Classrooms for the 21st Century
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
::Inevitably, I get asked the question, "so how was your trip?" or "so how was Africa?"
These questions have no easy answer. Most of the time I stumble and just answer, "it was wonderful." Don't get me wrong, I love being asked about my trip, but I don't think people quite understand that this simple question can be answered in one or two sentences. I could take a week to answer it. But if I had to sum it up, I would have to say: LIFE CHANGING. I know: generic and cliché, but it truly was life changing for me. Maybe not in the ways you may think or maybe not in the same way that it affected someone else, but it has given me a new perspective on my life both personally and professionally. You will learn more about my changes as the blog progresses. . . . When I first arrived in Dakar, Senegal, I didn't even know what to think. My only thought was, "holy cow, I"m in Africa !", so I was super excited to see it all. Leaving the airport was just like leaving any other international airport: lots of buildings, construction, etc. . . The only thing different was the landscape that surrounded the brand new construction. As we made our way into the city (smushed in a pick-up truck!), we saw many people out exercising, selling goods, trying to drive in traffic sans lights, etc. . . Our senses were overwhelmed with the sights and smells of this new country. We were trying to take everything in, so we would never forget this feeling. Two things that I noticed on our drive to our hotel: 1. EVERYONE was smiling. . . EVERYONE 2. There is trash everywhere. . . EVERYWHERE Both have had a lasting impression on me to this day and I often remember my time in Dakar and Diourbel to help me put my life in perspective. EVERYONE SMILES This is the truth. I avoid confrontation at all possible. I do not like upsetting or disappointing anyone, so I do my best just to lie low and just keep to myself. I am easily scared and nervous in situations in which confrontation could occur. Traffic is one of those situations. I quickly learned that even in horrible traffic with lots of horn honking, everyone is smiling and genuinely just nice to everyone else. There is no hurtful name calling or people getting out of cars yelling. . . .instead you may get made fun of for your driving and everyone leaves with a smile. Let me give you an example: My partner teacher and I visited the largest Mosque in Africa in a nearby town of Touba with our host teacher and another teacher at our school. As we were leaving, our host teacher decides to take a street known for its markets in the evening. This was not a thru street according to me, as the street was just a narrow walkway between carts of goods. My anxiety was through the roof ! How in the world were we going to make it down this street IN A CAR! This would NOT happen in the United States. First, the road would have been closed for the markets, so cars would not even attempt to drive through. Second, a driver would never make it without being harassed and the car may have been damaged, as well. NOT THE CASE in this situation. What happened shocked me: men were moving carts and goods, so we could safely make it to the other end of the street. WHAT? No one was yelling; everyone was helping. Even when a large truck was trying to pass us going the other way, men were helping so both of us could safely pass through. When we finally made it safely through the markets, I had to confess to my host teacher and his colleague about how scared I was being in that situation, especially being a woman. They were both surprised and didn't quite understand my fears. But after my partner and I explained the differences in the two cultures, they both reassured me that I would have nothing to fear. Everyone was there to help us and they were right. . . .no one was angry, just smiling and maybe making fun of my host's driving skills. . .
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Christy ShinnickFrench Teacher Archives
August 2018
CategoriesTravel - Here you will find my travel blog as well as my reflections on language learning.
Study - Here you will find resources and assessment tools for assessing global competency. Teach - Here you will find sample lessons that you can adapt to your own classroom or the World Language Classroom. About Me - Learn a little about who I am and where I come from. More - Here you will find opportunities for Global Learning and Travel for both students and teachers |