karibu from Tanzania

Karibu from Tanzania. Today is day 7 in this beautiful hot country. We have been warmly welcomed by everyone and especially by the Faculty and Staff at Mikumi who seem absolutely delighted that we are with them. Obviously others from NSCC have set the stage for us. Everyone we meet seems to have been touched by either our students or our faculty. The words that come to mind as I write this blog are: inspiring, different, engaging, encouraging and humbling.

We at NSCC should feel great pride in the work and learning that has been done here. So I visit classrooms, talk with teachers and other staff I hear NSCC words and observe NSCC methods in operation. Everyone speaks with eagerness about their engagement with NSCC and the faculty who joined us last summer are beginning to mentor other faculty. It is all more than good.

Yesterday I observed Peter in his class of 50 students facilitating group work where for the first time students were teaching and learning from one another and providing support for ideas and questioning each other. I wished I could video tape this session. He learned the technique in Audrey’s Dynamic Instructor course. All the while the students were learning there was chaos on the roof as the baboons played and frolicked – no one paid any attention. Each day brings new ideas and surprises. The Faculty are eager to try all my wild and wonderful active learning techniques and they are excelling at implementing them in their own context. It is both encouraging and humbling.

My learning has been on many different levels. Personally I have gone au naturale with the hair (blew up the hair dryer in Dar the first day), I have given up makeup for the duration as it runs in the heat and humidity, I stumble to learn Swahili words as everyone tries to help me, I can wring out my mismatched wardrobe due to profuse perspiration – none of this seems to matter to me or to others. Perhaps one gets over oneself for a brief period. Katie and I just laugh about all this and keep on going. The people make up for everything.

I write this under the African sky in the dark at about 30 degrees centigrade and revel in the fact that I am here with such wonderful people. Doesn’t get any better until tomorrow.