Home Again, Home Again

I arrived home last evening after the twelve hour bus ride from Moshi. The ride yesterday was difficult because the leg room was so little for my long legs. I manage to get my left leg out in the aisle for most of the trip, but my right knee suffered, jammed against the seat ahead of me as it was.

I did manage to finish two books. The first is an incredible history of the colonization of Congo by King Leopold II -- King Leopold's Ghost. I realize I am behind the times regarding this book -- it was written over a decade ago. To quote Joseph Conrad's account of this same time in his Heart of Darkness (which I must now reread after last reading it for a Conrad seminar as an undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago): "The horror! The horror!" I can't begin to describe just how horrible it was; however the horror is matched by incredible courage, too. This is a book worth reading -- an example of a wonderfully written history.

I also read cover-to-cover Teach Like a Champion, a book sent to me by my friend MB -- meant to assist me in assisting our teachers to improve their practice. And it comes with a DVD chock full of examples! I can't wait to present some of the skills/strategies when our teachers return after our annual break.

I returned to find that the rains continued during my absence -- our verdant campus was a welcome sight, believe me. And just to assure me that this was no mere vision it poured last night, POURED.

Speaking of....I don't know why the flood in Dar es Salaam did not get reported in the western press. It has devastated that city, especially the poor, and it will have affect the rest of the country adversely as well. Take a look at this blog to see the devastation.

Incidentally, though rain is a blessing in areas like ours, it can at the same time be incredibly destructive. Many, many people lose their homes because they are constructed of mud. The "foundation" "melts" after too much rain and the house comes tumbling down.
Many people are left homeless -- of course, here that does not mean "on the streets" or in a shelter because folks tend to look after one another.

My next days will be spent on reports and scheduling (which I've delayed but can no longer put off.)

Merry Christmas!

Update: Here is a story about loss of homes nearby. The official quoted is a friend of mine (the author must come from a people without the letter "r" because my friend's name is actually Buretta, not Buleta!)

5:14 AM

Am in Moshi, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, on my way to Nairobi.

Yesterday's trip from Dodoma was 11 hours; today's to Nairobi will be about 5.

The last days have been a bit difficult.

The cold I caught in Toledo remained for some time, sapping me of a lot of energy.

One wing of our dispensary was to have been completed during my time away, providing us a place to move the school's administrative offices. That was not done. We moved on Monday with so much still needing to be done -- and the work that was done is of poor quality (e.g., tiles not properly sloped, creating pools of water when it rains).

I have grade reports to complete and a school to schedule.

There are bright spots, thankfully. Like students thanking me for a great year as they went on their annual leave. And the rains have arrived. October's rain was a teaser; this is the real thing -- heavy rains almost every day.

Reading Suggestion

If you're looking for a good book about post-colonial Africa, I can suggest Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles. I just finished it -- and wish I'd known about it two years ago.

Here's a review.

Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire

One of the disconcerting things I face occurs at this time of the year. Folks love to play Christmas carols. Some are religious and others are the seasonal secular songs about sleigh rides, city sidewalks, jingling bells, white Christmases, etc.

It will be a busy time leading up to Christmas and the days following. In the next month, I have to organize the academic reports for this year, schedule the school for next year (a more difficult task than last because we have more streams to schedule), and the orientation of teachers and students to worry about.

In some ways, I shouldn't worry so much. I spend a lot of energy, for instance, going through the logistics of the arrival of our incoming students. Where will they first report? What business should happen where? All of these things are things I catch myself thinking about when I wake up at 2:00 a.m. in the morning. But I shouldn't worry so much because people are patient and are, frankly, accustomed to less than organized affairs like arrivals. I shouldn't worry so much, but I cannot help myself.

The scheduling as difficult as it is has always provided me some measure of enjoyment. I first did school scheduling at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio. I learned from Rich Clark, the principal who got me started in school administration. Scheduling is, in fact, a puzzle -- one that can be solved. And after the hair pulling and head banging are finished, the scheduler can take great comfort in seeing the beauty of solution.

There are those times when that beauty masks some difficulties. Like the time when a missing period in a program meant that a whole group of seniors weren't scheduled for a science lab period. That presents a puzzle within a puzzle -- How to correct their schedule without having to re-schedule the whole school? (Incidentally, the problem would be easily handled here -- you'd either just inform the students and the teacher that the lab will be held on Saturday or you'd do a simple switch with another class and be done with it.)

