Teaching 7th Graders this Summer

So it's Wednesday July 19th. It's been exactly 1 year and 2 days since I last saw my house in Greenwich. Almost to my one year reunion for coming to the Pacific. But now I will tell you a bit about what I've been doing in Pohnpei (other than seeing pretty awesome ancient ruins and beautiful waterfalls).

Chris, Buddy (the Indonesian Jesuit Scholastic - Jesuit in training) and I have been sent to the Pohnpei Catholic School this summer to teach in the HAP program (High Achievement Program). This is a summer program for kids of all levels (very smart, average, not so smart) who had just finished the 7th grade to take some more time preparing for 8th grade and high school, as well as meet friends from all over the island and join in fun activities.
It's a very easy schedule compared to hectic Xavier. The day starts at 8:30 for a quick assembly, followed by three 45 minute classes, then study time, then lunch, then afternoon activity. The day is done at 1:30, so every day is like a half a day. Unlike Xavier, insteading of teaching the same lesson twice, there are three sections of the students, so I teach the same lesson 3 times. It is sometimes a challenge to keep the enthusiasm 100% by the 3rd class. It is also challenging, in a humerous way (fellow teachers, help me out with this) to repeat the same jokes the second and third time. By the third class is just seems forced. Whenever I think about myself trying to pull off the same joke for the third time, it's pretty lame, it hardly works. Oh well.
But the best part of this whole experience is the kids. 7th graders are definitely different from high schoolers. I bet you already knew that, but I'm telling you again. It's a very different experience, and a refreshing one, after almost getting burnt out from those high school punks.
These 7th graders are very sweet, very eager to learn, extremely friendly, very afraid of me as a teacher (which helps), and a lot of fun to be with. They were extremely shy the first week or so, but now they're all over the place. They like to run around and yell a lot more than high schoolers (high schoolers like to chill around and just hang out...cool stuff if you dont move around). Being with 7th graders has been good for me since before this life most of my experiences have been with younger kids, ranging from 3rd grade to around 6th.
I teach reading class. It did take me a while to figure out how I"m supposed to teach reading. But then most of it is actually regular skills that I taught the sophomores in Study Skills class, aka Common Sense Stuff Everyone Seems Not To Get Class. But I have a good time most of the time. Some of my students are very good English speakers and, to be honest, better than some Xavier students. This program is indirectly a way to prepare for Xavier. All of the teachers make special recommendations for students we think would be great for Xavier. I can already think of a dozen or so, and a few that should just skip the 8th grade right now.

Before I continue with my 7th graders, let me take a break and talk about how my best friend Campbell came to visit. He stayed with me for about a week, and it was great. It was extremely weird to connect the two worlds of mine together. Definitely felt a bit homesick when he left, which I havent really felt this whole time. But I got over it, and I was glad I shared this with him. At least I'll have someone at home who can kind of relate with my experiences here...since, you know, he was here.
Let me share with you a part of Campbell's mass email about his trip to Pohnpei:

