Volunteaching in Zimbabwe

1. Volunteaching in Zimbabwe And Culturally Responsive Practice Everywhere

2. My Background • Undergraduate degree in psychology • Volunteer work at a bunch of human service organizations • Assistant preschool teacher • Graduate program in social work, followed by my quick return to the classroom. • Lead preschool teacher, where one third of my students were abused and/or neglected • Graduate degree in early childhood education • Kindergarten teacher

3. The Values and Intereststhat Brought Me to Zimbabwe • Diversity • Travel • Getting to know people from every corner of our shared world • Social justice • Candid, difficult, open conversations-with adults as well as children • Being a part of children coming to new and exciting understandings • Multicultural education

4. Multicultural Education is… • An affirmation of the experiences of all students; a way to help all students see themselves reflected in the curriculum • A forum that actively engages all students in their own learning • A belief that schools play a significant role in generating and maintaining racism, but as such they can also be powerful agents of change • A means to help children construct a stereotype and bias-free understanding of people’s similarities and differences • It must be infused into daily classroom life, not taught at an isolated time or as a prescribed set of facts ~EMI Race, Racism and Its Impact on Achievement

5. Blue Ribbon Standards Related to Volunteaching • Student Focus and Support • School Organization and Culture • Active Teaching and Learning • Professional Community • Leadership and Educational Vitality • School, Family, and Community Partnerships

6. Multicultural Education is not… • Political correctness • A trend or a fad • Only for children of color • A rejection of Western/European American culture and tradition • A one time event such as a cultural fair, one thematic unit, or annual celebration • Pretending to be “color blind” or treating all children as if they are exactly alike and ignoring who they are as individuals ~EMI Race, Racism and Its Impact on Achievement

7. My Journey to Zim • My cousin’s friend, Suzanne, has a charitable foundation whose mission is to improve educational opportunities throughout the world. • She was organizing a group of educators to teach children and train teachers in Zimbabwe. • I asked if I could join, she said an enthusiastic “yes,” and the trip began!

9. A Brief Summary of Zimbabwe’s History • 1965 Rhodesia’s white minority government declared independence from British colonial rule. • 1980 Renamed Zimbabwe and black majority government started, under Robert Mugabe. He brought hope but soon became a violent torturous despot. • Although it had one of the highest literacy rates in Africa, it has been declining since the mid 1990’s. • It was known as the ‘bread basket of Southern Africa’ now it doesn’t produce enough food to feed its citizens much less to export and increase GDP. • White children go to independent schools, leaving all black students in dilapidated government run schools with fees that many cannot afford.

10. My Experiences in Slideshow and Video