One week and counting....

It's hard to believe that a week from tonight, I'll be arriving in Accra, Ghana with my 11 colleagues.  This has been such a long, arduous journey (a year since applying and 6 months since getting the acceptance letter) and part of me didn't really believe it would ever happen.  For the most part, my bag is packed.  I have my malaria medicine, diarrhea medicine, constipation medicine, snuffy nose medicine, muscle cramp medicine, band-aids, and vitamins packed.  Since the weather in Accra is summerlike, I don't need any of the clothes I've packed.  In fact, we're supposed to have the coldest, snowiest week of winter in the next 6 days - go figure.   On Friday I finalized my lesson plans for the substitute teacher to use while I'm gone.  I must say that I'm rather proud of the plans I laid out.  In fact, it sounds like such fun that I'll rather miss the activities.  Teaching physics is really not so bad.  The labs are very easy to set up and carry out.  The material is easily comprehended.  The curriculum and textbook are very user-friendly and inviting.  When I get back from Africa, we'll only have a week left of the quarter, so I think I'll plan for that week before leaving as well so I'll be all set with no stress upon returning.

Just today I heard from my partner teacher in Ghana. His name is Osmanbin Umar. I assume he teaches science, but don't know for sure.   I asked my students, if interested, to create PowerPoints about their lives.  So far, one student has given me a very nice presentation to share that highlights her life, her home, her interests and her activities.

On my "to-do" list for the next week: bank for spending money, phone store to change my plan so I can call home without spending a fortune, Walgreens for assorted stuff and some gifts for host teacher and students.  Am I missing anything?

Back from DC

Got back last night from the TGC Conference in Washington DC.  Now I have a much clearer idea of what we'll be doing and the expectations of the program.  I can't believe that I leave for Africa in less than two weeks!  There are 11 teaching fellows in our cohort - 3 from Minnesota, 1 from Wisconsin, 2 from Arizona, 1 from Michigan and 4 from New York. Two other teachers are science teachers, so we'll probably be spending quite a bit of time together.  The first week will be spent getting to know how the education system in Ghana works.  We're very lucky that the third day we're there is Independence Day, so we'll get to experience a true Ghanain (sp?) holiday.  After the first week, we'll be paired up with classroom teachers and be in schools all day working with other educators and students.  Each of us developed an "essential question" to explore while there. I want to investigate something about disease transmission or demographics, since that's the teaching unit I designed as part of the program.  I also want to ask my students what they want to know about Ghana, so I can bring this whole experience home to them in some small way.  As far as I know, I'll be in Accra the entire time.  We may venture out on the weekend, but that will depend on our host teachers and our own motivation I guess.

Washington DC was great! The first evening I took the opportunity to go to Chinatown for drinks with some Wisconsin folks.  Then the second night Rhode Island, Chicago, Oklahoma and I walked the entire mall and saw Washington Monument, WWII Monument, WWI Monument, MLK Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and White House.  They're truly spectacular at night and since it was President's Day weekend, lots of people were visiting.  After the conference was over, several colleagues and I went to see the original Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Magna Carta at the National Archives.  Although we didn't get a chance to see a lot, it was great to spend a little bit of time in DC enjoying what it has to offer.

I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to learn and grow both personally and professionally. I'm always amazed by the wonderful, insightful, intelligent people with whom I share this profession.  I'm completely humbled.  So many of these educators have traveled the world and seen places I can only dream of.  They have spectacular ideas and are so incredibly motivated to do and try new things.

Leaving for DC

Sub plans completed - check. Laundry is done - check- but not folded.  Dishes are washed - check. Bag is packed and sitting by the door - check.  Airline reservation printed and in bag - check. Cash, credit card and sunglasses available - check.  Nook and cell phone charged - check.  Okay, I think I'm ready to head to DC for the orientation conference for Teachers for a Global Classroom.  It starts tonight with an informal dinner and then continues through Friday and into Saturday.  By then I'll have a better idea of who I'm traveling with and what we'll be doing in Ghana.  I'm a bit tentative as I feel underqualified and ill-prepared compared to the colleagues with whom I've been communicating for the past 3 months...but then I always tend to underestimate myself when I compare myself to my peers....... There are just so many awesome educators out there and I feel so very honored to have been chosen to represent them in this program.

It's a beautiful, sunny day here and I feel so very lucky to be at home this morning, rather than in school, to enjoy it.  This winter has been unreal. Honestly, it's been April all winter!  We had a really hard snow yesterday and it was so beautiful that it took my breath away.  Since the temps reached 40F in the afternoon, it all melted.  But I have to say that I rather miss the snow.  I mean, what's the point of winter without a bit of snow and ice to complain about........ok, now I'm sounding like a true native Minnesotan. I think I may have lived here too long :-) Well, you know someone has run out of things to say when they start talking about the weather, so I guess I'll sign off for now and check back in when I have something meaningful to add.....

It's Sunday night and I'm playing with this blog-thing again because I need to get the hang of it before I leave for Ghana on March 3.  I'm trying to figure out how to add a photo to my blog page.  The Teachers for a Global Classroom conference is coming up this Friday and Saturday in Washington DC. I'm looking forward to a change of pace, but feel like I'm getting very behind on school work.  Teaching physics for the first time is a BIG leap for me since it was far from my favorite subject in college.  I certainly hope I'm making it more applicable and interesting to my students than my college professors made it for me!

My first entry 2/7/12

As part of my Ghana experience through Teachers of a Global Classroom, I'm required to set up and maintain a blog.  Well, here's my first blog - for whoever is interested out there.  I've never been a big fan of blogs and haven't really ever followed anyone's, so I won't be sorely disappointed if noone follows mine.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll get a fan club and will find it to be an enlightening experience....Maybe I'll learn something in the process....Maybe it'll just be a major waster of time.....I guess I'll find out.