Day in the Life
A Day in the Life of a WorldTeach Kosrae Volunteer by Christina Lum
A Day in the Life of a WorldTeach Kosrae Volunteer by Francisco Ramirez
Sansrik, Kosrae by Lauren Fereshetian
Community
Sansrik is a small village located about two miles past Tofol, the capital of Kosrae. The community is tucked between the Lelu Harbor and a small range of steep, jungle covered mountains. For about a half of a mile, houses and stores closely line the road, creating a close knit village where kids are constantly seen walking around and playing games. Also visible from the village is the landscape of the “Sleeping Lady” which, at sunset, is often illuminated with bright oranges and pinks.
There are four different small stores scattered throughout Sansrik and a few places that sell locally grown fruits and vegetables. These are convenient for food shopping and finding other necessary items (such as toiletries and the occasional article of clothing) however, I usually branch out to other villages to find all of the ingredients I want/need and household supplies. The other main attractions are the Elementary School which is located in the center of the village and the Japanese Steps, which are left over from their occupation of Kosrae during the Second World War.
One of the most notable aspects of Sansrik is the sense of hospitality and friendliness. Within my first month of living in Sansrik, I met six or seven different families just by walking around and saying hello. People would offer me food or coconuts as we chatted and got to know each other. Since then, I have been able to develop deeper relationships with the members of the community so that I truly feel integrated and at home here.
Living with a host family has also helped to shape my experience here. Innumerable times, my family has explained aspects of the culture, traditions, and history to me. They also have given me continual exposure to the language which has helped my Kosraen develop as the year has continued. I really think that living with a host family has made a huge difference on my perspective of the island because I am able to observe and take part in the daily life of a Kosraen, whether that is taking a nap in the middle of the day or “cruising” (sitting in the back of a pick up truck with my host sisters) around the island by night. I have gained a lot of respect for the Kosraen culture because of the hospitality, love, and support that my host family has given me.
School Placement
Sansrik Elementary School is known island wide as the best performing public elementary school on the island. It is located right on the Lelu Harbor behind a sunken Japanese Ship. There are only 170 students and about 20 staff members who make up our school community. Our principal is very organized and goal oriented which has helped to elevate the quality of our teaching. However, he also likes to make time for school-building activity such as a basketball/volleyball tournaments or a school wide clean-up. My co-workers are all very friendly and willing to offer advice and assistance when I have found that I am in need of help.
I have been teaching 7th and 8th grade English Reading and Writing to about 40 students (both grades combined). I see each student twice a day which I feel has given me an opportunity to get to know each student better and strengthen the classroom community. At first, the students were very shy and hesitant to participate but after about two weeks, that wore off and I found that the students are incredibly talkative and high-energy.
The students are all very eager to get to know their foreign teacher so I have found that including personal stories has been very successful in keeping their attention. Sometimes I use my computer to show them pictures, play songs, or watch movie clips that relate to the topic we are studying. Any personal connection or new materials that I include has had a major impact on their attention throughout the lesson.
I am fortunate enough to have a full set of classroom textbooks for reading, grammar, and writing instruction. However, I have tried to incorporate reading novels and articles in class more than the textbook because I feel that it will help them become more interested in the reading process. In order to do this, I had to get books and articles sent from home and even make photocopies of a few books since there were not text sets available on the island.
One of the most positive aspects of teaching and living in Sansrik is that I am constantly seeing my students outside of the classroom. Whether this interaction is playing a game of pick up soccer, being in the same Christmas marching group, or just giving them a wave as I bike by, seeing them outside of school has helped me to get to know them better, not just as learners, but as individuals.
