Students are not accustomed to speaking in class, and I am still working on strategies to encourage participation. They do not want to be singled out or embarrassed in class, even when the attention is positive. In fact, we’ve been told by many locals and professors from the College of Micronesia (COM) that praising students too much can have the opposite effect. Students may sink to mediocrity to avoid being teased by their peers. Quiet recognition of their efforts (by writing an “Excellent!” on their papers or giving them a sticker on their work) seems to work best. I try to incorporate group work, as I’ve found that students will work hard to succeed as a team more than they will work hard to succeed as individuals. They love games and hands-on activities. In general, students are very respectful and truly want to learn, but like students anywhere, they are rowdy and need reminders about their behavior sometimes.

Many of the high school seniors are older than your average U.S. high school senior. I am 24 years old and have one or two students who are older than me. Women volunteers should also be aware that their male students will whistle at them, flirt with them, or even ask to marry them. They may have classes comprised entirely of male students, and keeping a strong professional presence is crucial.

Rumors, some true and some false, spread quickly, both in the local community and in the expat community. Volunteers should expect to be talked about by others and to be feel as if they are being watched pretty much all the time. It’s also typical to see students outside of school all the time (or to have students see you without you even knowing they are there), so volunteers should behave as if students were watching them whenever they are in public.

 

  

 

Community

Located in the southwest inlands of Pohnpei, Kitti is a small, rural town of a few thousand people. This tight-knit community embodies Pohnpeian culture; everyday is saturated with traditional beliefs and practices, though all with a decidedly modern twist. Monday through Saturday at 6:00am sharp, a loud clanging, followed by a chorus of dogs calls Kitti’s inhabitants from their workshops and kitchens to church.

The Pohnalamwahu Church is an active protestant congregation that lies at the heart of social life in Kitti. Church is a focal point the community, and volunteers, religious or not, often get involved in church activities for social reasons. All-day religious feasts happen at least once a month, and volunteers have reported that the Christmas and Easter feasts are something you have to see to believe.

The pace of life in Kitti strikes a sharp contrast with the fast-paced, high-stress atmosphere that most Westerners are used to. Locals take time to savor everyday pleasures like the nightly ritual sakau and betel nut. Volunteers are invited to join in this daily social practice; sitting around in the evening with a group of local friends, sipping this mildly narcotic beverage from a coconut cup and chewing absentmindedly on betel nut is a favorite island pastime.

Past volunteers have reminisced about their sakau-drinking nights, citing it as Pohnpeian culture at its purest. As an added bonus, volunteers have picked up Pohnpeian listening to some of the old-timers exchange stories of their younger days. And, if they were brave enough to toss out stories of their own, they found themselves admired as “truly Pohnpeian.”

Teaching Assignment

My wife and I both taught at the newly established Nanpei Memorial High School, physics and chemistry, algebra and oral English respectively. With the pioneer senior class graduating only this past year, the school is very much in the early stages of development.

We confronted the usual problems faced by schools in developing countries, including a serious lack of school resources, understaffing, and bureaucratic administrations. NMHS’ relative inexperience added to the list of concerns: inconsistent scheduling and staffing, extremely large and often mismatched classes, and lack of familiarity with national testing standards.

However, we, along with the inaugural staff did our very best to take these challenges in stride and do as much as we could, all, of course, with a jovial Pohnpeian smile. In the end, it was well worth it. The kids were great to work with, though at first many of them were too shy to try to use English in class. They have an astounding ability to commit to memory long and complex social and family histories, a cultural quality that I, as a teacher, took advantage of. It’s all about working cross-culturally, taking into consideration cultural standards, strengths, and weaknesses and approaching them with acute sensitivity and respect while sharing knowledge and expertise.

Living Arrangements

Volunteering as a married couple, we were uncertain what kind of accommodations the field director would be able to arrange. We were pleasantly surprised! We stayed in the “Garden House,” which was just a 10 minute walk to the school and so beautiful it could have easily been confused with a weekend getaway retreat.

Our tough teaching assignment and the hardships of island living continually brought us back to the reality of the WorldTeach experience, but the sweet couple who hosted us did everything they could to make us feel comfortable and at home. We had our own room with plenty of privacy, not to mention our own resident chicken, who took to laying her eggs in the corner.

We also had the convenience of internet access, though the service was inconsistent and painfully slow. I was also glad to have a few essential electronics, especially my laptop and an Ipod for some added amusement when things got slow, which it definitely did sometimes! But I did have to back up my files frequently on account of the intense humidity and disconcertingly large ants that tend to find their way into every crack and crevice!

 

 

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Community

Madolenihmw (pronounced mad-oh-lin-ee-um), is located in on the east coast of the island. The town, which lies beyond the end of the paved road, seems to melt seamlessly into the jungle that surrounds it. Volunteers have reported that life in Madolenihmw is a constant education (and adventure!) in natural living. Pohnpeians in Madolenihmw can fish, hunt, gather, grow almost anything, and they’re very eager to share their wisdom with foreign visitors.

Whether collecting sakau root, canoeing out on the ocean to catch fish for dinner, or enjoying an afternoon of sun and swimming at Keperohi waterfall with some local friends, it’s all an important part of Pohnpeian culture. The people of Madolenihmw share a communal pride in their traditions and greatly appreciate when volunteers express genuine interest in them. Knowing this, past WorldTeach volunteers recommend, “If you’re invited to drink sakau one evening or to attend a party during kamadip season, GO!” Simply “hanging out” will be enough to make life-long friends!

Teaching Assignment

My teaching assignment was both the hardest and most rewarding part of my Pohnpei experience. I was placed at Madolenihmw High School teaching Algebra II, though after giving a pre-test on the first day of class it was clear that I would have to readjust my lesson plans. Many of my students were still having trouble with basic mathematic principles that, by American standards, would normally be covered in any pre-Algebra class.

Like so many other things in Pohnpei, the educational approach is very different from what I was used to in the US, in general embracing a more lax attitude and what may at first seem like lower standards. While these cultural discrepancies can be extremely frustrating, approaching them with sensitivity and – most importantly and often most challengingly – patience was the key to my successes both in and out of the classroom.

What the students lacked in resources and intensity they made up in curiosity and enthusiasm; they really did want to learn what I had to teach, though at times they’re too shy to ask! I found group work to be an effective teaching way to de-stress the classroom atmosphere. By providing some structure but then allowing them to think critically and individually, they seemed to feel more at ease and much more willing to take intellectual risks. Along with some persistent encouragement, they really shone.

The overall success rate on their COMET exams, the Micronesian version of the SATs, proved just how much progress they had made over the course of the year, and in turn proved just how much of a difference a WorldTeach volunteer can make in the lives of their students. Next year many of my students will be heading off to the College of Micronesia to continue their education!

 

 

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