Category: Heritage Academy, Ghana 2014

Green Paint

On By jordanweirIn Heritage Academy, Ghana 2014, UncategorizedLeave a comment

March 5

I woke up to my alarm today. I’m surprised that my phone didn’t die overnight, given that it only had 10% battery when I went to bed. We had pancakes for breakfast; a nice way to start our day. As soon as we got to school I could tell it was going to be a hot day. We all sat in the shade for our first reading period, trying our best to avoid the overwhelming sun. One of the students in my second reading period was surprised to know that I had remembered that today was her birthday, and couldn’t stop smiling for the whole time. Today they asked me to read some for them, and then tried to repeat the way I spoke: like an Obroni.

Our first class went very well today. All the kids were in a good mood and seemed to like our introduction to poetry. I was excited about this because I had been a little bit nervous about the lesson plan. It was very difficult to teach because of the constant sound of drumming outside of the classroom. The students were practicing marching for tomorrow, the Ghanaian Independence Day. As soon as it stopped, it was much easier to speak from the front of the classroom.

We spent our free period up in the “point breeze”. It’s a small room up in the high school where there is constant wind. I was glad to have the opportunity to cool off after a long morning. Lunch was delicious. We had red red and plantains (my favorite meal so far). The classes that followed went well and I feel like we are getting closer and closer to the kids. However, I still can’t remember all of their names. Still many come up to me telling me that they are the second Jordan they know. Thanks to a friend, most of the kids already knew I was coming.

We began our work project after school today. We split into three groups: library, painting and cement block making. I decided to go with the painters group. We were asked to paint one of the future classrooms. We were given a bright green color, watered down of course! My arms soon became tired from reaching as high as I could (I was the tallest in the group). After about an hour, we retired our brushes to some if the heritage high schoolers who had been watching us paint. We decided to walk home opposed to taking a cab. Although it was a challenge for my boot, I enjoyed the fresh air. After dinner and group meeting, I showered and rinsed all the green paint off of my body. We spent the rest of the night making friendship bracelets (the only thing we do to pass the time, thanks to Laura), watching episodes of a crazy tv show (thanks to jack) and sitting underneath the stars. The highlight if my day however was talking to somebody from the US. I’m missing all of my friends and family (and proper running water. Although I find comfort in the simplicity of life here).

I am very excited to watch my students march tomorrow, but I think I’m more excited that I get a break from teaching. I have a new sympathy for all of my teachers. Tomorrow I’m going to work on replying to all the students that wrote me notes, and talking my lesson plan through with Erin. Until tomorrow, obronis!

Day One and a Half

On By jordanweirIn Heritage Academy, Ghana 20141 Comment

March 2, 2014

The first day of our Senior Project began with Qdoba, at least for a few of us. We thought of it like our last hurrah. Our last American meal. After our last supper (or lunch), we drove to Westtown where we proceeded to pack our bags, say our goodbyes, and board a school bus. Of course, the bus had some technical difficulties, so we switched buses, along with our thirty some suitcases. We spent four hours on our way to JFK International Airport, managing to see some of the city on our way. As there typically is on a Saturday afternoon, traffic kept us on the road for a little longer than anticipated, so we rushed through the airport to catch our 9:00 flight.

Check in and security were a breeze. Other than the fact that my walking boot (I had surgery on my foot a few months ago) had to be tested for explosive material residue. We walked what seemed like miles until finally getting to our gate. Of course by this time it was around 7:30 and we were supposed to board at 8:00. The rush to get food was incredible. Luckily most of us managed to snag a burger and milkshake at Shake Shack.

My ticket was scanned, and I was off. All I wanted was to be settled into my seat with nothing but the ocean separating me from Ghana. I had an aslie seat but still my legs couldn’t find anywhere to go. I enjoyed a movie before falling asleep with my heaad on the traytable (this left my classmates in awe). Sleeping on a plane is never easy, and our ten hour flight had quite a bit of turbulence, so my eyes constantly opened and closed. After a few naps and movies, the screen finally showed that there were only 30 minutes of flight time left. I asked for a coffee and glued my eyes to the completely unexciting scene outside of the window. In what seemed like seconds later, we were on the ground in Africa.

I was hit by a wall of heat as I left the comfort of the air conditioned plane. We walked across the scathing hot blacktop of the runway to the airport. You could smell the heat. It was everywhere. We waited in line after line and finally reached the front. Right as I walked over to my customs desk, a man touched my arm and asked, “Americans?” I nodded and he smiled and walked away. I guess we stick out like sore thumbs.

