Brad Uy
TAB-SA Reflection 2016
Committed Contribution
BACKGROUND
I remember first hearing about TAB-SA around 2009 and thinking, wow, what an admirable mission and project. The work being done was so inspired and special–I never dreamed I’d be a part of the team’s impressive history. Now I’m blessed to say that I’ve had the opportunity to directly and indirectly serve the teachers and students of Southern Africa. What a privilege it has been to be associated with this selfless work.
This past November my late teacher and mentor, Jim Clarke, to whom this year’s workshops were dedicated, communicated to me that volunteering with TAB-SA represented an opportunity to make a genuine difference in the world. I can’t agree more. How true and what an honor to participate in this labor of love.
EDIFYING EXPERIENCE
I learned something new from my American teammates and African colleagues every day.
The team is composed of remarkable people–activists, educators, academics, administrators, artists. The talent abounds. The discussions are always enlightening and stimulating. I love that I can walk up to my math teammates with a question on how to derive a formula and get an answer. I had the chance to observe a science workshop during our final week in Swaziland and the facilitation of the discussion was masterful. Seeing knowledge being created and shared was awakening.
And that brings me to our colleagues abroad. Their effort is moving. They willingly give up their winter holidays to attend these workshops and are fully committed to the process. In the second week, some teachers didn’t have accommodations at the conference venue (as the hotel was running at capacity), yet they still made the trek to be there till the end of the workshops.
When things get rolling, their observations are truly insightful. For instance, in the first week, several teachers were coming up to the board to explain the intricacies of hyperbolas. One of them reminded the room that there is a set of general equations for the lines of symmetry. While debriefing with Carl and discussing a related problem dealing with hyperbolas, I mentioned that this tip was pretty handy and could apply to this problem. We reflected on the teacher’s elegant solution–and he turned to me and said with a humble smile, “I didn’t know that. Did you know that?” I grinned back, “No–I did not.”
We all learned remarkable things over the course of the month. From all accounts, we know the local teachers completed the workshops feeling more equipped, empowered, and encouraged. Those feelings were all mutual. Our minds and hearts were opened by all the ideas and experiences we took in during the workshops.
I came away with new ideas and strategies. I learned new things from them and I learned new things of myself. They motivated me to tap into my own resources in order to refine my approaches. And I am better for it. The workshops were a complete success from all perspectives.
CONNECTIONS
The workshops are a place where ideas and people intersect.
With the help of teammates and African colleagues, I made so many neat connections within the field of math (e.g., I learned a few new ways to construct a 45-degree angle–and what a Reuleaux triangle is and how to construct one). I sat in on countless wonderful explanations and conversations. At mealtimes and breaks and during our commutes, we immersed ourselves in talk of the nature of math and the importance of math education. In session, we interacted with teachers and inspectors and exchanged wonderful anecdotes and strategies. Complete involvement in the process of change was invigorating.
This workshop also gave us a chance to make new friends and reunite with old ones. The relationships make these trips special. The support staff this year was incredible. It consisted of amazingly driven, passionate, thoughtful, and talented people. I met new science teammates and had great experiences with a new math teammate. And I was lucky enough to make some meaningful connections with local teachers abroad–Ismail has already sent me some email. Their enthusiasm is truly infectious. They work so hard for the good of the community.
Of course, I also got to meet up with cherished leaders and teammates of the past. What a pleasure it is to spend time with old friends. And during weeks 2-4 in South Africa and Swaziland, I was thrilled to meet up again with African colleagues I had met a year ago.
Throughout all these rich interactions, I felt the special bond shared between people invested in a common ideal. And that is what made the trip so rewarding and gratifying. We were swept up in the movement of improving the future of education.
I thank everyone who made this trip possible for me and who made this program an absolute joy to be a part of. We all made sacrifices–teachers across borders. But I know that ultimately our sacrifice will bear fruit in a great way for all. For me, it already has. Thank you to our fearless director for leading the charge and inspiring us to work for a better tomorrow. I am honored to have taken part.