"I got to Pohnpei, and AJ was there to meet me. Now, for those of you who don't know AJ, I've known him since 7th grade, and he's doing JVI (Jesuit Volunteer International). He was placed in Chuuk, Micronesia, actually, but this summer he is in Pohnpei. Since AJ is pretty much out of contact with the whole world for the most part of 2 years, and it is difficult to send packages to him, his mother sent me with a package out to him. Funny thing, Mrs.Cabrera never told me what was in it, and I never went through it myself, and, just my luck, I was stopped at pretty much every single customs desk for that carry on bag. Every time they asked me if i packed it, so I had to tell them yes, and they asked what was in it a couple times. Needles to say, I didn't know. Luckily, they always asked me what was in it as they were opening the bag, so i was able to see bits and pieces of what was in it and tell them what i saw (and they saw too...but they didn't pick up on that). Apparently there was a new digital camera in there also, and at one point a customs agent got as far down in the bag as the camera, and was asking me if it was new. Again, she happened to be opening the box as she asked, and i saw some plastic still on the camera, so i was able to answer that it was new. So, it was kind of comical, after the fact.
Anyhow, for those of you who know AJ, he's doing well. He has grown his hair out, and it is quite long by this point. Some of it is just about at his shoulders. Ladies, apparently AJ looks hot with the long hair, he wanted me to let you all know that. Anyhow, there isn't much to do in Pohnpei, because it is a small island in a lagoon (flying over the lagoons and seeing them were awesome, so so so cool). However, the island is huge, in respect to the other islands in Micronesia. AJ took me to a couple places, but it rained every single day I was there. It is said that Pohnpei receives more rainfall every year than anywhere else in the world, but since it is so remote, no one has ever gone out and recorded it, so its unofficial. I believe it though. Since the rain rarely let up AJ and i had to do the ebst we could in seeing the island through the rain. It actually kind of made it more fun, in my opinion. The weather was so hot and humid that the rain didn't bother me at all. We saw some ancient ruins (Non Madal...something like that) which are really impressive. It is unknown who created this little fortress, and how they were able to do it ebcause the rocks they used to build the fortress are huge and seem impossible to lift. it is kind of like the wonder of the egyptian pyramids, but even more mysterious, because we don't even know who inhabited the fortress. AJ also took me to a waterfall, and since it was raining pretty hard all day the waterfall was at a peak and just completely cascading down. Usually people are allowed to swim under the waterfall, but not that day. Another day (it was actually sunny for part of the day) we hiked up one of the ridges on the island. In WWII, Micronesia was a big Japanese naval base (Chuuk specifically, then known as Truk), so we came across some old Japanese guns ni the hike. We proceeded to a radio tower up on the ridge, and were able to see half of the island (the other half was behind some other mountains) and it was amazing. I have pictures of all of this, and hopefully in Thailand (my next stop) i'll be able to figure out where to post them online. It is a very different culture over there, and I'm really glad i made it over to see it. It is quite strange seeing men, women and children walking around ni the middle of streets weilding machetes, but I got used to it. "

...

So there you go. It was a lot of fun. Anyone else that actually wants to visit, please look into it (my brother is actually coming around late Decemeber, so feel free to contact him to join him).

Back to my classes. There is something I learned about teaching from this program. I knew that this summer teaching experience was not going to be as serious as Xavier, so I went into it with a much more lax attitude. I want to teach the kids good information, but I want to stress having fun more, like enjoying the lesson. I think that my classes are a lot more productive that way. I got this idea for a lesson from Chris Dwyer about following directions. I asked the kids to write down directions for how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (some of them didn't know what it was, and most have never eaten one, which was a huge cultural difference that stood out...a standard lunchtime meal for kids their age would be rice and fried chicken...the lesson worked any way). After I collected some of their directions, I took out the ingredients out of no where and started following their directions literally. For instance, when they said "put the peanut butter on the bread" i literally picked up the peanut butter container and dropped it on the bread. When they said "spread jelly on the bread" without telling me to take out the slices frmo the bag, i actually put jelly on the plastic bag the bread is in. The class was cracking up and got a lot out of it (lesson: always use a lot of details in directions). So things like that.
I also got the kids addicted to the game Mafia. They absolutely love it. Basically, I'm teaching the kids to lie. Hey, that's how you play Mafia! But the kids really have a great time. I will definitely miss them a lot, because we joke around a lot and we get along fine in the classroom. When I get back to Chuuk, there will be plenty of pictures of the kids for you all. Maybe I'll even adopt some and bring them home with me. I feel bad for all other kids of the world because I dont think anyone can be as cool, innocent, and full of such a rich personality as these students of mine.

I think I've said too much. Please keep in touch, and I'll probably report back to you by the end of my Pohnpeian trip. Give you some good legends about this place. Keep the questions coming in. Peace

AJ

How 1 Year in Micronesia Has Changed Me

As my one-year mark - or my halfway point of this entire service mission – approaches, I think it is important for myself, and for my faithful readers, to reflect on what’s been going on. I am pretty certain that I have changed a lot since leaving for orientation in Scranton about a year ago. On the other hand, I know that it is too early to tell, and I am also certain that a second year will really have a more significant effect on me than simply (yes, simply) being here for one year.

