In the school where Ms. K taught, students would begin trickling into Room 103 a quarter of an hour before a school-wide bell rang to announce the start of the school day. In the classroom, the designated Bell Ringer rang a tiny hand bell on Ms. K’s desk exactly 10 minutes after the school-wide bell had rung. The little bell signaled that it was time for the students to be in … [Read more...] about Starting the Day
Teaching
Three Things
Some of my earliest trips to Haiti were as a member of a teacher-training team. We conducted two-week programs for elementary and high school teachers, aimed to fill gaps in subject matter and methodology resulting from 200 years of isolation and poverty. One year, a lot of things went wrong. The workshops were free to the teachers but before we arrived, a local organizer … [Read more...] about Three Things
Reading About Teaching
During the time I was visiting Room 103, these two books offered valuable insights that helped me interpret what I was observing: Life in the Classroom and Playground by Bronwyn Davies The Enlightened Eye by Elliot Eisner Bronwyn Davies carried out a research project at an elementary school by setting up a space in the library where children could spend their spare … [Read more...] about Reading About Teaching
Teaching Spanish in Haiti
One of the more absurd things I’ve done in Haiti is teach Spanish. Not that it’s absurd for Haitians to learn Spanish. They share an island with the Spanish-speakers of the Dominican Republic. Due to Haiti's extreme poverty, young people consider slipping into the underground work force in the DR, living there as second class citizens, and facing situations where even the … [Read more...] about Teaching Spanish in Haiti