Nearly A Month In

Cape Town is still going really well! I have almost been here a month now and I cannot believe how quickly that has gone by!

Life at the school has been fantastic! The children are filled with more energy than any other group of children I have ever met. When they eat, clean, sing, and play they are always loud and laughing. And although we do not speak each other’s language, they still invite me to sit in a circle with them and play. Doing activities with them has given me insight into their culture, which I never realized would happen. During free indoor play, the girls normally wrap dolls around their backs (the women here carry their babies on their backs and I still have not figured out how the babies stay there!) and cloth around their hair. One or two girls sit in the middle and take classroom toys and create instruments as the others stand in a circle around them. Then the girls all start to sing and dance around the circle. While the girls are singing, a group of boys cooks up “food” in the kitchen area and serves it to me and other classmates. Sometimes some children will play taxi and “take us” to other places around Cape Town. I really love being around them! They continue to surprise me every day, which is the great thing about children. They truly deserve more credit than they are given.

One of my new favorite spots is a dog park that is just up the street from my house. It is a beautiful open field next to a llama farm and horse pastures.  The best part about the park is that right in the middle are two swings, one wooden and one tire, hanging from a gigantic tree—I bet you can guess my new favorite reading spot, huh? Seriously, who doesn’t love swinging?!  Within one minute of swinging I busted into a fit of giggles as my swing twisted and I spun around getting dizzier by the second…which never stops being funny apparently. Here I was, by myself, in a giant field, laughing and kicking my feet…playing. I quickly reverted back to the mind of a child, spinning until I got dizzy and seeing from which spot I could kick the furthest, because it was innate. Every time I go to the park I see other adults, some with children and some without, doing the exact same thing. Clearly the people who designed this swinging station knew what they were doing!

Over the weekend I went to the open house of a Waldorf school in the area. The school is beautiful! It is on a farm and the school grounds are centered around this giant play yard. In between the classrooms, which are recycled from truck backs, there are smaller playgrounds and gardens. I got to learn more about Waldorf education there, including how it applies to older students. The part that I found the most interesting is their time for crafts. The students get over an hour each day for crafts, which vary between sewing, painting, wood working, metal working, basket weaving, or working on a project. Sounds pretty fantastic, ya? Well, in addition to being fantastic, it also strengthens the student and teaches them about patience, determination, staying with something, goals, and it empowers them because in the end, they hold something in their hands that they did themselves. As someone who sews, I couldn’t agree with that feeling more. It is great being able to hold up a skirt, knowing that it was only a piece of flat fabric before. With the younger students, the part that I found most interesting was the storytelling part of the curriculum. Every year has a different them through which their stories and lessons surround. Each theme focuses in on emotions that those children feel at that age and the events that they might experience in their lives. Through stories, both historical and non-fiction, they can relate and learn to overcome challenges that they might be facing. And if you are thinking that you are too old for stories, let me tell you one. Last week the other volunteers and I, who range from 18-22, sat down on the floor while our house mother read us a story. We closed our eyes and listened to her speak in dynamic levels, as if she was talking to younger children. And not one, single one of us thought it was silly.

It’s starting to warm up a bit here. I am now used to the strange August winter weather but I keep wanting to wear my chacos and shorts. The wild flowers are starting to come out and the area is absolutely stunning! There are wild lilies all around my house and the trees are starting to get leaves. I am so happy that I get to witness two springs this year! J

First Couple of Days Here

Well, after a looong journey (2 long flights and a 10 hour layover) I have reached Cape Town!! Hurray!

When I first got here I stayed with the woman who runs the non-profit, Work for Love, that oversees the school that I will be working at. She picked me up from the airport and said that since we were running late (my flight got in an hour late) that we would have to go straight to “the sharing.”  The sharing is when Waldorf teachers from different schools gather together so that they can swap ideas and share what is going on in their school so far. I was super stoked to jump right into my project and pushed aside any remnants of jetlag that I had.

