Culture shock in the schools

Alright I don’t know if I actually want to post this, lest I seem like I’m complaining, but hey, my people love complaining. I also hesitate because that last part sounded a little offensive. I could delete it, but I’m trying to write an honest blog, right?

Anyway!

When you get ready to join the Peace Corps, people tell you all about how hard it’s going to be. You read about how hard it’s going to be. You day dream about how hard it’s going to be (just me?), and by the time you get on the plane, you think you know what the hardest parts are going to be. You think you’re mentally prepared for things like host families, illness, bucket laundry, homesickness, language learning, or any other Peace Corps horror stories you might have heard of. I was mentally prepared for all this stuff, and I think I’ve approached these struggles with as much grace as I could muster while my lavalava (wrap around/tie on skirt) is falling off, and I’m suddenly remembering I was SUPPOSED to wear shorts under this thing.

Being aware these challenges were coming made them easier to handle. Knowing I might get a crazy host family helped me love my normal host family so much more! Knowing that I was going to grunt and gesture like a child while trying to learn the language made it less embarrassing.

Here is what I wasn’t prepared for. Teaching is hard; school is REALLY, REALLY hard. I used to think: I’m a (future) teacher. I have experience in schools. I survived volunteering, practicum and student teaching in some of the toughest special education classes and was challenged every day.  I loved it. People who have never taught before do fine as Peace Corps teachers. Sure it’s not going to be easy, but what do I have to be worried about? Bring it on!

After talking with other volunteers, we realized that teaching here is hardest for people with experience and a passion for teaching. Everyone warns you about the culture shock you will experience as a PCV, but if you’ve spent any time in the classroom, we should warn you about the culture shock you will experience in the school. That’s why I made a list of things that gave me the biggest culture shock and brought me the hardest times in the schools.

•  Supervision of children- there is none. Physically, my classroom is isolated from the other teachers, so at lunch time, it’s just me and 40 year 1-3 students playing “how can we annoy Peta?” The winning tactics include: Sneaking in and destroying my posters, standing at the windows and doors while screaming my name, or (my favorite) sneaking behind the building to the window right next to my desk and peeing on my wall. Possible Solutions? ET (early termination of service- or quitting). Just kidding! Totally kidding! I’m currently cleaning up the library (located right next to the staff lounge), so I can relocate and the nearby teachers can help me by beating the children when they ignore and terrorize me (Kidding- kind of. Continue reading for further explanation).
• Beating of children- I think I’ve mentioned before that my school is actually pretty good about this. They don’t beat. However, kids kick the crap out of each other and that’s totally ok! One of my classroom rules is “hands to your selves” and it gets enforced only seventy five percent of the time. No teaching would get done if I corrected it every time. Instead, one kid slaps the other across the head and everyone else yells “hands for you!” Eh, they’re close enough. But depending on the school you go to, corporal punishment might be an issue. As teachers, we tend to value children, and have “mandatory reporter” engrained so deep in our brains that if we see a kid with a bruise, warning lights go off in our heads and flash out our ears. You HAVE to let that go. In the past, volunteers have ETed over it, because it’s hard to wrap your head around. My kids are covered in cuts and bruises and some of them are caused by parents. I have to let it go. The best I can do is ask people not to do it around me. Basically, you have to ask your inner moral fiber to step back and be reasonable. You’re not going to change the culture. In my class, I lead by example. I talk to children about it in hopes that they won’t do it when they have children. It’s hard to compartmentalize you’re sense of right and wrong, but you can’t let it ruin your teaching.
• No materials- Last week, I had LITERALLY no materials while I was subbing classes of 40 children. I brought in a book from home, and found some scrap chalk in a pile of old stuff and did a spelling bee activity using that. Most the time, you will have access to printer paper, some poster boards and large sheets of brown paper like the stuff you can get as bags at grocery stores. My school has a computer that does not work because of viruses and a printer with no ink. The copier is nearly out of ink too. And the power goes out a lot, so I can’t rely on technology like that every day. I like the way having limited supplies makes me stretch and grow as a teacher, but that being said, some days, I would rather tear my own eyeballs out than try to create something out of nothing again (too much?). Fine. Some days I’m tired and wish I had more books or a binder full of worksheets like an American School.
• Not being entirely sure what to teach- Peace Corps does give you training and you do some assessments to help you figure out where to start with your students. However, you get to site, and it’s kind of overwhelming. There is so much stuff I could be teaching, but what order should I teach it in? How much time will I need to spend on new skills? How do I know if my kids are ready for making predictions? They got letter sounds, what next? I got the impression from our training that term one is like a practice term (no one came out and said that, but considering the most useful training wasn’t until after term one, I’m convinced it’s true) so I figure the beginning is just time to experiment and get to know your kids. No pressure.
• When am I going to teach?- I hardly ever actually get to teach. The classroom is my happy place, and I hardly ever get to see it! When there are assessments, I don’t teach all week. When teachers are reviewing for assessments, I don’t teach all week. Sometimes, we have Peace Corps trainings or meetings we miss school for. This week is literacy week, and I’m helping teachers prepare instead of actually teaching. Some days, we sit in the staff room and have tea all day instead of teaching. I could try to be a good example and teach anyway, but instead it makes me look like a fiapoto “wannabe smart” and the other teachers resent it. My point is, this is a slow paced island, and schools fit into that image well. Get ready to slow down. A lot.