Back to the Christmas carols. Those secular ones are meant to tug on heart strings -- even if they're not meant to, they do. There is a tug on my heart strings right now, but it doesn't come from carols but from reviewing the year. I recently had occasion to review a video of our students from their first week here. How they have grown! But not only how they have grown, how we have all progressed along the road. It has been in many ways a difficult road filled with obstacles but none has been insurmountable. What we have all (students, faculty, staff) put up with! But nevertheless, we continued. And here we find ourselves at a signpost pointing the direction for the future.

So even as I wilt at all the tasks ahead of me, I couldn't be more satisfied with what we've been able to accomplish with our own hard work and with so many friends. And of course with the grace of God, always already there for us.

Here It Is Decmber.

So many connectivity problems -- that combined with a cold that has kept me down for weeks (until the wonders of z-pack!) and so many things at the end of the year and in preparation for next.

Many folks review their charitable giving as the year comes to a close. Please remember us as you do so! We're certainly appreciative of any assistance. (You'll find the link in the right side of this page.)

Prayers for Advent blessings.

The Music of the Wagogo

Among my small frustrations is that our students are not so interested in the traditions of their ancestors. You cannot make someone to be interested in such, but you can encourage (and be filled with disappointment knowing that in 20 years they'll wish they'd listened!).

Here you can see how beautiful the local music is. Only rarely do I have the chance to hear it -- and I must prefer the traditional music at Mass, too -- instead of blaring organ music.

Rose Muhando

From the moment the buildings first started rising from the ground, we have had a frequent visitor to the school concerned about securing a place for her child, who in fact did well on our entrance examination

Her name is Rose Muhando, which meant nothing to me. But to Tanzanians hers is a well-known name because Rose is the leading gospel singer. A brush with celebrity!

Ee Mungu Wangu, Unifundishe...

"Oh my God, teach me..." or "Lord, teach me..."

These are the first words of a prayer commonly said by students at Jesuit schools throughout the world -- St. Ignatius' "Prayer for Generosity."

Our students wanted to do something special for our friends at Walsh Jesuit High School; they chose to sing the prayer for generosity for them.

As at any high school, there are varying degrees of enthusiasm for singing. It's a great song, with a wonderful tune that stays in my mind the whole day. Incidentally, our students sing the Suscipe, another prayer of St. Ignatius, at the preparation of the gifts at Mass. (Unlike the dirge so popular in the United States, our version is a march.)

TravellingI

This evening I'm in Dar es Salaam. Tomorrow I fly the London and then continue my journey west over the Atlantic.

Our students wished me safe travels this morning.

Network Problems

I'm having horrible network problems, so I can only manage to have Internet access when I get into town and have the time.

It's 8:45 here and I've just had dinner out with two friends and I'm in the car near the restaurant posting the entries below. The inconvenience pales compared to missionaries in earlier ages, of course!

Catching Up -- Our Statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace

A friend of mine in California, a woman whose faith is matched by her generosity, donated funds for this amazing statue that greets visitors. You'll see the crucifix soon, too.

Catching Up -- Second Admissions Test

Heri ya Sikukuu ya Baba Wa Taifa, Servant of God Julius Kambarage Nyerere

Happy Holiday (Feastday) of Julius Nyerere, Father of the Country.

Today we thank God for the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the Father of Tanzania. He didn't get everything right, but his intentions were always right: the common good. The influence of Catholic social teaching is obvious in his policies. Today on the twelfth anniversary of his death we pray in a particular way:

O God our Father, you have created us so that we may know, serve, and love you and love our fellow sisters and brothers.

We thank you, O God our Creator, for the gift of your servant, Julius Kambarage Nyerere – a faithful layman and a father of a family – who led your people of Tanzania as true father and teacher.

Our Father, your servant gave himself up completely for your people with love that knew no boundaries, building tirelessly unity and solidarity among all Children of God. He cared for the poor. He uplifted the downtrodden. He consoled orphans. He welcomed and fed refugees.

O God, your servant, being faithful to you and to your Church – has become for us a true example of deep faith and genuine piety. He cherished a great love and respect for the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He dedicated the People of Tanzania to Our Lady so that they may live peacefully under her maternal protection.

O God, your servant Julius Kambarage Nyerere showed great zeal in teaching everyone to know and honour you. He defended justice and fought relentlessly against oppression and discrimination of any kind.

His humble service for all people remains for all generations an example to imitate on their way to you. Almighty Father, grant us by his intercession and according to your will, the grace we implore. May his holiness become evident to all the people of God so that he may soon be numbered among your Saints.

Amen

Deo Gratias!

It is raining -- and a month earlier than usual.

May the rains continue.

You Are a Patient Lot

I promised to post pictures from our entrance day test and haven't -- and other than that day, I've generally been remiss re: picture-taking. They'll be posted some day soon.

