I have had the honor of teaching fourth grade students in America, Belize and South Africa . I love the forth grader! They are inquisitive and sweet with just enough of a developed personality to make them interesting. Teaching is about building relationships with students and fellow educators. Relationships should be more of a focus in America. Both Belize and South Africa place an importance on community and duty to the community. I feel like American learners do not care about the communities around them. In fact, most of may learners are very egocentric and "me" focused. How do I make them more aware of the needs of the society around them? It is very evident to me that we must become a more caring nation and lift each other up with praise instead of tearing each other down with criticism.
The classrooms in the three countries are vastly different. The American classrooms are covered with packaged, brightly colored posters and learning aides. The Belize classrooms were decorated with handmade colorful decorations that the teachers themselves had made. The South African classrooms have little decorations and the poster are usually faded and well used. The disparity between the three worlds is extreme and it points out the extreme poverty that the children in South Africa have grown accustom to. I always feel sorry for the children in the classrooms that I visit outside of the U.S., but I am not really sure that the students at this age recognize that they are any different from anyone else. That makes spending time with them highly enjoyable and refreshing because they enjoy the little things much more than the learners in America. Give them a pencil and they smile with gratitude. Tell them that they did a good job and the swell with pride. I miss America greatly, but I am delighted to see students who greet me with enthusiastic love and gratitude. |
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