“You’re not dodging only your marks eh, you’re dodging your life. This is your life.”

Week 5 marked yet another disruption in my ill-fated class schedule. Surprisingly, this was one of my most enjoyable days since I’ve been at site.

It all began on Wednesday afternoon when I noticed a handwritten bulletin announcing a “Staff Meeting” on Thursday. “Please attend as the matters to be discussed are important”, the note read. There was no time mentioned, only the day.

Naturally I went to school on Thursday knowing that this meeting was supposed to occur sometime on this day. I got caught up teaching two double sessions of math and physics that morning and come midday that meeting was one of the last things on my mind.

Around 12:20 in the afternoon, one of my colleagues informed me that the meeting was about to begin and that I should head into the staff room immediately. From my short time in Uganda I know that nothing begins immediately when they say it is going to. I used the restroom, washed my hands, got a drink of water and headed into the staff room. Quite surprisingly, this meeting started about 20 minutes later at around 12:40.

Lunch was at 1 so I figured ok great, 20 minute meeting then we will eat lunch and continue on with the rest of the day. The meeting ended at 6:30.

This was my first “official” Ugandan workplace staff meeting. It was quite an unexpectedly enjoyable experience. It was convened by our head teacher, the official “Chair” of the meeting. Ugandans are incredibly formal in their meeting style. Everyone thanks everyone all the time and uses formal language when making a statement or contribution. The meeting began with a reading of the agenda. Which consisted of the following:

1. Prayer

2. Opening Remarks by the Chair

3. Reaction to last meeting’s minutes (from 11 Feb. 2010) – open forum

4. Term II Strategy and Way Forward

5. Closure

6. Prayer

Now I said the meeting was incredibly formal, I didn’t say it was well organized. The meeting began with a prayer followed by our head teacher communicating his concerns about the conduct of our school and the way it was being run. He ran quite the gamut on issues ranging from teacher attendance to student discipline and nutrition.

I was happy to see that he was acknowledging some of the shortcomings of his institution and making an effort to tackle them.

People say that Ugandans are an indirect culture. I couldn’t disagree more. Ugandans are very direct, especially in large meetings. They repeatedly shut each other down or calling each other out on issues. Hey, at least they tell it like it is. (Caveat – this is all just my experiences, others may disagree but this isn’t their blog so yeah)

My head teacher basically lavished praise on me for doing my job – starting my lessons on time and attending every day. And asked the other teachers why it was so hard for them to do the same. This of course made me extremely uncomfortable but nonetheless I tried to pull off the most humble/non-offensive/subtle disagreement expression on my face for fear of backlash later on from my annoyed colleagues.

After opening remarks, four typed pages of meeting minutes from 11 Feb. were read WORD-FOR-WORD, reacted to and disputed for about an hour. Some of those in attendance disputed the attendance record of last meeting and declared they had very good excuses for not attending in February. The chair neutralized this complaint by telling them to document their excuses in writing and deliver them to the secretary promptly after each meeting. Their objections were noted, a common response throughout the entirety of the discussion.

We deliberated for about 3 hours and concluded with item six around 3:45 but then had a short break and transitioned to a follow-up meeting with all of the S4 students in their home classroom. It consisted of a panel of about 10 teachers (myself included) sitting on stools in front of about 90-100 students aged from about 18-20. We had sort of a miniature town hall meeting in which the S4s could air their concerns and complaints about the conduct and supervision of the school, put forth suggestions for solution, and hear reactions and solutions from us, the teachers. (Democracy in action at the lowest levels! Fantastic!)

Ugandan students are so disciplined…and yet they’re not. Their persistence to learn is astounding. They’re thirst for knowledge runs deeper than most people I know. The S4s were incredibly participatory and vocal in the open forum that was laid before them with the panel of teachers. So brazen, but collected, in their responses. These are the S4s, the overly confident teenage elite of the Ugandan education system. Not many Ugandan 18 year olds make it this far.

But then they dodge class, or they’re late, or they fail to turn in their workbooks for marking. These offenses usually result with the students getting beaten by the teachers with a handful of sticks (also known as being caned) – illegal in Uganda by the way. It is these offenses that led my counterpart to admonish to some students sitting in the grass one day, saying, “You’re not dodging only your marks eh, you’re dodging your life. This is your life.”

