I want to linger on this idea of working with passionate people:
Work is an integral part of our life.
Work is how we spend our time, an opportunity to pursue passions,
and a chance to changing the lives of others.
WORK IS HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME:
Hours spent.
Days spent.
Years spent.
Time with some people, time away from others.
Time commuting to and from work.
Alarm clocks and deadlines.
Culmination of your life is based on the work that we do in our career.
WORK IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE PASSION.
At a dinner party, when someone asks, "so, what do you do?" is your response "I work in PR." Or is your response something more to the effect of "I'm currently writing a book about digital lesson planning. Want to hear about it?"
WORK IS A CHANCE TO CHANGE LIVES.
When you team up with the right people, magic CAN happen. Whether its a partner at your school site, a grade level team, someone across the district you work with, or a new buddy on Twitter -- find that someone who is going to help you change lives. Find the person who will push you to take risks, try new things, talk through concerns about students, and encourage you to be the change.
Jen Perazzo-Maina and Charles Maina are a great example of this lesson, too. For years now, they have been quietly doing their thing. Passionate about Charles's native roots, and staying connected to Kenya from across the world, they started their own Safari company. Their company, Overlander Safaris, leads families around different countries in Africa. More recently, Jen and Charles merged their two passions together to form Elimu Safari -- an Educational Journey where teachers work in schools and experience a traditional African safari. They have been doing what they love, and loving what they do!
From my own personal experience with Elimu Safari, I have been reminded of how important it is to DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO! And doing it with people you love to work with makes the work even more meaningful and wonderful!
Here in Pleasanton, our schools offer about 45 minutes of music class each week. And kids learn to play instruments, practice songs, and even have performances. But in Kenya, music class is every day. Students seem to have music in their hearts each and every day, ready to share a song at a moment's notice. When visiting another country, and stepping foot into the classrooms at Oloongila Primary School, I immediately learned the power of song.
Very quickly it became clear in the Kenyan schools: Song serves as a bridge between two languages, two cultures.
Song as a Welcome
Only ten minutes after my arrival at Olongila Primary School, the girls from Class 7 and Class 8 assembled. They lined up nervously to share their voices with me, to welcome me as a guest at their school. The dust kicked around as their bodies moved side-to-side, up and down. The backdrop for this welcome ceremony was a few sparse trees and a field of wheat. My initial thoughts were racing: Look at their uniforms, torn and tattered. Look at their hair, so different than mine. Look at their shoes, so work out. But, oh! Look at their smiles, so bright and inviting.
Sharing a traditional Maasai song was a universal way to say, "hello, visitor from America, welcome to our culture." After only a few minutes of hearing their voices, I knew that the children of this village had warm hearts. Their song did more than just welcome me, it gave me a little insight into who they were as young East-Africans, as students, and as a future generation of Maasai to carry on the traditional songs.
Song as Praise
Throughout our educational exchange, we had opportunities to observe teaching practices in the classroom. In what ways are classroom management and student motivation the same in both America and Kenya? And in what ways are they different? I was quickly impressed with one of the teachers, Evans Orango, for his energy and enthusiasm. He would constantly pause, invite students to join him in a quick celebration, and then continue teaching. I can hear his voice now ... "A very good?" And the young students response, "CLASS!" Thr praise was for the pupils, the class as a whole, and even for the teachers themselves. Typically when we think of call and response teaching methods, we are not using this practice for motivation! This was a welcome change, and I'm thankful that Evans taught me how powerful song can be as a means of praising learners!
Song as Communication Tool
When students are just learning English in 1st grade, what better way to communicate but through song? These young learners jumped up and immediately started to sing and dance as I walked into the room. I realize that English was their third language, and I don't speak any Swahili or Maa (their native language). But, somehow we were able to communicate just fine by meeting in the middle with song and dance. Well, I was able to dance with them, at least.
Song as Community Builder
The host school that we camped at would greet us each morning with an assembly. Hundreds of students in grades 1-8 would assemble at a flag salute. Through song they would unite as a community of students, as a community of Maasai children. Brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends, the children would use song as a way of standing united. They graced us with their voices. Coming together in such an organized manner really blew me away. I would cry each morning. What a unique and beautiful way to start the day. The students' voices would meet in harmony, giving thanks to Jesus and singing the Kenya National Anthem. "I love you Jesus, you are my savior," the young community would offer up.
