First Day Concerns

Monday was our first day at Rwentutu Christian Community School.  I was nervous to start a new school in a community that I am still learning about.  The past few days of orientation had me worried that my coming to Uganda was not the right thing to do.   Enoch discussed with us his worries about the loss of cultural identity with the students at the school and the surrounding community.  He identified the source of a lot of this loss of cultural identity was “the white man coming”.   I felt very conflicted, as whether my presence aiding a formal education system valued and directly related to Uganda’s connection with Britain & Christianity would really reverse the loss of cultural identity Enoch was highlighting. 

Additionally he talked about our experience at the school as a one-way learning environment, Jenna and I showing the teachers at Rwentutu Christian Community School, different more engaging teaching styles we had learned in Madison.  I felt very uncomfortable being framed in this way.  I do not know the students, their culture, their language, curriculum, or community and I have no experience being an actual teacher!  I feel like I am brining very little to the table in comparison to what I can learn from the teachers at Rwentutu.

When I left for Uganda I knew that the creation of the relationship of mutuality was still in the works, but I wasn’t expecting Enoch, our supervisor, to hold these opinions.  This was something I was unprepared for. 

All of these factors made me nervous for my 1^st day, meeting the headmaster and possibly being put into a classroom right away and being expected to teach.  It all felt like too much.

When I arrived at school I was introduced to King James, the headmaster.  I immediately felt better about my placement.  King James seemed to have read my mind.  After he welcomed us to his school he emphasized that our relationship at Rwentutu is one where we will learn a lot from the teachers (and students of course) and one where the teachers will learn from Jenna and I.  He described our relationships as one of two metals that when rubbed together make each other sharper.  He informed us he has worked with his staff to emphasize the idea of co-teaching.  He put my doubts at ease by illustrating his understanding of how valuable and competent his staff is and acknowledged that I am still learning put my doubts at ease.  Formally being in the position of student teacher, learning from others while in my placement was the main reason I choose this teaching abroad program.

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Additionally we decided together that this first week Jenna and I would travel around to different classrooms in the school, observing and teaching.  At the end of the week we will decide where we want to be placed.

My new students were almost as excited to meet me as I was to meet them :)