These past 11 months have been filled with places National Geographic desperately needs to go to (the ancient temple, Nan Madol, is definitely a location for the next Indiana Jones movie…although I’ve been saying that for almost every place I visit), beautiful and wonderful people of countless cultures, a high school that is as unique as any school can be, and a job (teaching high school) that has made me grow more than I will probably ever know. And let’s not forget the great people that I’ve been working with in my community – JVI, XHS, and more – the students that I have met along the way, and the sense of being isolated on a tiny tropical island. Mix that all in with the great support from home, the realization that I will not see home for 2 whole years, plenty of humidity, a laid back way of doing things, and long hair, and we have a pretty interesting experience so far.

The surest way to grow is through facing challenges. Some were already mentioned above: being away from home for two years; enduring simple living ($60 a month, lack of basic resources, lack of luxuries from home...no Dr. Pepper!!); trying to live in a community without going nuts; the constant humidity; the problems of trying to run a school that lacks funds, resources, teachers, etc.; teaching, even though I am NOT qualified one bit; struggling to understand a culture (or 6) when I know that I won’t come close even after being here for 2 years; living in an isolated boarding school, being surrounded by students 24/7; living on an isolating island where there is not much to do for entertainment; struggling to adjust to an “island-style” way of living, where the pace is much more lax than New England; the stress that comes from the fact that some people that I work with are not like me. There’s a lot.

Let me address that last challenge first. After getting through the “National Geographic- phase”, which includes being totally swept away by the beauty and exotic feel of the islands (I can argue that I’m still in that phase and will be for months to come…this is just one whole adventure for me), JVs tend to start missing home and getting more frustrated. Although I do miss home, I am not and have not been homesick to a serious extent. However, the last few months I have become more and more frustrated; frustrated with myself, with how the school is run, with the students, with the Chuukese, with the island pace and “work-style”. Some previous blogs may have picked up on my complaining and frustration. A good example was the Debate debacle. Nothing gets done around Chuuk, or at least that’s what it looks like to me. The truth of the matter is that the government of Chuuk has always been considered sketchy compared to the other states (traveling to Majuro and now Pohnpei has given me much greater insight to the contrasts between the island nations). It is sometimes referred to as the “Ghetto of Micronesia”. Needless to say, I got frustrated. Some of those times, I was justified.

But as a very wise friend recently told me, in response to my complaints, I was frustrated because it sounded like I wanted everyone else – the teachers, the people running debate, everyone here in the islands – to be more like me. “Why aren’t these people more like me? Why aren’t they more like Americans?” are questions that I never directly asked or thought about, but my friend interpreted it correctly. This friend also was abroad for a while, and he said that he experienced the same thing after a few months.

I think the lesson is all about appreciating the good in this place and in these people. In truth, I really do miss Xavier and Chuuk, especially the Chuukese (I've only been away for one month). They are by far the friendliest ones I’ve met. I definitely feel more at home in Chuuk. I also miss the craziness of Xavier. I am looking forward to teaching, even though it will be more hectic (is that possible?) since I will be teaching three full time classes. Very stressful. But I can’t wait for it. Xavier is a place that is so unique that I don’t think it can be matched by any other place in the world. Some of the volunteers that recently went home emailed me and said that they are having a very hard time trying to describe the life at Xavier. Hopefully I have been doing a decent job. As for the island pace of life, I am not going to try and adopt it for when I return home in a year, but I have to get used to it, and that will help me love it more. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are many values that I can – and have been – learn from being out here. I cannot voice them now, but perhaps I’ll be able to pinpoint them later on.

