Highlights of Teaching

A few of you may have forgotten that I am actually in Georgia for the purpose of teaching, not to roam the  countryside and sleep in strangers' homes.  Teaching, as I have mentioned before, is entirely new to me.  There have been many ups and downs, due to both the cultural differences and my unfamiliarity with the task at hand.  However, the highlights have been magnificent.  I would have never, ever thought that teaching my 5th grade the hokey pokey would put me in such a good mood.  Alas, life is full of surprises.  Here are some highlights from teaching:

• Teaching a lesson to the 8th, 9th and 10th grades about Lady Gaga.  My students had to read an article and tell me their opinions.  I later gave them articles about Banksy, Shepard Fairy and Johnny Depp.  Hearing their opinions and helping them articulate themselves in English was a great feeling. 
• Teaching my 3rd grade "I Can Sing a Rainbow."  Turns out I am tone deaf and shouldn't be teaching young, impressionable children how to sing.  Nonetheless, it was great fun.
• Teaching the hokey pokey to my 5th grade.  They needed to learn right and left and this was my solution.  They really got into the dancing aspect and suddenly I heard a loud thump. Luca had fallen down somehow, but he got right back up and continued dancing.
• I wanted to teach the 5th grade the different parts of the body, but didn't have access to a printer to make a diagram of the human body.  My solution?  I created labels for each body part and asked a student to volunteer to come up to the front of the class.  The other students then had to attach the right label to the right part, i.e. head, arm, hand.  I followed this up with a rousing round of "head, shoulders, knees and toes."
• Asking the 11th grade conditional questions such as: "If I you won the lottery, what would you do?"; "If you could be an animal, what would you be?"; and "If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you bring?"  Alas, these kids are much too nice and practical. Answers included: I would give money to the poor and I would bring wood, matches, clothing, a compass and water to the island.  My answer?  I would bring my ipod to the island.  
• Playing Guess Who? with the 9th grade and having them practice describing people. 
• Throwing my "magic" ball at students.  Wait, it is not as bad as it sounds.  If they catch the ball they have to answer the question.  It keeps them awake and paying attention at the very least.  My 5th grade can handle this with the utmost maturity, however, those pesky resource development officers (i.e. the adult students) had to have the ball taken away after someone threw it at another student's head. 
• Encouraging the students who have been labeled "lazy" and getting them to speak.  Some have become more and more vocal over the past few months, which pleases me to no end.

My low point: trying to unteach Georgians the phrase "shut up."  It sounds awful when they say this, and somehow everyone knows this phrase.  At least they sometimes say "shut up please."

Meeting the Minister

Today several teachers from the TLG program traveled to Tbilisi for a meeting with Dimitri Shashkini, the Minister of Education.  For many this seemed like the usual public relations effort to put a good face on a program that many people have lingering doubts about, both in Georgia and elsewhere.  However, I think many of us were pleasantly surprised to meet a young, dynamic, enthusiastic man who spoke very frankly about the TLG program. He was one of the most realistic, yet ambitious and optimistic, leaders I had ever seen speak.

An interesting note about the Minister.  Before coming to the Ministry of Education and Science he was Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance. Meaning he was in charge of law enforcement and prisons.  He jokingly referred to the overlaps in the ideas applied to the prisons and the schools, but clearly there is some overlap and he is playing to his strengths to make things better.  And it is working.  (This is amusing to me because I have applied some of my ideas from working in harm reduction to my students as well.)  It also turns out that he and I worked for the same organization (the International Republican Institute) during the same time period.  He was obviously in the Georgia office at a high level and I was in the DC office at a low (read: intern) level and our paths likely never crossed.  Nonetheless, small world.

The Minister was very matter of fact about the program and the struggles associated with the Georgian education system.  Like many of the TLG staff, he referred to a time, not long ago, when the system was more or less collapsed.  When I ask Georgians my age or older what their classrooms were like, the only answer I get is: it was so bad then, the system was broken, there was no education.  Likewise, teachers always tell me how dramatically better the schools and education system are now, that so much has improved since the 90s.  The Minister said outright that the Soviet ideology damaged the minds and souls of Georgians.  Because of this legacy many people still adhere to the "old way" of doing things.  Some principals still do not take on the leadership role they need to, some teachers still give up on the students who say they do not want to learn, and some students still see no importance in learning.  Of course this does not apply to everyone, but it makes for complications when trying to impose a rapid and dramatic reform to an education system that was left out to sea for many years.  So yes, there are challenges with the TLG program, and the education system as a whole, but it is nothing that cannot be fixed with hard work and patience. 

