Teaching at ALPHA

I think that throughout my entire career teaching - even when I'm long retired, I don't think I will ever have a more unique experience teaching. I don't think many people can say that they have had the opportunity to teach in a school in a different country, so I will FOREVER be thankful for this experience. I was a little surprised at how willing Lorna Williams was to give Val and I full reigns of her classroom, but I am so glad that was the case because we were able to really be teachers for three days! It is safe to say we fell in love with the girls at Alpha Academy. They are so sweet and SO intelligent. To me, it seems very clear that these girls are aware of how important their education is, and that was proven to be even more evident in the older grades. Even our first formers took the lessons Val and I planned so seriously - it was truly inspiring.
Val and I taught three lessons all about fractions. Since the girls were already very familiar with the content, we were able to have a little fun with them. We had them play games using dominos, play matching games, and gave them a few challenge problems. Just interacting with the girls and answering their questions was so much fun. One thing that I will always remember is the very last activity we did together, Val and I had the students answer three questions on a notecard that we brought back with us. 1. What is something new you learned about fractions? 2. What makes a good teacher? 3. What do you wish more people knew about Jamaica. The answers the girls provided truly inspired me - especially with the last question. Many girls said that they wished people looked beyond the violence that Jamaica faces to see how much love this country has. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how young, the Jamaican people are not only aware of some issues, but they feel misunderstood by the world. I think that is such a powerful thing to have learned during my time teaching. I will truly miss this class of girls and the atmosphere at Alpha Academy.