When we got to the school I was stunned. The small campus was intimate because everything was set up with natural surroundings in mind. There was a small school but there were also classroom pod type things—almost like cabins. They all surrounded a lovely playground which was composed of natural elements and recycled materials. When I walked into the classroom I was ready to drink the Waldorf Kool-Aid.  I immediately saw two women knitting, one woman dressing a doll with a knitted outfit, natural materials all over the classroom, and simple play materials. What I have learned about Waldorf classrooms is that they are not loud. Now I am not saying loud in the sense of noise, that is not the case, my classroom today was very, very loud. I mean loud in that the colors are soft, there are no learning posters on the walls, and the elements that the children play with are not plastic toys, but rather blocks, dolls, clothes, kitchen ware, and natural elements. The women sat in a circle made up of children sized chairs. In the middle of the circle was a log with a candle on top and beside the log was a small vase containing a flower. Needless to say I felt like I was in the right place.

The meeting was fantastic! It was so great to be among teachers who are so passionate about teaching children, swapping methods, and play. We even got to play during the meeting, which was great! I learned three games to play with the children. And the best part, the children learn different things through each one. One game worked on verbal communication, another practiced memory and recognition. The amazing part was that as we were playing, the teachers kept saying things that the children could do differently in the game to strengthen another skill. The icing on the cake was eating homemade bread that the children made IN THE SCHOOL’S OWN BREAD OVENS! Yes, bread ovens plural, they have two. It was fantastic and delicious!

That night I went with the family to a barn dance as a fundraiser for Work for Love. I was not sure what I was getting into going to a barn dance. In the states I would consider myself an active contra dancer so I was intrigued about what the South African adaptation would be. I walked into a room of people wearing cowboy hats and boots, which I honestly didn’t think were even produced outside the U.S., and county music blasting through the speakers. Since I have never been a big fan of country music, despite being raised in the South, I found it pretty funny that it followed me to my first night half way around the world. I took it as a good omen. The caller called us to the floor and I jumped in, excited for the dance. Quickly, my enthusiasm turned to giggles and hilarity. The man said, “Alright, now you take three steps right, now three left, now back…” I bet you know where this is going. Are you having flashbacks of middle school dances? You are correct; the caller was teaching us the great Western line dance called the “Electric Slide.” Well, in South Africa the Electric Slide is a line dance and done to “Achy, Breaky Heart.”  The rest of the night went the same way and I couldn’t help but feel at home. I was relieved and blessed that something that could have been so difficult (being away from home in a new place) was comforting. J

Today, I went to the school for the first time. The school is in a township where about 40,000 people live. The school is small, with about 24 students, but grand in spirit. The school is so great and lovely. It has two classrooms and a shared play yard. What I love most about the school is that over half of the children’s day is dedicated to play! How awesome is that?! In between every activity or meal we played! I am so excited about spending time at the school!!

After the school day I came back to move into my new home. I moved into an old farm house, and I mean farm house. It is the oldest home in the area and has a gorgeous thatched roof and garden. I am living here with two students who work at another Waldorf school AND the woman who owns the house is a Waldorf teacher trainer, hurray!

Cape Town is beautiful and I have been so blessed to have already met such wonderful people! I am so excited to be here!! 

Playing for class credit

As I said in my last post, playing is just as important for adults as it is for kids! At Stanford, they recognize the importance of play and turned it into a class. How fantastic is that?! I'll answer that--super!!

THIS is my DREAM class!

Countdown-1 week

1 week...ONE WEEK!
I can hardly believe it! Just like many other important days, this one has snuck up on me.
At the end of the summer I always think of an episode of "Arthur." Yes, I am 22 and referencing this show--it now makes sense why I want to teach children and study play for a year, doesn't it? Well, in this episode, the end of summer sneaks up on Arthur. He panics because he thought that he wasted his summer because he did not check anything off of his summer to-do list. However, when he reflects on his summer, with the help of his friends of course, he realizes that he completed a lot more than he thought. HURRAY!
Like in Arthur, the end of the summer snuck up on me, as it does each year, and it makes me excited and anxious. As nervous as I am, I am so excited about this upcoming year! I cannot wait to begin exploring something that I find so interesting and important.
Speaking of which, here is an article about why play is so important in our lives. Yes, OUR, as in my 22 year old self included. Take a sport for example, which on the professional level is all adults. When one plays a sport there is critical thinking, problem solving, spacial reasoning, and many other aspects involved. When I am playing volleyball I evaluate my situation just as much as a 4 year old would when he/she is trying to construct an adequate base for a block tower. We do not realize how much we gain from play because it is something that is innate. See, playing is not just for children :)

"The truly great advances of this generation will be made 

by those who can make outrageous connections, 

and only a mind which knows how to play can do that." 