I really hope this didn’t come across as a list of complaints. I just really want any teachers preparing to be volunteers in Samoa to know what challenges they might face and how hard it can be. My biggest culture shock was in the school. But at the end of the day, I still love it. Children here are different but they’re still children. School is hard in ways I didn’t predict, but I love it for reasons I didn’t see coming. So be warned. Be prepared. Be ready to laugh and yell and throw your shoes at the wall (you know who you are) and say mean things in English that the kids won’t understand (guilty). But don’t worry too much. It’s what you came here to do. I figure that if I can teach here, I can teach anywhere.

My Samoan boyfriend

Peace Corps women in the past have built a reputation for dating and marrying Samoan men.  That's why every time I meet someone new, and especially every time I get in a cab in Apia, I get the same questions over and over again. Do you have a Samoan boyfriend? Why not? When will you get a Samoan boyfriend? Can I be your Samoan boyfriend? Ect...

So, I am happy to announce that I finally have an answer. My Samoan boyfriend's name is Tavita (David in English). He lives in my village, and he just loves the palagi (white) girls. And I just love that face! It's a match made in heaven.

I just don't mention the fact that he's 4 months old. His family, by the way, totally approves. They're very entertained by my little joke, and the taxi drivers back off a little bit. Everyone wins!

Laziness

Sorry I'm too lazy to write. Next best thing!

Love and miss you all!

rainbow cookies made of peace and sunshine

 Alright, alright, I realize I've been lazy with my blog. I used to obsessively read other volunteers' blogs when I decided to apply, and I vowed that when I was a volunteer, I would blog religiously... Oops. I forgot. Hopefully, that's a testimate to how well adjusted and in the moment I am, as opposed to being miserable and on my computer all the time. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! So here's an update:
School:
Term one is almost over! I feel like I'm getting the hang of things, and I'm still generally pretty happy. I absolutely love teaching. I love when I'm sitting with a group of kiddos, and we only half understand each other, but by the end of a session, I know they got it! It's chaotic in the best way, and it makes me feel like a super hero. I'm going to start wearing my lavalava around my neck like a cape!
I miss American schools where I have convenient access to books, computers, teaching materials, and consistent electricity. I miss the general culture of schools inAmerica (to a point). Kids here are way more respectful, but that's because they would most likely get slapped if they're not (My school is actually pretty good about avoiding corporal punishment, luckily, but it's a country wide problem that many volunteers struggle to be around). Children love me, which means I'm constantly struggling to get some personal space and privacy. They're everywhere. But the second I'm in the class room, I'm able to gain control of the situation, and set boundaries. The classroom is where it all works out (most of the time). I love it.
Village life:
I love my village. I love it. I realise I'm saying that a lot, and I hope that I'm not losing credibility here. It's true.
 Church is a huge part of village life. There are 2 churches here (Mormon and Congregational). Some volunteers will try to go to all the churches in their village, and maybe this makes me a less super volunteer, but I don't go to the Mormon church. Mormons don't approve of alcohol, and I really don't drink often, but I don't want to have to lie when I do. Therefore, to aid my integration, I have thrown myself pretty deep into the Congregational church (called E.F.K.S.). I attend 2 Sunday services where I only understand 10percent of the sermon, I'm a Sunday School teacher (kind of) and I even go to Bingo with the church sometimes. My sister should be proud.
I am still learning Samoan, and I spend time with my neighbors to practice. Honestly, sometimes, I'm tired and don't want to socialise, but when I do, I know it's beneficial.
Other stuff:
Term 1 is ending and we get a week long break. I'm sad to miss Easter with my family because it's one of my favourite holidays, but I plan on going to a resort by my house and I hope to skype everyone there (I'm super lucky to live close to a resort with internet. You pay by the hour, and there aren't many places on the island where it's available).
After the break, Peace Corps brings us together for Early Service Training. It'll be nice to see everyone again, but I don't feel deprived of my friends company. We've been a pretty well connected group because there are so few of us (only 10). But I won't turn down a few nights of air conditioning, and socialising!
I tried to write a post that wasn't overly sentimental, and makes it sound like I spend my days baking rainbow cookies made of peace and sunshine or rescuing kittens from burning trees. I try to include the good and the bad. And I realise that the optimism is almost unrealistic. but screw it. I'm really happy. Some things make me unhappy, and some days I cope with those things better than others, but in the long run, I'm really happy. I love it.

