People came to my birthday party
chicken fajitas, chocolate pound cake and chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies
the classics
Week flew buy with a million little things to do for my training
first training was today
everything successful for the most part, only 12 teachers, but good, positive.
I have a lot to tell but my head hurts and I need to get some water.
So I'll explain everything later
Everything with the living situation is great
no running water has really just made me more environmentally friendly
the house is warm and the outhouse is cold
there's a gap between the door and the roof and the snow actually blows in
but it's warming up
today is already rain mixed with snow
and I was thinking how warm freezing really is
off to go trudge through the slush
come on springtime
Friday, February 27, 2009
Feb. 18th
All moved in. Amazing how much stuff I've accumulated in 6 months, mainly books that I haven't had time to read yet. Highlights so far.
Grandma Maria stating outright that drinking cold water will give me a sore throat.
Amazing home cooked food that appears magically in large quantities at all hours of the day.
Morning poops where the wind actually comes up through the hole in the seat. The wind is generally 18F.
A really cool 8th grade host sister who really doesn't live with her grandma, but has made an effort to visit every evening. She knows I can speak Ukrainian, but still uses English to practice and improve her language skills. She plays piano on the wonderfully out of tune stand up in the living room. She is amazingly polite and thoughtful for an 8th grader.
First few bucket baths. I literally stand or squat in a washing basin and try to get wet while keeping my room dry. I stay as close to the heater as possible.
This week is pretty hectic as I try to unpack, really get into teaching 3rd and 4th grades, and start buying stuff for the official HIV prevention training next week. I'm also trying to throw myself a little birthday party, but I keep forgetting to invite people. Could be really small. Just me.
So now I'm sitting in my office feeling at 17:36 wishing I had put off planning to go to Ukrainian tutoring, but realizing it's too late to go now anyway. I also just forgot I was in Ukraine, because sitting in my office typing on a computer with that tired feeling that comes at the end of a work day feels no different no matter what country you're in (of course I'm sitting near my heater and wearing a sweater and wool hat). I might have less to post about if I were in the US. So, now to plan a 9th grade lesson on flags, 8th grade on passive voice and great Britain, 6th grade on holiday plans and 7th grade…darn I lost the planning for that class, I'll have to find the teacher in the morning plan the lesson during my free period. The way my schedule is now, I teach 4 lessons Monday through Thursday, and have reserved Friday to work on my PEPFAR project (which will include traveling to other schools with my peer educator group).
Now, why are flags interesting?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Ministry for Magic
On Friday the link between PC and the education department invited me to speak at a workshop type event where the minister of education would be present. Only catch was I had to prepare a 7 minute presentation in Ukrainian. Of course I didn't practice as much as I should, and was still editing my note cards as I sat in the audience, but overall it came off nicely, understandable if not grammatically correct. But grammar has never been my strong point. Over all a huge honor to speak to the Minister of Education of Ukraine while representing the Peace Corps. First presentation in a foriegn language to an audience of 250 people. I recorded it on my phone but am not quite ready to listen to all my mistakes yet. Fun day. Yet again, full of adventures.
Now over to the train station to spend another night on the train back to Lviv, only to return again on Friday night, because I have to be in Kyiv on Saturday to chair the Environmental Working Group meeting. Busy times. Good because it distracts me from the last futile efforts of winter to make my life dark and grey.
Now over to the train station to spend another night on the train back to Lviv, only to return again on Friday night, because I have to be in Kyiv on Saturday to chair the Environmental Working Group meeting. Busy times. Good because it distracts me from the last futile efforts of winter to make my life dark and grey.
New Base
So what happened?
Landlord sold the apartment.
School director pissed because she fixed up the apartment for me to live there.
Some empty apartments, but in the process of being sold, or owners nowhere to be found.