Simple living and being away from luxury has been tough, but very manageable and rewarding. I’m sure that there are many things that I thought I missed, but probably don’t. Example: we have TV here in the Jesuit House in Pohnpei. Other than the NBA Finals, which are now over, there is nothing good on TV or really even worth watching. I actually get sleepy, extremely bored very quickly, headaches, or a feeling of complete worthlessness when I am sitting to watch something even for a little while. I wasn’t a big fan of TV before, but I have a whole new perspective towards that. I honestly wonder what else I will feel differently towards when I get home. Probably tons of things. Things that I thought I couldn’t live without, but in reality, I don’t need them at all. Living the simple life makes you appreciate so many more things, and I definitely like to cherish things that I didn’t necessarily want to cherish before. Take conversations. Yes, simple sitting down and talking. Not idle chit chat. I would rather do that than sooo many other things. And certain normal things in life, especially food, are now considered luxuries. Cheese? I’d pay 1/5 of my salary to get some good, sharp cheddar. Quality pasta sauce, which I love so much? Only if I make it from scratch, when the ingredients are on-island. Steak? Nope, not until summer 07. Dr. Pepper? I had one, when a friend sent it to me in a package, and it was great, but now that I’ve had it, I’m not that fixed on it any more. It’s weird.

Teaching has made me more confident in myself, by far. I was not the one to speak in front of crowds. I did it daily, and I love it now. Making a lesson plan, and even entire curriculum, with limit resources, power very sporadic, internet less reliable, pages sticking together from the humidity, no formal training…I can do that now, and although I was so terrified the first week of school (I took a nap EVERY day after teaching just for an hour or two I was so mentally exhausted), I do it now with more ease, and look forward to making my lessons and course goals better.

I don’t know how I can ever really explain what’s going on out here. What is starting to be “normal” for me may be the craziest thought or action from someone back home. What?! You mean not everyone rides on the back of a pickup truck back home? You mean you don’t use a cooler as your luggage? It’s 70 degrees and you’re not freezing? Yes, I’ve (barely) picked up on two, maybe three major stories from the news media, and I’m still alive and well. There are no smoke detectors and fire drills at the school, and rain pours in the windows and some class rooms don’t have doors and everyone walks around barefoot…yet the school still functions and there are no complaints there. The power went out? Oh well, business is closed, stop doing work. No problem. You’re thirsty? I’ll have my 6 year old son climb up a 40 foot tree, with a machete in his mouth, to get you all some coconuts. Cavity, gum disease, chipped tooth? Fill it in with gold. It looks good. It’s time for the girls to run track and field, and all of them are running with skirts that go past their knees. I don’t know you, but you’re Americans? Come to my house and I’ll feed you a huge meal! We’re going downtown, everyone pile on top of the truck. No more room? Sit on the roof. I’m going to go swim in the lagoon that’s 80 degrees where there are beautiful coral and fish, and if I go far enough, I might see some reef sharks. Want to come? It poured 4 times today, but it’s been sunny the entire day. There are a bunch of kids walking around the street, playing, and I made their day by making a funny face at them. It is always great to make them laugh.

It goes on. There are so many little things. And as these little things become part of my life even more, I hope to understand this place and these people a whole lot more in the coming year. I honestly cannot even think of what I will be like in one more year. I do know that when I do come home, it will be very weird…actually, that’s a huge understatement. Even saying that it will be surreal is an understatement. But we will cross that bridge when we get there.

I guess you would have to really see me and spend time with me to see if I’ve changed. I know deep down inside I have not, which is (hopefully) a good thing. But I know I have been effected for the better. Other than my freakishly long, Antonio Banderes hair, I am not sure if it will be easy to see if I’ve truly grown. All I know is that I’m glad I signed up for two years, because the second year will be as fruitful as the first, and there is still a lot more to learn from.

My next blog will be about my teaching experience so far here on Pohnpei, and the visit from my friend since 7th grade, Campbell.

I also am putting up a link in my blog called "Micronesian Seminar". It's a website that is run by the actual place by the same name, which was started by Fr. Francis Hezel, the leading expert on Micronesia. It has amazing articles and discussions and links about everything and anything regarding Micronesian issues. This link will give anyone who is interested a more in depth look and feel about how Micronesia deals with real world problems like every place else on Earth.

I love everyone at home, and I miss you all. I love Micronesia. Keep the questions coming in. Peace.