After collecting all of our bags we headed to the van that would take us from Accra to the Jimmycom guesthouse: our home for the next 18 days. Men surrounded us as soon as we stepped out of the airport, wanting to help us with our bags. We were warned by the group leaders to say no, as they demanded ten dollars continously if they lent a hand. After losing them we stopped for lunch at the beginning of the ride at a very nice hotel. I savored every slice of pizza before we hopped in the van again. The ride was unbearable in every way. No leg space, 17 people crammed into a space hardly meant for 14, and heat. So. Much. Heat. It took us around two hours. Thankfully, we were introduced to the culture as we rode. We saw many people carrying baskets full of merchandise on their heads, pushing it through peoples windows trying to make a few bucks.

When we arrived at the Jimmycom guest house, we were pleased to see our beds. We got settled, took showers and ate dinner. It was delicious. We hung out for a while, but after a short group meeting we were pooped. It was bed time. I fell asleep to the sounds of goats and the rustling of the wind in the trees. We were finally here.

Counting the Days

On By jordanweirIn Heritage Academy, Ghana 20141 Comment

2/19/2014

In just over a week I will be driving to JFK airport in New York, lugging two large suitcases through security, and spending 11 hours on a gigantic plane en route to Accra, Ghana. I’ve attended countless meetings with my group every Thursday night and learned how to write lesson plans, learned about Ghanaian culture and how to teach a class, but I still can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that in a few days I will be teaching over sixty 6th graders. Every few days one of our group leaders sends us photographs of the small school grounds of Heritage Academy, exciting us more and more for our coming adventure.

In Ghana I will be teaching basic grammar and creative writing along with my teaching partner, Erin, as well as conducting reading periods for a small group of students. For me, choosing to teach creative writing was easy: it is something that I love to do. Envisioning myself reading the written work of twelve-year-olds puts a smile on my face without fail. Deciding to go to Ghana however was more difficult. Public speaking has never come easily for me, so teaching twenty students three times a day will be challenging, but I’m sure it will be rewarding.

With around two feet of hard packed snow on the ground, my anticipation for Senior Projects is growing. I am counting down the days until I load my bags in the car and begin my journey to Heritage Academy.

Jordan

Home Again

On By Rachel in Ghana 2013In Heritage Academy, Ghana 2014Leave a comment

April 5, 2013

Last day of teaching at Heritage
Last day of teaching at Heritage

It’s several days into spring term and I’m steadily adjusting to life back at Westtown. Everything feels so surreal – graduation is just around the corner and then my classmates and I are off to college. But in this whirlwind of activity, there remain things I have taken from my experience in Ghana that will never go away.

  • The amenities we take for granted are luxuries and we should always be thankful. Air conditioning, hot showers, flushing toilets, reliable electricity – these seem like miracles.
  • Middle schoolers in any culture are extremely difficult to control. But even if you feel like giving up, remember that they are good kids at heart and really do want to learn.
  • Get anti-malaria pills from a trustworthy source.
  • Stick ten teenagers in a guest house during a power outage and a hacky sack becomes a godsend.
  • Nothing goes according to plan – but it’ll turn out alright in the end.
  • It’s never too late in the year to meet people and really appreciate them. (And share lame jokes and tell embarrassing stories.)
  • Teacher Kwesi was right, I’m not Bill Gates. And while I certainly don’t think I changed the world, maybe a lesson stuck with one student or a comment I made helped another student connect the dots. Our group was thrust onto a new continent and into a new way of life. I didn’t just leave my comfort zone on this trip; I was catapulted into my “oh-my-god-new-experiences-but-let’s-try-not-to-panic” zone. That’s more than enough for me to feel like my time in Ghana was worth it.

It’s Ghana be a Good Time!

On By Rachel in Ghana 2013In Heritage Academy, Ghana 20141 Comment

Feb. 27, 2013

Well hi!

My name is Rachel and I am one of the ten students going to Ghana for Senior Projects. In Ghana we will be teaching at Heritage Academy, a school founded in 2004 by Westtown School’s Teacher Kwesi, as well as doing community service and touring cultural and historical sites. Since this progressive school’s founding, enrollment has grown tremendously and every year Westtown students hold classes there, in subjects ranging from science to history to music and theater and everything in between.

I will be co-teaching an English/creative writing course with my friend Taryn, as this plays off both of our academic strengths. Truth be told I’m terrified. Not only will I be thrust into a completely foreign culture, I will also be expected to stand in front of a classroom full of kids who seek to get something out of what I might have to offer them. Continue reading “It’s Ghana be a Good Time!” →