In the meantime, you can take comfort (as I have) that the workers discovered the den of the HUGE cobra and took care of it. I'm sure it's not the end, but I'll sleep better knowing that the monster-sized snake (its head said to be at the level of the head of a four-year-old child when it raised its head) is gone.

Once upon a time...

...I was an assistant professor of education at Loyola Marymount University.

I was reminded of that fact yesterday when I received an email from the Taylor & Francis Group at Routledge. The email informed me that an article I wrote that was published in 2010 "was the most downloaded article published in Pedagogies last year."

The research I do (did, I guess) is time consuming. It involves analyzing video data of social interaction in teacher education classrooms at a very fine level. The article was based on data that were collected in preparation for my doctoral dissertation (but not the actual data analyzed for the dissertation I wrote). I cannot tell you how many hundreds of hours were spent just on the analysis of a ten minute strip of video data. This is all to say that I am pleased that a product of my hard work is actually being accessed by others -- and I hope they find it somehow useful for their own work.

One of the benefits of this distinction re: being the most downloaded article last year is that the article is now available for free. So, if you need a soporific, here it is.

Catching Up

These are busy days here at St. Peter Claver High School.

We had 330 students test for 210 spaces and accepted 110 boys and 93 girls. As you can see, that brings us only to 203 students. There are some students on a "second selection" list, and we're having a second test on 22 October. This means that I'm spending time composing a second examination. It also means that I'm spending a lot of time talking to folks whose children weren't chosen ("hakuchaguliwa" is what the sorry news they receive -- "he/she was not chosen"). This is a tough part of the job, for there are stories that tug on the heart.

Preparing for next year's class means hiring teachers, and I've begun reviewing CVs to begin interviews in the next week.

As well, I'm busy reviewing our contract and our compensation package. We want to retain good teachers and have discovered our remuneration and benefits are not as competitive as we thought, so we're trying to address that -- and keep our school fees affordable.

Of course we also face the ongoing challenge of trying to keep at the construction in the face of an outfit that seems to have lost interest, really.

I'm working under a deadline because I head back to the States 8-27 November.

In other news, last evening workers tried to kill a HUGE cobra -- and only managed to wound it. Not only that, we've been seeing and hearing hyenas. So now we have poisonous snakes, genets, mongooses, hyenas, vervets, and baboons -- a veritable wild game park!

Lost Parents

Some of the parents whose children sat for exams on Monday are finding their way to this personal blog instead of using the url address that was given on the directions every student received upon arrival on Monday.

If you wish to know the results for your child, you can find them at the proper website here.

Quod Scripsi Scripsi

On Monday we had 333 candidates sit for our entrance examination -- 210 seats available. We accepted 203 students. We didn't make our target -- in fact we know that not all of the 203 accepted will register. We have put some students on a waiting list and will accept them as space is available on 14 October. We will also have another testing date on 22 October.

My concern most especially is the number of girls -- both testing and passing. We'll try doubly hard to get them to sit for the next exam. This is not only a matter of making sure that they get every opportunity but also a practical problem for us -- the school will reach a point when the boys' dorm is full and the girls' half empty.

So today, I will clean my office and try to avoid parents of candidates who were rejected. This all brings back memories of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. Jane McManamon (may she rest in peace) and Sandra Reid were excellent in protecting Rich Clark, the principal, and me, the assistant principal for academics, at the time of the publication of admissions decisions.

Regarding the publication of results, I take Pilate's words as my own: Quod scripsi scripsi -- What I have written, I have written.

Incidentally, all the decisions were made blind -- according to candidate numbers alone. Once they were published I did look at some names. Disappointed that the children of some friends did not make it (and happy that the children of some power folks did!). I am accustomed to standing firm, and this would be no exception -- our "anti-courruption curriculum" is best taught with our own actions.

It'd Be Funny...

...if it weren't so sad.

Have you seen sneakers that have velcro instead of laces? I have. I like velcro -- even some of my REI safari shirts have velcro on the pockets. It was a great invention.

It isn't so great for hanging school signs, though. Today I arrived at our classroom building to discover the "C" in "School" missing -- we became "St. Peter Claver High S hool." When I went to investigate, I discovered that our contractor had used velcro to affix the signs to our classroom building. Incredible. As my friend Martin Waweru, sj, would say if he witnessed this "These people!"

We're really struggling now to keep our contractors serious about their work. They seem to be losing interest  -- and seem to be losing some pride and professionalism, too. So pray for them that they get a second wind in order to finish a quality classroom building originally scheduled to be completed in January 2010. The magis -- not just for Jesuits, their colleagues and their students!