If our students here would gather more often and sing together, I believe we might have an equally peaceful, united community of learners.
Being an educator is hard work. Every year, a new group of kids come through your classroom and you have to dig deep to figure out how to connect with them. If you teach elementary school, you have the important job of laying the educational foundation for little humans and making a first impression upon them about who they are as students. If you teach Middle School or High School, you make an impact on a couple hundred kids a year who come through your classroom everyday.You are their last stop before they become adults and future leaders. Each of these students that you connect with have their own unique learning styles, aspirations, and obstacles to overcome. This is a terrific responsibility.
This summer, I had an opportunity to travel to the other side of the world and to visit rural Kenya as an educator. The trip was called an Elimu Safari. Elimu is the Swahili word for “Education” and Safari is the Swahili word for “Journey.” So essentially...I took an Educational Journey to Kenya.
Today you begin an Elimu Safari in your current teaching position. You are in a position to make connections and enjoy the journey. During my own Educational Journey, I have found that a successful
Elimu Safari includes these three key elements:
Find Your Team
Take Risks
Smile!
Find your team: Over the years, I have worked with many incredible teams, but pictured here is my Kenya 2015 team. Like any strong team, there is diversity amongst the group who works together towards a common goal. Our goal was to make connections with the students and teachers in Kenya and to participate in an educational exchange program in which we had an opportunity to learn about the incredible people of Kenya. At different times during our Elimu Safari, each member of the team played different roles that supported the common goals. Our #Kenya2015 team included innovators, experience, and partnerships.
The trip was inspired by my dear friend and one of my educational mentors, Jen Perazzo. When she is not teaching science during the school year, she and her husband, Charles, run a safari company in Kenya. Charles is from Kenya and they do tours for tourists and educators. On the team, Jen played the role of the innovator. Without her vision for Elimu Safari, the connections we made would not have been possible.
As you start your new school year, find the innovators at your school site who inspire you. Students, staff, or admin can be innovators. Listen to new ideas and be open to new possibilities. You never know what doors they may be opening and what adventures their ideas might to lead to!
Kerry Mattimore, a 5th grade teacher was also on our Kenya 2015 team. She is an experienced traveler. There were many times through our journey when we would lean on Kerry and her traveling experience to help us understand the unknown.
As you work with your colleagues, students, and parents, remember that there are many people who you can lean on for guidance and experience. They can mentor you and keep you on your path of excellence in education.
Sarah Landis and I have partnered together of several educational projects. Not only is she one of my best friends, but she is also an incredible team player that works to bring out the best in everyone on the team. Last summer, she watched me present at a teaching conference as I shared my passion for global citizenship education and my life long dream to teach in Kenya. A few weeks later, she set a meeting up with Jen and Charles to discuss the program. A few months after that we were fundraising, and writing grants for scholarships. Eventually we were having the most incredible time of our life teaching these kids in Kenya.
As a teacher, everyone needs a partner. It’s way too hard and not nearly as much fun to do this job alone. A good partner is someone you can trust. A good partner is someone who listens to you and your ideas. A good partner is someone who pushes you to take risks and try new things. And a good partner is someone who will let down their hair with you and have fun!
Before we left for Kenya, people asked all kinds of questions. Who will take of care your kids while you are away? Is it safe where you are going? Aren’t you afraid of malaria or Ebola? For some, they thought teaching in this school was risky. As a team, we took our chances. When you take risks as an educator, the rewards are pretty sweet!
We had the honor and privilege to teach these amazing kids!
We met Kenyan educators who welcomed us with hospitality.
We were surrounded by students and teachers who were grateful and eager to learn.
We met the Maasai Mommas who welcomed us to their school and during a ceremony presented us with gifts.
We toured the boma of this Maasai family who donated an acre of land for a school to be built.
We met Fred ~ A leader in education who connected us to all the schools. He is full of wisdom and he knows how to transform education globally.
We were surrounded by smiles!
The "RISKS" were so worth it!
