Orientation in Alexandria, Va.

Now it seems even more real. I've just returned from an exciting and energetic week with all of the worldwide Fulbrighters for 08-09 as well as various alumnae, State Dept. and USDA folks. It was great meeting my exchange partner Samuel Agiti. He is warm and welcoming, enthusiastic to be here and learn, and has a great sense of humor!



There will actually be 3 of us teaching in Ghana all within a half hour of each other. One teacher is from Fairfax, Va and the other is from Illinois. Their counterparts from Ghana were also great and the six of us hung out together with a teacher from Chicago who had just returned from her year in Ghana who shared her experiences and advice.



In addition to some very worthwhile group meetings, the 7 of us had time to sit and share what 'teaching' (and living) would be like in each others' country. A few of the big differences I will have are: large classes (50 or 55 students in each!), no technology (I'll talk about that later), complete respect from students and parents (who are not really involved in the day-to-day students' education because they entrust them to the schools) and no discipline issues... (the students will stand when I enter and stand when they answer a question).



I also found out that I will be the only woman in the math department of 12 teachers, in fact the only woman EVER to teach math at the school. I was told that they are looking forward to having a role model for their girls so they can do better in math (hmmmm...do I see a Girls Math Club in my future??).



As for technology, I found out that there is a computer lab with approximately 20 computers but it is too expensive to hook the school up to the internet so they sit idle. I was told that the new Headmistress wants to try to get it up and running though. I said I would be happy to help teach the computer basics if they could do that. And of course, I had to ask...I had to ask what the cost of 'hooking up the school' was ... $80 a month. sigh.. (another project?)

My classroom will only have a blackboard (which is a section of a wall painted black). I've heard that they have a few white boards and would like to start installing more because of the problems of chalk dust. No overheads or LCD projectors. As for TI-83 calculators, Samuel has one and has been using it, but not many, if any, of the other members of the department know how to use them. I've been collecting spare TI-83's from people and buying them off E-Bay and I am bringing about 10 so far to train the teachers. Samuel told me that there was also a box of 22 of them sitting in the Head's office unopenned because no one knows how to use them. OK, I now have many projects :) I'm happy, there will be a lot of things for me to do AND for me to learn!



Wow, this is long-oops I'm a new blogger so forgive me! SAmuel is now home living with us until the end of August when he moves in to a home with a couple in Rockville. More to come on Samuel's perspective of US.