It is these inconsistencies that were the topic of discussion throughout the day. I gotta say that if my teachers at Roland-Story High skipped classes every week I’d probably skip too. So I can’t really blame the students to a certain extent. The conduct can only be attributed to those that run the school, in my opinion. It is a reflection on all of us as educators and administrators.

So we’ve somehow established a new path forward from here on out, as teachers, as students, and as professionals. I’m interested to see how it turns out.

When the meeting concluded, we were jubilant and clapping, shaking hands, and smiling with a great sense of accomplishment and relief that the light at the end of the six hour tunnel had come.

I’m called a barrage of names from my colleagues, I actually find it quite comical and just roll with it most of the time. I understand my name is hard for them to remember/pronounce. The assortment ranges from Mathias to Matheeus to Matthew. I actually find Matthew quite hilarious. For some reason they just started calling me by my surname, it works.

Earlier I mentioned the students’ eagerness to learn. I had a young lady from S4 approach me asking for my copies of the practice UNEB (Uganda National Examinations Board) UCE (Ugandan Certificate of Education) Exam. Basically this is the biggest exam of these students’ lives. It determines whether they’ll get to move on to Advanced (A) Level schooling and have a shot at getting a decent enough education to leave the village and get a good job (assuming the jobs are there when they graduate).

I asked her why she had not gone through the proper channels to check out the exams (AKA our lab master who is caretaker of all those documents). She said he would not issue her a copy because she didn’t have some “identity card” which is apparently a necessary requirement to check out past exams.

I on the other hand was able to procure all the UNEB UCE practice exams from the last 4 or 5 years two weeks earlier, and without an identity card! Damn I’m good. So naturally she wanted to borrow a copy of mine.

Now, here I am faced with an ethical dilemma. Do I issue the knowledge thirsty senior a practice exam so she has a better shot at passing in November? Thereby undermining our lab master’s authoritay! And potentially getting into a political battle over some bureaucratic issuance procedure (yes they exist here too). Or… do I refuse her and effectively say, “No, you can’t learn because you failed to get an ID card, thanks for trying though! Good luck on the test!”

I issued the test.

In marking workbooks this week, I noticed a distinct difference in the performance of students with large workbooks (8” ½ x 11”) vs. those with small workbooks (6” x 8”). The students with large workbooks perform considerably better on the homework assignments and many times perform better work with better handwriting.

And I thought to myself, what an economist’s dream! I would love to see his report on the effect that the more expensive notebooks (and presumably better off families able to afford them) had on these kids ability to extract knowledge and perform better than the small notebook kids in their exercises. Am I going crazy? I found it fascinating.

"Democracy. The word itself is democratic. You can use it however you like.”

This was a recent remark from one of my colleagues here at Kamuge High School during our daily lunch/political commentary session with a panel of about 6-7 teachers. “Do we have democracy in Uganda, Joe?” I laugh casually and strategically disengage myself from the conversation immediately. :)

A brief glance through the window of the house that is the confusing, complicated, frustrating, hopeful, and intense political climate that exists in this country. This is our daily lunch routine. We break bread (or posho – pronounced like fo sho!) and delve into the existing issues of the day/hour/minute.

This is my evening. Filled with a rotating arsenal of reading novels, studying for the LSAT, preparing for class the next day, conversing with friends and family via cell phone, and a night at the cinema courtesy of my MacBook and solar power! Yay! The less light an activity demands, the more popular it tends to be with me. Come about 7pm, my productivity wanes significantly.

What’s currently in my library? Aside from about 40 pounds of Ugandan math and physics textbooks that I explore throughout the week, I’m currently reading The Kite Runner with great enthusiasm. Since I’ve been on the continent, I managed to finish the Bible of a book in The Fountainhead. I’ve also read Monique and the Mango Flavored Rains (written by an RPCV on her experiences in Mali), and half of River Town by Peter Hessler (also an RPCV read). Also included is the occasional Economist magazine whenever I can get my hands on one, though they are nearly impossible to find outside of Kampala.