One lasting impression that I had of Kenya and the people is the smiles and gratitude that they continuously show. In the classroom, when the teacher asks a question, many students raise their hand and call out, “teacher, teacher!” After they respond to a question, the teacher says, “clap for the student.” This happens multiple times within a lesson. At the end of the lesson, the teacher would say, “ Are you happy? Do you feel happy to learn something new?” It was evident that gratitude is acknowledged regularly. Watch this clip of one of the classrooms that I taught in. What do you notice about how the teacher is connecting with the students?
What I see is the joy of education. The students are engaged and the teacher is connecting. There is an exchange of information and ideas. The teacher is praising their students. The classroom isn’t fancy and the materials are limited. But even so, the teacher and the students are on their Elimu Safari. Their journey towards learning and growing together.
I want to leave you with this simple message. This handwritten poster was hanging up in the teachers lounge of this school. It reads:
A smile is a language of love.
A smile is a source to win a heart.
A smile is a sign of a lovely mood.
A smile creates greatness in personality.
When you are in your classroom this school year. Remember to smile. Enjoy each smile that comes your way and bring the best out of your students and colleagues with your your own smiles. You and your students can enjoy the same kind of interact and connection that you observed in the video. How will you share your smile this school year? And how will you bring out the smiles of your students?
For the little humans and young adults in your classrooms, you are their inspiration. Their Elimu Safari is through you. The investments and rewards in education are boundless when you open heart. As you start your new school year, I wish you all the best. I hope that you find your team, you take risks, and you smile.
May you feel honored to teach your future students and enjoy the Elimu Safari. In Swahili, Asante Sana means thank you! Asante Sana! Have a great year!
We visited the Giraffe Center in Karen (about 5 miles from Nairobi), a sanctuary for the Rothschild giraffe. They have successfully bred these giraffes in captivity and a released them back into the adjoining national parks. We were lucky enough to get to feed the giraffes and even experience the slightly sloppy "giraffe kiss."
One of the most amazing things about life in Kenya is that the people and the animals live very closely together. In America, we might visit a zoo to see different kinds of animals, but in Kenya, the wild animals are everywhere! Unfortunately, some people take advantage of this and the animals need to be protected from hunters. As a result of this, there are some foundations in Kenya that are dedicated to projecting the Kenyan wildlife from hunters and from becoming endangered. We had an opportunity to visit an amazing wildlife refuge called The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The purpose of this refuge is to protect the wildlife, specifically elephants and rhinos.
The tour of the refuge included standing around an arena in a field. There were a handful of men in green shirts who were the animal trainers and several elephants came out into the circle. The only thing between the audience and the elephants was a small rope. One gentleman was the announcer. He told the story of each elephant. They had all been rescued in some way and brought to the refuge for protection. The stories of the elephants were fascinating and the elephants themselves were so beautiful. The elephants were taking the red dirt from the ground and putting it on t
heir skin. THe trainers shared that the dirt helps the elephants to stay cool. Some of the elephants came over to the crow and we were even able to pet them! The closer they got, I noticed that some of them had markings on them that were from the hunters or other wild animals. It was so sad to see!
If you want to read about an elephant and adopt one for yourself or your family, you can do that through THIS WEBSITE. The cost is $50 a year.
Our visit to Kenya left a lasting impression on my heart. One thing that I will never forget is all the smiles! I was greeted with smiles in the airport when we landed, in the schools by the students and teachers, in the truck when we were driving down the road. A smile is so simple. A smile doesn't cost anything. A smile can brighten the day. A smile is universal. No matter where you live or what your situation is, a smile can brighten the day. The sign above was posted on a wall in the school that I visited. It reads,
"A smile is a language of love...A smile is a source to win a heart...A smile is a sign of a lovely mood...A smile creates greatness in personality."
Imagine having those words posted in your teachers lounge as the mission for your school. How might that change the way you teach? I had an opportunity to observe some incredible Kenyan educators.
When Kenyan educators were teaching, I noticed a couple of things. When the teacher asks a questions, students raise their hand and call out, "Teacher...teacher!" After the teacher calls on a student and the student responds, the teacher says, "Clap for _____ (students name)." The rest of the class would clap for the student. At the end of the lesson the teacher would say, "Are you happy? Do you feel grateful to learn?" It all started to make sense. There are multiple times throughout the day that students are being reminded to be grateful for their life. It is evident in all the smiles I saw in schools and all around the country. The biggest lesson that I learned in Kenya: SMILE!