Most concerns that TLG  teachers had -- students, textbooks, the resource officers -- the Minister has a plan for.  Beginning in the fall grades 1-6 will have new textbooks, better textbooks.  The following year, grades 7-12 will get their new and better textbooks.  Textbooks will no longer have to purchased by the students' parents, but rather the school will provide them.  Meaning ALL students will have textbooks.  This is major progress in and of itself, seeing as many of us have lamented the terrible textbooks that our students are stuck with.  In the program coordinator's words: "Yes, the textbooks suck."  But as of September 15th, it will get better.  In addition, next year students will receive netbooks enabled with software that will help them study English in a more interactive fashion.  Teachers are already having to take exams and having to become better qualified to teach their subjects.  In turn, they will receive better pay.  This is all amazing news and certainly a well-thought out plan.

TLG is only a small component of a much larger plan for Georgia's educational system.  TLG only began last August, so like all new programs, there are growing pains.  Certain aspects have been difficult for the volunteers, and surely the schools and teachers have had some challenges as well.  When it comes down to it, people's expectations of the program and the volunteers' role here in Georgia has varied.  This applies both to the schools and the volunteers themselves.  The program recruits people from all age groups and professional backgrounds, many have never taught English before (myself included).  This means that there have been a mixture of results in the classroom.  For some, previous teaching experience overseas or in their own country helps a great deal, sometimes it hinders.  Some are very devoted to making the most of their volunteer experience and impacting the community in a positive way, others less so.  Some are resilient and take the challenges in stride, others give up.

My primary concern about the program was the fact that I had absolutely no teaching experience.  Sure I have studied foreign languages since I was 13 and have plenty of ideas about how to effectively study a new language.  And sure, I have worked for the last 10 years with people from the former Soviet Union and am familiar with the social and political conditions.  But teaching? To kids? No.  I was told this was not a problem when I applied.  And the Minister reiterated this.  Actually, he said that he did not care if we don't have teaching experience.  It's not the point of the program.  We're here to speak to the children and have them learn from interaction with us.  This was very helpful for me to hear at this point in time.  I am slightly more than halfway finished with my contract and have been feeling a bit defeated as of late.  I have been fearing that I am not effective in the classroom and have not yet figured out the art of co-teaching.  And with so little time left, how will I ever turn it around and make their investment in me worthwhile for everyone involved?  However, after listening to the Minister, I feel re-energized and ready to take another leap into the deep end.  No it's not perfect.  Nothing is.  But there is a devoted staff and energetic volunteers willing to make it a bit more perfect.  And really that is all we can ever hope for.

One month

I have officially been in Georgia for one month and I must say things are going just fine.  I haven't transformed into a superstar teacher or learned enough Georgia to hold a conversation beyond ordering food and beer and buying snacks at the corner store.  Nonetheless, I feel very good about how things are going.

A few weeks ago I went to Tbilisi for the weekend to see my friend Mallory.  The first day we met up with a bunch of fellow teachers and walked up to turtle lake.  I don't think either of us were expecting a "walk" to turn into a "hike."  Needless to say I was only kind of properly dressed for the occasion.  As we made our way around the hills overlooking Tbilisi we took in some gorgeous views and has a small picnic.  Every Georgian that walked by greeted our group with Garmojoba!

Later, as Mallory and I walked around the city with our backpacks and pleasant demeanor Georgians kept approaching us and saying "Mast! Mast!"  (short for teacher in Georgian).   They assumed (correctly) that were are Americans and (also correctly) that we are here as part of the government's English language initiative.  In bits of English, Georgian and Russian we had a few conversations about how happy they were to see us here in Georgia.  And of course they called us "kargi gogos" -- Georgian for good girls.  The following day while at the large church in Tbilisi, some young choir boys kept racing ahead of us to take our picture.  An Iranian man squealed with delight when heard us speaking English and also wanted a picture.   

I have never felt so popular.

As I walk through Gori my students and fellow teachers all greet me with "Hello!" or "Hello teacher!"  Even the students who I cannot coax into speaking in class suddenly can converse with me while standing on a street corner waiting for the light to change.  I highly doubt I will ever again live in a place where everyone greets me on the street, therefore I am embracing it.

Between teaching my 5th grade the hokey pokey,discussing Lady Gaga with my 8th, 9th, and 10th grade, and dancing with my mandators I have been having wonderful time.  Yes, there are tough days when I feel like nobody can understand me when I speak or I cannot think of a game that will inspire my 11th grade to participate more enthusiastically.  But even on the tough days I still get to sit down with my new family, talk about how our days went and laugh together. 

