James Metz – University of Hawaii – KCC

Teachers Across Borders Reflection 2011

What a ride! I first came with the team of teachers to South Africa in 2003. 2011 marked my ninth and final time to conduct workshops with the teachers here. It is time for me to step aside and let the project grow with fresh ideas. I have had an incredible experience and I treasure all my time with the teams who have come here and all the teachers from South Africa. I have been given a wonderful, irreplaceable gift.

My sabbatical year in South Africa made me even more aware of the magnitude of the challenges facing teachers and learners in the rural areas. I was fortunate to have experienced village life and I understand some of the many obstacles that lie on the road to education. I think I was successful in some aspects and in others I honestly haven’t a clue about what to do. I find comfort in the well-known story I told at the closing ceremony of my first workshop in 2003, the one about the boy tossing starfish into the sea: “It makes a difference for this one.” I can only hope that perhaps I have made a difference for a few. With luck, those few will in turn make a difference for others. Maybe this is all anyone can expect.

This year the TABSA team responded brilliantly to the constant challenges, schedule changes and content requests. More so this year than any prior year, carefully laid plans were disregarded. There is no need to dwell on this shortcoming and seek to place blame. Despite the difficulties, the workshops were remarkably successful. As always, Yunus responded positively to the issues and worked diligently to ensure that the workshops were productive.

One of the many highlights of the workshop was the opportunity to work with the subject advisors. In one of the sessions Gilbert Prince offered a clever solution to a problem. Gilbert and I submitted a paper to the AMESA journal, Learning and Teaching Mathematics, and it will be published early next year. Another subject advisor, Ashley Ah Goo, discovered some interesting math while doing one of the problems and he intends to write up his results. He also pioneered a wonderful exercise for the teachers using squares to design patterns for sequences. The activity was well received and he will also be submitting this to a journal. There are many other examples of the teachers having insights into problems and learning and sharing. Our TABSA workshops are designed to promote independent thinking, sharing, and communicating ideas among participants. We do not so much deliver information, but rather provide prompts that stir the imagination. I am very proud of the work of our team and the excitement that the workshop activities generate. More than anything, I think we allow teachers to shine, to grow in their confidence with the material and with their ability to convey their subject matter to their learners in a meaningful and exciting way. That so many have returned over the years is a real credit to the vision that Yunus had that we come as colleagues, not experts.

I was thrilled to watch Franklyn conduct a lesson on probability, both with learners and teachers. They were involved, they were active – tossing coins and dice, tabulating on the board, discussing results, laughing and smiling. It was truly remarkable to watch 90 plus learners fully engaged for more than an hour and still eager to learn more. The teachers attended an after-hours session and it was standing room only. What an event!

I was also proud of Laurie when she had the students so engaged in a geometry project that the principal of the school was drawn to the action and was down with the children drawing circles with chalk on the bare dirt and making measurements with them. He also sang the pi song (written by Michelle of the Science Team) at the conclusion of the activity. How often to you hear laughter and applause after a math lesson? Wonderful sounds!

I had a wonderful time with the team. I enjoyed once again stripping wires with Paul for his house-wiring project. I watched Angela give expert advice on caring for a rescued penguin That penguin has her to thank for being alive today. I was so impressed. Thanks to Ed for his memorable impromptu entertainment in the auditorium late on the Friday night of our last workshop. I can never forget that glorious feeling of dancing with Laurie and Thokozani while Ed played away on the keyboard with jazz, blues, pop and whatever. You just had to have been there to fully understand. Permanent memory indeed!

I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my brother, Thokozani Mtshane. I have known Thokozani since 2003 and we have traveled many kilometers together and body surfed many a cold and rushing wave. We have laughed often and heartily. He is one of the true treasures of my life, a person I admire and respect. He has a most amazing ability to make others not just happy, but joyful and glad to be alive. Thanks, Thokozani.

I also want to add that I admire the spirit and tenacity and zest for life displayed by my fellow fliers at Oribi Gorge – Laurie, Franklyn, and Angela. Our shared adventure will last in my memory for a lifetime. Smile!

I could not have had these experiences without the help of many people. Joan Monaghan, Bob Gebhart, Tim and Karen Wilson, and others have generously supported my efforts over the years with financial contributions. Norrin Lau, Joe Zilliox and his wife Margaret took care of things in Hawaii for me during my absence.

Most significantly, Gora Peer hosted me at his home during my sabbatical and he and his family have hosted the teams for 11 years. He was so incredibly patient with me. I have incurred a debt to Gora I cannot repay. Thank you, Gora.

Of course, none of this would have happened without the dream of Yunus Peer, our director. He has nurtured the project from the seed of a small dream and each year has brought improvements. His mother Amena has supported his efforts from the beginning. Yunus Chamda and family, Razvi Ahmed and family, Dick Basday, Pauline Duncan, Rotarians, and many others have contributed time, effort and financial support to the success of the workshops. Thanks for making remarkable memories for me, Yunus.

I return to Hawaii with excess baggage – tons of memories that will comfort me as I head into the sunset of my life. Indeed, what a ride!