember once you hear
Our volonteers taugh us
Mathematics, English and Computer
For the duration, of three weeks
Since you approach, Audrey Veldman
We understood you, in deep
And we promise you, to work on it.
Since we leant, we acquire knowledge
And we will use, in different opportunities of life
According to the situation, of our environment
You try to cope, and taught us in simple way
We thanks, for your cooperation
Where, we will imitate you.
As untensils, colide each other in the Cupboard
Even us, we might do for you
As far, we ask, lets forgive each other
America and Africa are the Son of one Father
Today we left each other, by say goodby
And God be with you
Lets your jounery, look like the Shine Star, in the sky
Don’t forget us, when you reach America.
For both of us, and our audience.
We stay infront of you, to say something
About learning, and teaching activities
We hope that, you will remember once you hear
Our volonteers taugh us
Mathematics, English and Computer
For the duration, of three weeks
Since you approach, Audrey Veldman
We understood you, in deep
And we promise you, to work on it.
Since we leant, we acquire knowledge
And we will use, in different opportunities of life
According to the situation, of our environment
You try to cope, and taught us in simple way
We thanks, for your cooperation
Where, we will imitate you.
As untensils, colide each other in the Cupboard
Even us, we might do for you
As far, we ask, lets forgive each other
America and Africa are the Son of one Father
Today we left each other, by say goodby
And God be with you
Lets your jounery, look like the Shine Star, in the sky
Don’t forget us, when you reach America.
Jordan-
ReplyDeleteAnother awesome journal entry. Thanks so much. Your greatest lesson may have been holding the students to standards and not turning away from a difficult/awkward situation to avoid a confrontation or embarrassment. You did not take the easy way out. You taught them that you had expectations for them and would not lower standards for convenience or comfort.
I hope you enjoy the remainder of your time in Tanzania. Safe travels.
Dr McCauley