My Life as Teacher (of Adults)

In addition to teaching at the #7 school I have been teaching mandators three nights a week.  What is a mandator you ask?  The TLG staff refers to them as "resource development officers," which basically means school security guards.  The Ministry of Education has recruited TLG volunteers to teach the mandators English.  Our goal is to prepare them to "master the A1 English level" test.  What this boils down to is three nights a week I teach very basic English to a group of rowdy school security guards.  The major difference is that during the day I am a "co-teacher," but at night I am responsible for leading the lessons.  The Ministry has already prepared the lesson plans, which mitigates some of the workload, and I have a teaching assistant, Nino, who provides translation.

There are roughly 34 mandators who cover all of the schools in Gori.  I teach half, and another teacher, Annette, teaches half.  Some of them have already studied English, so they are getting easily bored in class.  Others are brand new to English and at times clearly feel a bit overwhelmed.  Overall, teaching adults has not been nearly as frightening as I thought it would be.  The biggest challenge has been the noise level and unwillingness of a few to take the class seriously.  I have seen a handful of students who initially seemed very nervous about their ability to learn English work really hard and make some serious progress in just a few weeks.  One of my students even said "be quiet!" to the noisy students.  It was a proud moment.

They had their first test tonight, and the results are not promising so far.  However, once I have a clear head and more time to look through the tests, I optimistic that I will see a pattern in those who are trying their best and those who are not.  If nothing else, it will point to what skills we need to focus on.  I have a feeling that it's spelling...

Two weeks ago the mandators decided to "have a dinner" for Annette and I.  I should have known that "dinner" actually meant supra.  The supra immediately followed our Friday night class, which despite ending a half an hour early, still seemed much too long for those who were eager to start the party.  Over the course of the night there were many toasts celebrating the mandators, us teachers...and of course friendship, God and country.  Much to my surprise and delight, my students turned out to be quite the dancers.  There is no way to adequately put into words how much Georgians, specifically men, love to dance.  They know every song that comes on, whether it's a traditional Georgian dance, the national anthem or Enrique Iglesias.  Unlike in the states, the men will come to your chair, offer their hand, and request a dance.  At the end of the dance, which often includes being spun around, you are returned to your chair with a kind thank you.  The supra took place in a large banquet hall which was decorated much like a wedding reception, featured a live band and ambient lighting.  I joked to my fellow teacher that it reminded me of a junior high dance (not that I went to any of those). 

At around midnight, I was desperate to go home.  I was exhausted from a long day of school and had to get up early to head to Tbilisi the next morning.  I didn't want to offend my students who clearly had worked very hard to put together a wonderful celebration.  So I asked Nino if I could sneak out.  She responded, "what is sneak out?"  I said it is where you leave without anyone noticing.  So we attempted to do so.  However, just as I was about to step out the door, I heard "Manuela, where are you going!?"  I turned around to see my star student standing there with about 3 other mandators.  I explained and apologized that I needed to get home to my family so they would not worry.

It felt a bit strange to be dancing (and drinking) with my students.  The lines between friend, colleague, student and teacher are very blurred here, so that will be somewhat of an adjustment.  Nonetheless, friends, colleagues, students and teachers all know how to have a good time.

My Life as Teacher

I have just finished my first full week of teaching.  I arrived in Gori last Monday, but since Tuesday was a holiday (International Women's Day) I did not go to school until Wednesday.

It must be said that while the idea of picking up and moving to another country, with no information on where or with whom I would be living, was a bit nerve-racking.  However, the aspect of this adventure that made me the most nervous was the prospect of teaching very young children.  Those who know me are well aware about my limited interactions with children and the great discomfort they tend to cause me.  So imagine my surprise when I discovered that I absolutely adore my 3rd and 5th graders.  I was so nervous when my first co-teacher asked me to attend her 5th grade class.  No - actually, I was terrified.  What on earth would I say to them?  Low and behold they are some of the smartest, most enthusiastic students I have ever encountered.  It is clear that some have additional private English lessons, because their ability to speak with no prompts is amazing.  Others may not be as well equipped, but they are all willing to try.  Same goes for my 3rd graders.  The mere act of asking them a question or giving them some additional attention seems to energize even the children who tend not to participate in class.

In the 3rd grade they are learning animals, so I decided to draw pictures of the jungle, forest, ocean, desert and a farm and give the students each a card with a picture of an animal and its name in English.  I then asked them to tell me where their animal lives.  They had not yet learned the word "ocean," but upon looking at pictures of fish and whales and sharks, they quickly expanded their vocabulary (with great volume I should say).  When I arrived at my next lesson with them there were two chocolates waiting for me on my desk.