Nagle Jackson 

Well now I'm home?

Well I'm home now! Weird.....

Strange culture things that I have noticed since coming home:

- The big gaps between stalls in bathrooms! Haha the first weird thing I noticed

- People bag groceries here! I went to the end of the line with a cart to get the groceries and then someone else grabbed them...

- It weirded me out that I could talk to strangers in english and they would understand me!

- The first time ordering in english in a restaurant

- Portion sizes in drinks

- Big highways and cars

So a few random things!

And now its summer! I am so stoked for this summer for a number of reasons! Mostly because I am doing the BEST internship EVER!! Seriously, the program is Breakthrough Atlanta, the local program from Breakthrough Collaborative! This program is AMAZING! It stands for everything in education that I stand for and I could not be more blessed to be working for such a fabulous organization this summer! In addition to the wonderful organization, I am also working with some wonderful people! The interns all also believe in the same mission, which makes the whole atmosphere so positive!! I am teaching science to 7th graders...and if you know me, you are probably laughing right now. I was never one of those kids in school was an english/history or math/science person, I was just ok at both of them. Haha this led me to major in psychology. So when I told my friends and family that I was teaching science, they first laughed. That aside, I am STOKED to be teaching this summer! I also get to teach German, which is AWESOME!! I am just so excited about this summer!! Nervous...but excited!

I also really want to get products out this summer, summer goal!

Visits!!!!

Well, I have been SUPER duper lucky and I have had two wonderful visits this week!!!

FIRST: My friend Kayla from camp!!!!!!! I have not seen Kayla in about 5 years, since our good ol' times at Gwynn Valley summer camp! Well, Kayla is backpacking around the world basically right now and she stopped through here!!!!!! It is super fun to see familiar people in Wien because it feels like you are at home, but your in a completely different country! It really is insane! We galavanted (did I spell that wrong?) around Wien yesterday and did super touristy things! Which is always awesome and I love doing with not only visitors but with myself! We ate sachertorte, and went to Schonbrunn and walked around, and even ate some yummy Austrian food!! Can you say NOM?! Kayla got sausage, with cheese in it...all wrapped in bacon, need I say more?

TODAY: My Grandparents came!!!!!!!!! I picked them up super early from the airport this morning and completely looked like a crazy person when I extended my arm all it could go and waved at them when they came through the gate. We got them checked in and walked around Wien! They were super tired so we did some sunbathing at cafes mostly...which is not considered lazy or anything by the people here, just a way of life! We also went to the Imperial Treasury! Which was super cool and I had not been in yet! Everything in there was amazing and beautiful and so pretty! I can't imagine how it could have been on people! And we ended the night at my favorite Italian restaurant in Wien. NOM! I'm so excited for them to be here!!! :)

Now for something completely different...

Well, this has nothing to do with Austria, but last night I saw the list of room draw numbers for the senior class of 2012 and I nearly vomited! It was the first time that I had seen seniors class of 2012 written out like that on something! Ugh! I am soooo not ready for that.....

Today I realized that I am slowly starting to like coffee...which is not really a good thing! Everyone always says that they started drinking coffee in college! Well, I am in my junior year and that has not happened yet! However, Wien is the coffee capital of the world! And coffee here is not a caffeine source like it is in the U.S., it is a culture and way of life! People sit in coffee houses, un-bothered, and drink their coffee and eat their cakes and other delicious foods! It is just so lovely! So, I am not too bothered by the fact that I am trying this way of life! Indulging in coffee culture...? I think yes