Side note: I found an amazing internet café in Pallisa Town today. It is amazing because…

A. It is amazing because they play Phil Collins’ Greatest Hits on repeat and the Ugandans sing along, gotta love Phil.

B. The internet is fast (today).

Now for my weekly teaching update…

This week I pulled an idea from one of my colleagues and conducted an activity with one of my streams of S2 Math students. I asked them three questions:

1. Write down 3 things about yourself you’d like to tell me.

2. Write down 3 things you’d like to know about me.

3. Write down 3 things you’d like to learn in this class.

I found the responses to question number 2 particularly entertaining.

Examples…

“Sir, is it true that every person in your country is rich?”

“Sir, is it true that when you die, they just burn you?”

“I would like to learn about your colour.”

“Sir, what made you leave your country and come to Uganda?”

“I would like to know your age and your clan simply because I want to be your friend.”

“Are you married?”

“What is your religion?”

“I would like to know where you come from, that is to say, a continent, country, district, county, parish, and the village.”

I answered all to the best of my ability. Interesting stuff, I’ll leave it at that.

So far, every week this term, my lessons have been interrupted for one unforeseeable event after another. Week 1 marked the beginning of Term 1, hence less than 50% of the students decided to come to school this week. Week 2 the students were there, but Wednesday was Martyr’s Day (a national holiday in Uganda and one that I had no idea was coming). Week 3 marked the celebration of another public holiday (Heroes Day) and thus classes were cancelled for another entire day.

At this point you might be asking yourself, “Joe, aren’t public holidays foreseeable?” Well, normally my response would be yes. However, in this case, I had no idea Ugandans had two days in June to celebrate martyrs and heroes (which are kind of the same thing right?) and nobody bothered to inform me that we would not be having any classes on these days. I discovered it by showing up at the school in smart dress only to realize that it was empty.

Thursday of Week 4 I was interrupted by an HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention Campaign Event put on by USAID (United States Agency for International Development). Not only did I not have any idea that this event was going on just one mile away from my school, but it was also sponsored by the USA! Overall, the event in my opinion was an incredible success with a few minor snags.

1. All my classes in the late morning and afternoon were cancelled once again

2. Somehow I got assigned to the front of a single file marching line of the 593 Ugandan Secondary Students of Kamuge High. Even though I had no idea where we were going or what we were doing (a common theme among most of the teachers at my school that day, through no fault of their own).

3. I was somehow introduced as the one presenting these 593 students to the event in front of a crowd of thousands of people. I would have much preferred their head teacher be acknowledged as the one leading them. Oh well! TIA!

But in all seriousness the event was phenomenal success. There were definitely some oddities but a lot of great things happened. First of all, there was a massive line (hundreds) of people waiting at the HIV/AIDS testing booth to find out if they were infected and sick. Second, there were THOUSANDS of people there! They were mostly primary and secondary aged students. Those that will benefit from this information the most, one could argue. They also had skits/songs/dances performed by a few students from each school. We had extraordinary candid conversations among secondary students regarding sex/condom use/HIV prevention etc. Uganda has done an incredible job at eliminating the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and turning it into a united mission fueled by open, honest, and unabashed communication.

Although, while sitting in the scorching sun that Thursday afternoon watching hundreds of young Ugandans line up for testing, I couldn’t help myself from drawing comparisons to the United States. And I thought, look at what’s happening right now, hundreds of Ugandans are lining up right now to find out if they’re sick with a very serious and dangerous virus. The outcome of which could determine how they’re going to live for the rest of their lives. In the United States, we have blood drives. In Uganda, we have HIV/AIDS testing drives. It is probably not a fair comparison, but that didn’t prevent it from crossing my mind. Sure we have diseases in the US, but none that parallel the devastation that is incurred by those such as HIV/AIDS and malaria here. We are truly fortunate.

I am very fortunate. And one of the main reasons I’m fortunate is simply because I happened to be born in the United States of America one early morning in November. 300+ million people each with the same shared advantage.

I’m also fortunate for the directors in my life. These are those that raised and advised me how to act and conduct myself, directed me. Who are the directors of your life? I’d like to personally thank each and every one of you for serving as guides and accelerators in my existential conquest. You know who you are. Thanks.

Joe

“It’s more of a suggestion, than an action at this point.”