Grandmother of my best 8A student offered to rent me a room in her house. She lives alone even though she is not very old. She has two sons, both of whom live in town but are married (hence the grand-daughter). Or maybe only one is married and the other works at the military base. I only talked to her for a couple minutes while checking out what will be my new room. It has a gas heater and two beds. The house has no plumbing. The outhouse has a bucket under the hole. Where do they take the poop? Fertilizer I'm guessing. I wonder if that's something i'll get to help out with. I didn't even really take enough time to explore what animals she has. One dog I'm sure, but maybe others. I move in on Monday, February 16th. It's bound to be an adventure, as host families always are.
Landlord sold the apartment.
School director pissed because she fixed up the apartment for me to live there.
Some empty apartments, but in the process of being sold, or owners nowhere to be found.
Grandmother of my best 8A student offered to rent me a room in her house. She lives alone even though she is not very old. She has two sons, both of whom live in town but are married (hence the grand-daughter). Or maybe only one is married and the other works at the military base. I only talked to her for a couple minutes while checking out what will be my new room. It has a gas heater and two beds. The house has no plumbing. The outhouse has a bucket under the hole. Where do they take the poop? Fertilizer I'm guessing. I wonder if that's something i'll get to help out with. I didn't even really take enough time to explore what animals she has. One dog I'm sure, but maybe others. I move in on Monday, February 16th. It's bound to be an adventure, as host families always are.
More or less what I said in Ukrainian at a meeting in the Ministry of Education today
Mr. Minister. Respected Colleagues
Ukraine has bright, energetic, curious and beautiful children. Your children are willing to learn, eager to trust, full of potential.
Only this semester I have begun to teach 3rd and 4th forms. Since I believe the greatest improvement comes from a critical examination, most of the following comments will from areas that I believe need improvement based on my work in the 5th form in the school liceum of Velyki Mosty, Lvivska Oblast.
.
The top classes are really good, not only in English, but in all subjects. The struggling classes are far behind. Some 5th formers can hold basic conversations in English. Other struggle to read. Primary school is certainly not the beginning of this separation, but it definitely widens the gap. The main question is why there is such a large gap between the best and worst classes. This question can lead us to improvement for all children who study English. I see three areas to improve.
The first sphere is the general atmosphere and relations between the teacher and the students. Where there is a positive, organized, cooperative and professional relationship, the students do better. Based on conversations with volunteers all over the country, the relationship between students and teachers often mirrors relations between teachers and the administration. Where there is positive cooperation in both the classroom and principles office, students will find success.
The second sphere is the link between psychology and education. I see de-motivated kids every day when their grades are based on ability rather than effort. Those students who are behind are not encouraged to catch up. These children are often simply on a lower level of psychological development, and have no less intelligence than their successful friends. Also the best students are not motivated to give more effort, because they already have good marks.
The third sphere concerns "Multiple Intelligences". Each child has an equal ability to learn language. Learning language is hard wired into children’s brains. However, each child learns differently, which makes a teacher’s job challenging. Howard Gardner, in “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, names 8 different kinds of intelligence. This leads us to the conclusion that there are at least 8 different learning styles, if not more. Many children combine various intelligences, but nobody is strong in all of them. Therefore, learning English requires activities for 5 senses and 8 different learning styles.
Some students use Karpiuk text books. Others buy their own foreign texts. Karpiuk has a great amount of material, but sometimes seems to loose sight of the fact that English is a skill, not specific information. Some exercises in Karpiuk are difficult even for me to complete because the content is not clear. Focused on information rather than the performable skill of English.
In conclusion, the greatest problem I see is also our greatest opportunity.
To improve the atmosphere in the classroom by setting clear expectations, maintaining fairness and always being professionally prepared.
To increase motivation by challenging all students and providing equal opportunities for success.
To remember all the different paths toward skills and knowledge, and that each class must reach out to as many learning styles as there are in the classroom.
If the future depends on your youth, then the future will be bright.
Ukraine has bright, energetic, curious and beautiful children. Your children are willing to learn, eager to trust, full of potential.
Only this semester I have begun to teach 3rd and 4th forms. Since I believe the greatest improvement comes from a critical examination, most of the following comments will from areas that I believe need improvement based on my work in the 5th form in the school liceum of Velyki Mosty, Lvivska Oblast.
.
