What I Wished I Had Known Before Teaching in Haiti

The school logo

Ivens, the principal at the school I teach at, told me before school started that for him being a teacher means going to work each day with a big smile on your face and going home each night with a big headache. That might just be one of the most accurate descriptions of teaching I've ever heard. Even though I have been teaching for over 7 years now teaching this year in Haiti makes me feel like a first year teacher all over again. I started making a list the other day to send to one of my teacher friends back in the states of everything I wished I had known before teaching in Haiti so I decided to share it.

I'm sure I'll be able to add things to the list as the year goes on, but for now here's what I've learned:

1. Don't assume that just because you are teaching in a primary school (K-6) your kids will be under the age of 12. My kindergarten class ranges in age from 2-7. My fourth grade class ranges in age from 8-18. I thought teaching in a primary school would mean I would be teaching younger children not teenagers. However, because some of my students were unable to go to school when they were younger they are still in primary school. It's a challenge to meet the needs of an 8 year old and 18 year old in the same class.

Some of my boys!

2. Some days you have to teach in the dark. Today for example. The generator wasn't working right so I taught my afternoon class in the dark, and unlike many days it was really cloudy this afternoon. I also wasn't able to make copies of our worksheet so I had to alter my plans at the last minute.

3. You will thank your college instructors (Especially Mrs. Richards, my language arts methods instructor!) for making you create your own units, making you create materials without using a computer, and writing four page lesson plans. In the states we often don't get much creativity as teachers to create our own lessons anymore or we can just run to Lakeshore to pick up some new materials. I'm teaching without a curriculum guide, district objectives, state outcomes, PLC's, etc. I'm so thankful for Northwestern making us learn how to teach without all the stuff districts provide you. It's helped me immensely as I prepare my lesson plans each day for English class.

4. Schools in Haiti are often run differently than schools in America. Therefore, I've needed to adjust my classroom management skills. Some of my go to behavior management techniques haven't worked well here. I've had to learn and acquire new behavior management skills. I've had to tweak my classroom rules. My first week was rough. I wasn't sure how to handle students not listening or being disrespectful to other students. I got the idea to start a competition between all of my classes. Each class can earn points for listening, being quiet when asked, participating, helping out a peer who doesn't understand, doing their work, etc. I'm tallying up their points and at the end of the month whichever class has the most points gets to watch a movie (in English!). It's been so effective! :) Right now my 3rd grade group is leading with 39 points. Each day when they walk into class each group asks how many points the other class earned and talk about how they are going to be better listeners, help each other out, etc. so their class will win the prize. :)

Kindergarten kids counting letter blocks.

5. You can create 20 different lesson plans using one bucket of different shaped buttons or one set of linking letters. :) I don't have tons of materials to use for teaching. There have been so many times I have wished I brought more books, more manipulatives, more storage items, etc, but it's been stretching to create lessons using what is here. I'm learning how to think on my feet more than I thought possible.

6. You'll learn Creole by being an English teacher. The majority of my students speak little to no English. I've learned a lot of creole as I hear them explain things to each other or ask me questions (in creole) about what we are doing.

7. It takes more planning to teach for an hour than back home. I have to figure out how to challenge my students who do speak English while at the same time teach kids who speak little to no English. It takes me roughly 3-4 hours each day to prepare for one hour of English class and I haven't even started guided reading groups yet (which I want to do). I have to create all my materials, find pictures, make copies, etc.

Some of my third grade class

8. Random people on the street will call you Ms. Kristine and say hello to you. Because the school I teach at is in my neighborhood it's rare for me to walk anywhere without running into my students, their siblings, or their parents. We don't have an open house before school starts for me to meet all of my students families, so some days I walk past an adult who says hello to me and I figure out that they are one of my students parents. I love when that happens!

9. You really have to set your expectations, rules, and boundaries and review them everyday. I've never lived next door to 1/4 of my students before. Because some of my students live at the boys and girls homes I end up spending a lot of time with them outside of school. I've had to learn how to adjust to being an older sister at home and a teacher at school. Some things are okay to do when we're hanging out at the Ben's, but not okay when I'm teaching at school. I have to review everyday what I expect at school.

P

10. Teaching is Teaching! Being a teacher is a tough job, but honestly I can't imagine doing anything else. When I'm in the classroom with my students I feel so full of life. Yes there are hard days, days when nothing seems to go right, days where it's 130 degrees in my classroom, and days when I forget to show up without the smile on my face. I like the reminder Ivens gave me. I need to show up with a smile. I need to show my students each day that I care about them, that I want them to learn, and that I will never give up on them. I'm so thankful I gave up the teaching I knew in the States to do this job here. It's a blessing. My students teach me a lot and just like back in the States my students give me so much hope for the future. When I see my students loving each other, trying something new even though it's difficult, laughing at me for singing silly songs with them, helping each other out, or trying to explain to me with their limited English how much they love Jesus I feel so much hope for Haiti. I became a teacher because I believe every child deserves the right to an education, the right to have dreams, the right to read and write, and the right to change the world and make it a better place.  I'm thankful I get to be a small part of my student's journey to change Haiti and the world with an education and the love of Jesus.