Similarly, my 5th graders are always excited to see me and my co-teacher.  Earlier this week my co-teacher took a piece a paper from one of the students and it said "I love Manuela very much."  For a girl that has had very few love letters in her life, this was a highlight of my week.  The 5th graders learned about jobs and professions this week.  We played games around the question of "what do you want to be when you grow up?" and "what is your job?"  As I wrote out the words on the blackboard, I heard one student shout out: "my job is learning!" 

This isn't to say that there aren't moments when the familiar panic returns or when I desperately want them to sit quietly in their chairs and stop talking.  There are plenty  of those moments.  But the unabashed enthusiasm for learning English and willingness to speak in class tends to even things out.


I am also co-teaching 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th graders.  Unfortunately, it has not been the same with the older kids as it has been with the young ones.  At 27 I have never really felt "old."  If anything I always feel too young.  However, being immersed once again in a junior high and high school environment has not only made me feel old and out of touch, it has also reawakened all of those horrible memories of being a teenager.  There is nothing in the world that would make me want to relive those years.  When I walk into classes, or even just around the hallway, there is plenty of staring, whispering and pointing.  Fortunately, I no longer find it as traumatizing as I did when I was 15.  Several of the students have started to say "hello" and "how are you" instead of just staring, so that eases the stress quite a bit. 


I have had question and answer sessions in each class.  The students can ask me anything they want, as long as it is in English.  The questions, without exception, are as follow:
How old are you?
Do you have a husband or boyfriend?
Do you like Georgia?
Do you like Georgian food?
What kind of music do you like?

In every class there is a core group of students who can speak very well, always do their homework and generally get the most attention from the teacher.  They are delightful to work with, especially when I give them a project and they are so excited about it that they do extra work.  However, remembering the general awfulness of teenagedom, I really do want to find a way to get the other students involved.  In some ways I do not blame them at all for not wanting to do their homework.  Memorizing a page of very dry text on the history of the California gold rush is not something I find appealing either.  Even the teachers have commented that the books are sometimes too boring. When I mentioned the idea of bringing more games or other topics into the classroom, my co-teachers were very supportive and enthusiastic.

So now that the students have asked me questions, I have started asking them questions.  They do not yet know that this is for the purpose of figuring out what I want to plans my lessons on (i.e. Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber).  This is especially important research when it comes to those surly silent types.  The questions, without exception, are as follow:
What kind of music do you like? (Pop music and rock music)
Who is your favorite musician? (Runs the gamut, from Bieber to the Beatles)
What movies do you like? (action, comedy, horror)
What is you favorite movie and/or actor? (they love Johnny Depp)
Do you watch TV? (No, I study too much to have time to watch TV)
Do you want to learn about American culture? (yes!)

This process has actually gotten some great responses.  I discovered that one the 10th grade boys could in fact speak very well.  He likes horror movies and his favorite movie is Interview with a Vampire.  Another girl in that class told me she likes New Moon.  So now I am planning a mini-lesson on vampires and zombies and their popularity in America.  We'll see if this gets me in with the cool kids.

Speaking of the cool kids.  The other aspect of teaching is working with the teachers. In between classes and when they have no lessons, all of the teachers gather in their lounge.  I have gotten used to them speaking loudly about me even though I am only sitting 2 feet away.  In fact it is helping me learn more Georgian words, I now know good girl, girl, English, Russian, and American.  Whenever I bust out my markers and paper or my flashcards, they all gather around and watch intently.

I am supposed to have 3 co-teachers, but instead I have 4.  I think this is because there are so many English teachers in my school (approx. 13 I think).  Generally the teachers do not have a huge amount of lessons in the week.  My co-teacher for the 5th class only teaches three 45 minute classes a week.  So really, my workload is not that much different with the additional teacher.

The first week with my co-teachers was stressful, it was clear they had a hard time understanding me and my American accent and they weren't quite sure how to work with me.  However, they were all excited to meet me and have me in their school.  The first 3 days or so I spent shadowing them and jotting down notes during their lessons.  I have taken the approach of trying to build on the ideas of their lessons, for example the 8th grade learned about landmarks in London and Washington, D.C.  So I asked them to research a new city and write me a postcard.  (One girl loved the assignment so much she wrote me two.)  For the most part, me and my co-teachers are easing into our working relationships.  In the span of just a week and half, most have become really excited about the prospects of better utilizing me in the classroom. 

As with every new experience there are complications and surprises and frustrations, but I finished my first full week of school feeling generally optimistic about how the rest of the semester will go.