The top classes are really good, not only in English, but in all subjects. The struggling classes are far behind. Some 5th formers can hold basic conversations in English. Other struggle to read. Primary school is certainly not the beginning of this separation, but it definitely widens the gap. The main question is why there is such a large gap between the best and worst classes. This question can lead us to improvement for all children who study English. I see three areas to improve.
The first sphere is the general atmosphere and relations between the teacher and the students. Where there is a positive, organized, cooperative and professional relationship, the students do better. Based on conversations with volunteers all over the country, the relationship between students and teachers often mirrors relations between teachers and the administration. Where there is positive cooperation in both the classroom and principles office, students will find success.
The second sphere is the link between psychology and education. I see de-motivated kids every day when their grades are based on ability rather than effort. Those students who are behind are not encouraged to catch up. These children are often simply on a lower level of psychological development, and have no less intelligence than their successful friends. Also the best students are not motivated to give more effort, because they already have good marks.
The third sphere concerns "Multiple Intelligences". Each child has an equal ability to learn language. Learning language is hard wired into children’s brains. However, each child learns differently, which makes a teacher’s job challenging. Howard Gardner, in “Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, names 8 different kinds of intelligence. This leads us to the conclusion that there are at least 8 different learning styles, if not more. Many children combine various intelligences, but nobody is strong in all of them. Therefore, learning English requires activities for 5 senses and 8 different learning styles.
Some students use Karpiuk text books. Others buy their own foreign texts. Karpiuk has a great amount of material, but sometimes seems to loose sight of the fact that English is a skill, not specific information. Some exercises in Karpiuk are difficult even for me to complete because the content is not clear. Focused on information rather than the performable skill of English.
In conclusion, the greatest problem I see is also our greatest opportunity.
To improve the atmosphere in the classroom by setting clear expectations, maintaining fairness and always being professionally prepared.
To increase motivation by challenging all students and providing equal opportunities for success.
To remember all the different paths toward skills and knowledge, and that each class must reach out to as many learning styles as there are in the classroom.
If the future depends on your youth, then the future will be bright.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Last days of January
First two weeks of school done, only taught a few classes. Trying to replace my tenth graders with more fifth and sixth graders, but so far my schedule hasn't changed.
This past week, the third week of school I missed to attend winter language refresher in resort for the improvement of health), the woods. It was a bit like being back in college. I really miss sustained academic thought. Language refresher was 3 packed days of Ukrainian study and practice with 40ish other volunteers and 9 instructors. We had great small classes, useful topics, excellent grammar, even extracurricular dance, arts, and culture clubs before dinner. Ukrainian language movies, catch phrase and chess followed dinner. Slightly nerdy, volunteers' normal use of alcohol was curtailed by a ban, which led to a very tame (perhaps in part due to the cold grey mist and 8am breakfast). Now light enough to run at 7:40am, I enjoyed the new network of forest trails, giant fields and even some
Teacher Collaborative meeting tomorrow in Volodomir Valinsk. Many volunteers are actually experienced qualified teachers who have lots of great stuff to share. Since we are introducing many foreign education concepts, it's nice to have a support network within which to share success and failures. We also share resources and project ideas.
Sunday back to Mosty to check out the one option I have for a new home. It's on the second floor of a house with a mother and daughter living on the first floor. Not exactly sure how separate it would be, perhaps it will be like moving back in with a host family. Hopefully I'll find out Sunday.
As far as I know everything worked out for my grant, but I'm still waiting for the money to appear in my account. I'm getting worried because the training of trainers is planned for February 27th, and I need money for the coffee breaks and brochures.
Getting ready for the meeting of the environmental working group, of which I am the head. Got the agenda all done, now just have to conduct a productive and successful meeting. First for everything I guess.
I made it through January on only my emergency reserve of money, because I spent my entire January allowance on the train from Heidelberg to Luzern while I was hanging with my brothers. But the February allowance is in my account, and I can get back on my chocolate kick.
One more month of solid winter, then the flowers will poke through the snow and rain will start competing with the snow to make mud even more effectively than the cat in the hat can make pink snow.
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