In the Crosshairs of Providence, Indeed

Thirty years ago today I entered to Society of Jesus with 14 others. Eight of us remain. I am so thankful to God for calling me into the Company of his Son.

Some Humour for a Monday

I am in the midst of proofreading mid-term examinations. Teachers hand in hand-written copies which my secretary types.

Well....one of the questions for the civics exams asks the students to define dual citizenship. However the civics teacher's handwriting isn't so great, and the woman who is acting as a temporary secretary in the absence of the full-time secretary does not know English well. That combination explains how you end up with a question which asks students to define anal citizenship!

Health Workers Index

Save the Children has just published this report regarding health care. Tanzania ranks 135th out of 161 on the health worker index.

The index includes three indicators:
1. a measure of health worker density;
2. the percentage of children receiving three doses of the vaccine for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus; and
3. skilled birth attendance rate.

161 countries, those with accurate data available, are included in the index.
Countries with a population of less than 500,000 were not included.

Our hope here at Our Lady Queen of Peace Educational Centre is that our dispensary will soon serve Ihumwa, the local village, in addition to its service to our students. If you want to help change Tanzania's standing on the index (and more importantly change the welfare of an entire village!), please consider helping us open the dispensary to the community by clicking on the appropriate link in the "You Can Help" section to the right.

The Quality of Mercy

Portia's soliloquy in Act IV of The Merchant of Venice has always been among my favourites from among the soliloquies of Shakespeare's plays.

The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God's
When mercy seasons justice.

I have had to concern myself with issues of justice and mercy these days. Last evening the boys for the upteenth time were late for a regularly schedule school event, the evening meal. Not only were most of them late, they were only beginning to think about getting ready for dinner when I went to their dormitory at 6:45 p.m. How to handle this?

I told them to go to their rooms and wait for me. I then went to the multi-purpose hall and got those few what had reported on time (20 or so) settled and eating. I then returned to the boys' dorm, told them they would eat their meal and then would report immediately back to the dormitory, which they would clean "like it had never been cleaned before" followed by early lights out for them. While they did that, the rest of the students enjoyed watching the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first half of which had been very popular.

I had received a report yesterday that some of the students had been in the teacher work room without accompaniment or permission -- and using the computer! This morning I gathered the nine of them, and soon discovered one had entered the room and immediately left and that two others similarly left soon after realizing that there was no teacher in the room and that they probably shouldn't be there.

I told the remaining students that in many schools such behaviour would be cause for immediate expulsion but that I had decided that this time it did not rise to that level but that they would all be suspended from classes this next week. What will they be doing instead? Clearing rocks and stones from a piece of land which will become our community garden. Additionally, they have to write letters home informing their parents (to be accompanies by my own letter) and also write letters to the teachers apologizing.

One of the things that I always tell teachers is that student mischief is always an opportunity to teach them about the mission of the school. I hope these events and my response to them help form these students into the sorts of leaders that will make us proud to count them as alumni someday.

Id al Fitr

The feast of Id al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadhan, is celebrated tomorrow after the new moon is sighted tonight.

I have to be sincere: I don't quite understand the workings of Islam when it comes to these lunar feasts. The Golden Age of Islam -- in the medieval period -- was marked by amazing advances in astronomy. What I can't figure out is why folks have to wait to find out on which day the holiday will be celebrated. Surely this can be figured out scientifically.

I myself have made it clear to our employees that the day as it appears in our student handbook is the day on which we will celebrate this national holiday -- despite when it actually lands. It is hard to run a school when everyone is trying to figure out just what day will be the holiday. In fact what most often happens is that people simply make it a two-day holiday.

In any case, to all my Muslim readers: عيد مبارك

Discernment of Spirits

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. (Mark 6:20)

I customarily do not post explicitly spiritual reflections here. However at this morning’s Mass with our students (the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist), it occurred to me to me that Herod could have profited from Ignatius of Loyola’s “discernment of sprits.” What does it mean to discern spirits? It means to take account of the “motions of the soul.” As the helpful folks as Loyola Press note,

These interior movements consist of thoughts, imaginings, emotions, inclinations, desires, feelings, repulsions, and attractions. Spiritual discernment of spirits involves becoming sensitive to these movements, reflecting on them, and understanding where they come from and where they lead us.

What we see in today’s gospel for the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist is that Herod took no such account. On the one hand he liked to listen to John the Baptist, and on the other hand what he heard perplexed him. If only he’d taken a few minutes to take account of what was going on spiritually, maybe he would have found a way to withstand Salome’s request!

Rivalry

Well, Virgina, we had our own earthquake last night. Having lived so many years in California, I am accustomed to them -- and attuned to them.