A quote from a man I conversed with on my way to Pallisa Town today. We were talking about the terrible state of the main road between Mbale and Pallisa. I had mentioned that I had heard the government was planning to pave it. He was responding to me, saying they did not know when and that it was more of a suggestion than a reality. I found it pretty funny and filed it away into my “This is Africa (TIA)” file.

I’m mid-way through my third week of teaching with much to report. Three weeks into the second term, my school is still in shambles. Less than half the teachers have even arrived to begin teaching. The students sit idle in their empty classrooms over 50% of the time. Students approach me and ask them to step in and teach them math/physics/geography etc. It is disappointing. I have to decline most of the time simply because I’m already overwhelmed with five streams of math and physics. There is no lunch prepared for the students and the administrative staff is unaccounted for throughout the day. Lots of opportunities!

In other news, I now have an office. A spacious office. I discovered an unused room at the back of the physics laboratory full of wood, dust, and lizards. So I asked the headmaster if I could take ownership of it as my workspace. I recruited a few students to help me remove the wood, sweep, and mop the floors and counters and paid them off with candies and 500 shilling coins (25 cents).

This will definitely be a nice perk to have. It is much cooler than my house during the day since it has a ceiling and ventilation slots in the walls. I can also prop my door open for more ventilation. Also, solar power! Holla! I can work on my laptop and charge my phone while working on them! I’m living the life of luxury. Also if the time may come where I will require the assistance of a fan, it will be a possibility.

Teaching is going well. Every day is a personal learning experience for me. I learn how my students are reacting to the knowledge I’m putting forth. I learn how I should react to their reactions. I learn how to change my methods to the Ugandan style and way of learning.

Sometimes I realize I really don’t understand what I’m teaching all that well, but I just manage to stay at least one step ahead of my students, and that seems to work well enough. At other times I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful for the quality of instruction I received from the public school system of the US. Some of the subject material in math and physics has been engrained into my mind so well that I can’t even remember when I learned it, it’s as if I had always known, but I know that is not the case.

Side note – Did you know it is only one space after a period now? Man, that is one thing I wish wasn’t engrained in my psyche. Getting rid of that extra space really rocked my world. Anyways…

I wonder how my students came to believe and think the way they do. My students copy exactly what I write on the board, word for word. They copy the format in which I write my solutions and final answers to problems. It is incredible how dependent they have become on verbatim memorization learning. I try to challenge them to solve the problem without my doing it first on the blackboard (P.S. chalk is incredibly messy, thank [insert Jesus/Allah/Buddha/Stephen Colbert/etc… here] for the invention of the dry erase board! – please ship some immediately J) Anyways, challenging them usually yields minuscule results. They simply wait for me to solve it before making an attempt. This style of learning has been engrained in them for the past decade of their lives.

Continuing on this theme of mental culture in the youth here. I had a discussion with a couple of kids a few weeks back. “I want to be like you, Mr. Joe.” They said. I ask why. “Your skin is white and soft. It is not rough and black like ours.” And I thought, where in this kid’s life did he learn that he wanted to be a white person. He seemed to think it was better. I wondered what moment in his life that reasoning was instilled in him.

“When a problem comes, it usually brings its children.”

And in Uganda, children are many. This quote came up during lunch today at my school. Ugandan politics are the topic of discussion EVERY single day during lunchtime. The teachers are all very concerned and interested in seeing what happens to their country’s leadership come February 2011. There seems to be a mixture of emotions and tones between excitement, frustration, complacency, passion, and comedy.

I try to stay out of it for the most part. However, every once and a while they will field a question my way and ask for a comparison with the way the United States Government operates. One day I told them that unemployment is 10% in the United States right now. They all replied by saying that is very good! I told them that was a high number for unemployment and they all just laughed hysterically.

One day they asked me how the United States views Uganda. I told them most Americans don’t know all that much about Uganda itself. However, the US holds Uganda in very high regard relative to many of its neighbors, specifically for many of the reasons I have mentioned in previous blog entries. They seemed comforted by this.

I feel privileged to be living in this country during such a landmark election. Even though I’m on the sidelines for most of it, it is great to be a part of.

The World Cup starts today! Go USA!!! I’m hoping to find a nice TV with digital cable at a local hotel here in Pallisa. Cross your fingers for me.