So many activities

Charter Day Games, the Rusty Anchor, the Carbuncle Challenge: For most of you, these activities don't sound all that familiar. I would have said the same about 6 weeks ago.

This past Friday, Pohnpei Catholic School had its annual Charter Day Games. "Charter" refers to when the school got its Charter and became the school that it is today. Essentially, it is a field day for teachers, students and parents. Each team has a coach, usually a home room teacher. I drew the green team (which worked out very well considering I had a green bandana, green soccer socks and plenty of green shirts). I knew that even if our team wasn't stacked with the best athletes, I wanted to be competitive with our team spirit.

This was accomplished with a very simple substance. Green finger paint. We made Mel Gibson proud with our war paint and determination. I went with the classic "Macho Man Randy Savage" paint job which sparked a very intelligent discussion (between myself, Samantha and Luke) on the state of the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s. Essentially, it was phenomenal and left us all missing Generation X, Val Venus and the McMahon family.

ANYWAY, back to the Charter Day Games. The kids loved the face paint. Ms. Josephine (my housemate) was the coach for the yellow team. Historically, the yellow team is the worst one to be one. I forget the Pohnpean phrase, but the team is known as "the short bus." It holds the same meaning as it does it in the States...so that was Jo's team. She tried to make it better by saying they were the "Transformers" team. I don't think she convinced anyone.

The events covered games like a treasure hunt, musical chairs, 50m/100m races, three-legged race, etc. I have to admit, the green team was not looking good. By lunch, we were dead last. I started getting looks from my team that read, "Face paint is great and all...but are we ever going to win an event?" Yes, the most important one in fact.


As Luke would say, we "beasted it" in the tug-of-war. Out of 8 games, we were only defeated once - by the stacked blue team I believe. I still have the rope burn to prove how much I wanted our team to take the event. Our record was good enough to take down first place in the event. However, we only got bumped up to fourth place. No podium spot for us. I've never liked this phrase, but "there's always next year." It was a great success overall.

I think the games were so enjoyable because of Micronesian's cultural emphasis on enjoyment over competition. Everyone was a winner that day - and the kids really only care if they are having a great time. Even the short bus team had a good day after we handed it to them in the tug-of-war (man, I'm too competitive).

The Rusty Anchor - the one spot on the island that makes me forget I am 7500 miles from home. Why, you may ask. Anytime I am surrounded by white people and Tom Petty cover songs, I assume I am in one of the may dive bars int the Midwest. The band, "Wetter than Seattle" had quite a dynamic sound. I have never heard "American Girl" (Petty) followed by a Killers song. Needless to say, it was phenomenal. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to see Megan Hendricks with a microphone in hand. Maybe at Re-O/Dis-O?

It was a very entertaining night. I have to say though, I really don't miss the loud, obnoxious bar scene at all. I felt out of place in a setting that I loved just 2 months ago. How quickly things can change.

The last activity - titled "the Carbuncle Challenge" has been an ongoing activity ever since I arrived in Pohnpei. I realize that by sharing my stories of boils in a public setting, I am forfeiting any dates that may have been coming my way in the future. Oh well - my boil count is approximately at 4. I will only expand on the ones that are interesting.

As more and more JVs volunteer in exotic climates, it seems like boils get more and more nicknames. For example, I have already had a "Watson" and hopefully will never get a "Hendricks." I feel like I have a new term to introduce to the boil world. The "Prouhet." A multi-headed boil located on the head. For me specifically, my left temple. My most recent one was on my knee and kept me up hours and hours while trying to sleep. I had plenty of time to listen to our cats chasing the rats in our ceiling. I just picture a classic Tom and Jerry episode happening directly over my head.

So yeah, so many activities happening lately. I can see why Luke and Jo say that time really flies when school is in session. I would love to keep going, but progress reports are due tomorrow and I need to get on it. Kaselel till next post!

A Teacher's Tale

So I am borrowing the title of this week's post from the latest edition of the Micronesian Counselor. It is a short, monthly publication produced by Micronesian Seminar. Here is a little "about me" paragraph from their website:

"Micronesian Seminar, known popularly as MicSem, is a private non-profit, non-governmental organization that has been engaged in public education for thirty years. Our purpose is to assist the people of Micronesia in reflecting on life in their islands under the impact of change in recent years."

So this week, it a short story about the experiences of a young teacher, fresh out of college, heading to a remote island to teach Micronesian children. (Sound familiar?) The article, written by Fr. Francis Hezel, SJ, explores many different elements of an American volunteer's experiences with the new island culture and his new role as teacher.

So here are some of mine...

My experience with elementary teaching can be described as "limited." During my spring breaks from 2007-2009, I have spent time teaching children in New Mexico and New York City. These alternative spring breaks opened my eyes to a world I had never seen. I was able to realize how many sociological and structural injustices are affecting the education of youth worldwide. I witnessed first-hand a system that was failing many of its students.

I feel like, in many ways, those experiences on the West and East coasts landed me here in Pohnpei...teaching my 20 students each day. The ultimate goal being...improve the quality of life for each unique student.

This improvement can come in a variety of ways...improved comprehension skills, more responsibility for one's work, increase in self-esteem, ways that I can't even predict.

My biggest fear - I fall into the teacher trap of waking up each morning, walking to school and merely lecturing at my students. I have heard stories of teacher's easily losing that fire, that motivation that drive that they started the school year with.

I am a month in...and it is hard to describe exactly how I feel. One thing I know for sure, it's not as easy as it looks. I have always thought it would be pretty simple to teach a lesson, give a quiz and grade it. I am quickly finding out how wrong I was. It consumes so much energy - so much effort. And my main source of energy is my students. I am always relieved to see eager hands raising into the air to answer the question (usually they forget the hand part). I have been ever impressed by their motivation to improve their own lives so that they might be able to help their family.

But, as any teacher out there knows. There are tough days, tough students, tough lessons. While I am passing out quizzes and exams, I am constantly testing myself. Does this lesson involve the students? How can I incorporate their culture into lessons to give it some context? How is being American negatively/positively affecting my ability to relate to my kids? Is my method for discipline working well? Why exactly am I here in Micronesia?

The answers to those questions are changing with every new experience and interaction with my community and my classroom.

I realize that I my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. I also know that I need to recognize those in order to address the strengths and weaknesses of my students. That is what I will "learn" over the next two years.

Each day, I delve into Pre-Algebra, World History, Language, Literature, Spelling, Religion and Activity periods. It makes for a full day. Soon enough, I will be starting the PCS Yearbook with the help of my eighth graders. We just recently finished our first all-school Mass. The 8th grade class was in charge of that one: kind of stressful to take on as the newbie teacher, but it went very well.

We drove home Sister Elerina's theme of "Jesus is the Light of the World." One of the 6th graders even came up and explained, "Mr. Philip. You have really good 8th graders. Really good." I am glad they are positive role models for the school. But, I am hoping for more than "good" this semester. There are plenty of adjectives out there to top it, and I just hope I can move my entire class in that direction. Including myself.

Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each. ~Plato