Sunburnt and still alive

So, I've survived my first two weeks in my village. That sounds so weird; my village is not something I would ever get to say back home. Here's what it's looked like so far.

The school year ended yesterday, and the students just started a long holiday break. Teachers were preparing their end of the year reports, and students were doing nothing. My dear teacher friends, imagine working on your end of the year business, and being aloud to just let kids play in the field all day long. It's actually beautiful, because you have time to get stuff done! Granted, I had no work to do, so I played with the kids for a few hours at a time. It was like being a daycamp counselor at the YMCA again, but I don't speak the same language as any of the children (my Samoan is still emberassing). I taught them games I could model like duck-duck-goose, ring around the rosies and thumb wrestling. I started a round of DOWN BY THE BANKS, and before it was ever, almost every child in that school had joined in. Playing with kids who I don't understand, who are confused and amazed by my sunburnt skin, and with no other adult supervision gets a little overwhelming to say the least, so I would go make up excuses to sit in the staff lounge. Every now and then, another teacher would ask me to use a calculator to double check her grade book, and I was happy for the work. However, it made my heart hurt. Imagine how much easier these teachers life would be with an excel spreadsheet! Just one of the many, many moments I'm thankful for all the privileges I've had.
After school, I go home, take a blessedly cold shower (it's hot here; have I mentioned that yet?) and then I read or watch a movie for a little while. In the evenings, the church bells ring, and that means that everyone (should) stop what they are doing and sing hymns and pray with the family. At the very least, you can't walk on the road during this time. I either join one of my neighbors, or sit in the open part of my home and listen to all my neighbors. It really is one of those "wow, I'm in Samoa" moments when half a dozen  Samoan hymns are being belted out all  around me. Then, if I'm lucky, someone will feed me, otherwise I cook my own dinner (rice, sandwich, ramens).
At this point, things are a little boring. I wish my Samoan was better, and I had better relationships in the village already, but I know that these things take time, and I am definitely headed in the right direction.

Training

Still alive, still well. I had the sudden realization that training is almost over though. This year, peace corps split training into two phases. I am almost finished with phase I, then I will go to my permanent site until after new years. Then, we will all come back together for three more weeks of training before the new school year starts. But it's crazy because we swear in after phase I, which ends around thanksgiving. I can't believe how fast things have started moving. I find out my permanent site! I am so anxious! But also excited! I have very few expectations about my placement because it really could be anything, but I just hope it winds up being a good fit!

Chickengunya free

Quick check in!
I'm still alive! I hurt my ankle when I fell down the stairs in the rain. But it is healing quickly. There has been an outbreak of chickengunya in my village. My host sister and nephew got it but I think I have been spared. It's a disease transferred by mosquitoes and gives rashes, fever and achey bones. A couple other volunteers got it and they were miserable!

Training is going well. Language learning is frustrating but I wouldn't expect less.  I have to give a presentation in Samoan tomorrow, and I am nervous. But staff has been great! They planned events like a sports day and a campfire with scary stories. That wad fun because it was the weirdest mix of American and Samoan. The language instructors would tell a story and sing a song and maybe do a dance.  Then we took turns telling stories. I told Popo's story about the old lady pulling legs and it was great to have a new audience for that one! Then we all sang all star by smash mouth while one of the volunteers danced with her LED hulahoop.

On Monday I go visit a current volunteer and I am really looking forward to it! Hopefully I will let you know how that goes.

Love and miss a lot of people but enjoying myself none the less.