Reflecting...

           It's been a week since I've been back in the States and I reflect on my time there...

           My time spent in India was nothing of what I really expected.  I was expecting to show up and visit a school, teach, work on some lesson planning, really do anything that had to do with education.  But instead I spent the first week and a half learning myself...learning about education, business, food, art, culture, and spirituality.  At first this was frustrating - I just wanted to serve!  I then began to understand a concept I had already kind of known...you cannot fully serve someone, a group, or a community until you understand them and their ways.
           So, needless to say, I think I ended up taking away more than I actually gave (which seems to be a reoccurring trend with my travels).  I think about some of my past service trips, like those in Thailand and Brazil, where I went to build a home; yes, I helped someone in some way, but those deeds are not ones that will be continuing - a house is built and that is that. Yes, I also learned a lot and grew a great deal as an individual.  But there was something about this trip that was different...I continued to learn about myself, but I learned a lot about life, and different ways of living it, I also learned a great deal about education.
           The things I learned on this trip will allow me to better serve others, my community, and my world in a continuing and lasting way.  It has given me a gift that will keep on giving.  I can only hope that this experience will, in the end, make me a better teacher, and will allow me to to serve my future students, both here and abroad, in ways that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to.  

Final Project

I haven't yet found a way to upload my final project onto here...so if anyone would like to see it/read it, just message or comment your email address and I'll gladly send it to you! :) 

Last Few Days

12/19/2011

           It seems so weird that we leave in just a few days!  I've just begun to feel settled in; to find my routine, get used to the people, and my surroundings.  I've loved India, and I wish I had more time to explore different parts...but at the same time, I am so excited to go home!

           Going home might be more of a culture shock than coming here, especially at this time of year...it's going to be like hitting a wall of Christmas spirit!  Now, usually I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas - I hate the craziness of it, how it's almost become a commercialized holiday, and the fact that I think it takes away from Thanksgiving.  But this year I've been able to skip all the madness and will get home just in time to spend quality time with my family and enjoy the actual holiday itself!  I'm soooooo excited for family, friends, and food!

           Interviews are done! Project is all typed up!  And it's just in it's final stage of editing!  Yesterday afternoon was super fun, we went down to be the beach for some swimming and some r&r time!  It's been back to work today, and we have our project presentations tonight!

My new friend, Kerthiga, who wants to be a teacher too!

Merry Christmas everyone! From the Bay of Bengal! :) 

1st Round of Interviews

12/16/2011

           Today I started my first round of interviews!  I interviewed 5 women here at the office, and have worked out times with them over the next few days to go visit their homes and meet their families and interview their daughters as well.
           Each woman had a very similar and yet different story.  It's been interesting to compare their stories with statistics.  Writing is coming along well - I'm excited to see my finished project and share it all with you!  It will be up within the next few days! :)

Sick = Homesick

12/16/2011

           Two nights ago I managed to get some stomach bug...I spent the whole night and all of yesterday super sick :(  Now being sick in general is no fun, but being sick abroad without the comforts of your own bed (mine here is a rock), not having your family, or even being able to pick up the phone to hear a familiar voice really sucks!  It really made me miss home and everyone back there...
           So here's my shout out to all my loved ones - my mom and dad, Jonathan, Vanessa, and Katie, Liz, Austin, Kayla, Krista, Celine, Claire, Riley, Bre, Ben, Lindy, Shelby, and Shasta - I love and miss you all sooooo much and can't wait to see/talk to you all again!  I think about you all daily and appreciate your support so so much!
           6 more days! :)
XOXO

Project

12/13/2011

            So my project isn’t exactly what I had thought it would be coming here; needless to say, I’m very excited for it!  I’ll still get to work with education and poverty, as well as include my love for writing and passion for photography.  I’ll be doing a photojournalism article about the affects of poverty on education, focusing on women. 

            This will require/allow me to interview women in the slums about their educational experience: how far they went through school, how that has affected their lives now, and their view on education now.  Then I will get the chance to interview some of their daughters (hopefully ages 12-16), and learn where they’re at in school, how important it is to them, and what they want to be when they grow up. 

            This project will not only show some facts about public education in India, but how living in poverty is affecting a child’s chance at an education, and it will also show how things have changed over the years.  My hope is that this article will be published not just in the newspaper here in Pondicherry, but also at the University of Oregon, and hopefully some other newspapers back in Oregon.  

Integral Education

12/13/2011

           

            Integral education aims to foster the many aspects of a child’s nature, rather than just academic or mental faculties.  There are 4 bodies that must be nurtured – physical, mental, emotional, and psychic.  All 4 must be developed independently and integrated with each other to create a complete being. 

            I really like this idea and definitely think that our school system doesn’t focus nearly enough on these other parts of education.  Wanting to become a teacher myself, it was really refreshing and interesting to hear not only that some places do more than just teach from a text book, but how the incorporate it as well.

            This is not how all education is in India obviously, but just the education here at the society.  The society has enough teachers that there are only 1 or 2 students per teacher!  Because of this, they allow the students to set their schedule, deciding what time of day they learn best.  Students here also choose what subjects they want to study from a very early age; so in elementary one might decide that they only want to study math and sciences.

            Obviously some of this unrealistic for the US – having 1 teacher for every 1 or 2 students isn’t going to happen, but bringing class sizes down to around 20 can, and hopefully someday will happen again.  Because of this it isn’t possible for students to choose their own schedule, which necessarily a bad thing, and I think it’s good for students to have to learn a variety of subjects before they choose specific ones.

            What I took away from this though, already knowing some of this, that as a teacher, it will be my job and want to teach more than just what is in a text book; that it is about the student growing as an individual and a member of society.  Students are still learning character, morals, and how to act in society.  In order to be a well rounded person, all 4 physical, mental, emotional, and psychic areas of a child need to be developed. 

            It is my hope that the US will eventually find a way to incorporate all of these in their schools, and I am looking forward to being a part of that change.