Ours came at 1:55 a.m. It woke me up. In the first instance, I thought a truck had hit the building, but within a nanosecond I realized just what it was -- I realized this when the jolt was followed by about 3 seconds of rolling. The rolling stopped before I could get out of bed, and I fell back to sleep.

I inspected our buildings this morning and I see no signs of damage. I asked after Mass if others felt it, and I would judge that maybe 15% of our school population woke up. When I myself woke up this morning I found myself wondering how I would say, "Did you feel the earthquake last night." I must say I was proud to find out that I was correct -- here one does not "feel" an earthquake but rather "hears" one: Je, umesikia tetemeko usiku? Did you hear the earthquake last night. (Okay, I admit this is entirely unfair and entirely English-language-centric because the fact is that the Swahili verb kusikia covers more senses than just hearing.)

In any case, glad the damage was slight -- both here and the Mid-Atlantic States.

Thanks

I write this as I look out onto our campus from my bedroom window. Sooner or later I'll post a picture of this wonderful vista of our campus.

The campus is extraordinary really, and yesterday's visit of our families was a great reminder of just how extraordinary it is. They continue to be overwhelmed by the scope and beauty of the facilities. Not only the Jesuits but also our students and their families are so thankful to our partners, the Our Lady Queen of Peace foundation. It is a heartfelt appreciation that move me.

The present phases of construction are winding up. I suspect that by the early part of next year things on this part of the campus will have quieted a bit. What I am most eager for is the completion of the school's chapel. Like the other buildings, it has been built for full capacity of 1,200 students, which will mean that during these first years our students will get lost in the large building, but even with so few it will be an inspiring place to offer praise and thanksgiving to God.

Parent Visitation

Today is our third day dedicated to hosting families of our students. It is always a mixed day for me. The excitement of so many students anticipating the arrival of their families is wonderful, but there are also students whose families do not visit because of the distance such a visit would entail. It is a rather sad sight to see them moping around.

There are some families who have noticed this and have sought to include these students in their own activities. Seeing this has been edifying.

Today we inaugurate our parent association. I have asked four parents from Dodoma to serve as the first officers of the club. In the future the parents can elect their officers, but for the time being, I thought it would be good for me to choose so that we can get things off to a good start. I chose well! Last week I met with them along with Kizito. They are very keen on supporting the school -- not afraid to share concerns that will help us grow, but genuinely supportive of the school. I am looking forward to the meeting with the parents.

Families are also receiving progress reports. I worked most of last week on them, using Excel and doing a merge in the Word. It all worked well, and I printed the reports on Friday. As I was stuffing envelopes yesterday (which brought me back to my first job, stuffing envelopes at ABC Mailing, my Uncle Joe's bulk mailing business in Toledo, Ohio), I realized there was something wrong with the biology grade, so I had to do some sleuthing, correcting, and reprinting.

I also figured out too late that one of our teachers does not know the meaning of "commendable". Our teachers use coded comments, and this teacher wrote the code for "attitude, effort, and achievement in this course are commendable" for those students doing remarkably poorly. Oh, well. Maybe it will encourage them.

Sometimes I Wonder...

You'll see on the right side-bar that there is a visitor "tracker."

Don't be frightened, but I know who some of you are (like families of volunteers!). But others, I haven't a clue -- but I'd love to know, if you'll let me.

So if you care to, send me an email introducing your self. (The address can be found in my introduction on the right.)

Here's to U of D High School

I was principal at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the new century.

As I watched this video of the school, I couldn't help but be proud AND be hopeful that we here at St. Peter Claver High School might enjoy some measure of the success of U of D High.

Fixed an Important Link

But it still needs to be oiled.

I just tried the link to the Chicago-Detroit Jesuits under the "You Can Help" section to your right. It was broken, so I repaired it. It needs a little oil, however.

An Important Interactive Map

Please click here to see a very interesting interactive map regarding spending on food.

A one dollar bag of rice in the U.S. is not the same as a one dollar bag of rice in Indonesia. For an American, who, on average, devotes about seven percent of his or her spending to food, it won’t matter that much if the price of rice doubles to two dollars. An American can likely take the money that would have gone to a “non-essential” item and put it towards food instead. But for an Indonesian, who devotes 43 percent of his/her spending to food, it could mean less to eat.

Tanzania is not listed, but I can tell you that nourishment is what most people spend most of their money on.

EE-I-EE-I-O

My sister Toni along with some great friends in Toledo had a fundraiser last night for us. It was held at one of the great watering holes in greater Toledo -- Dale's Bar and Grill in Maumee, OH (thanks to Bill and Liz Anderson, owners, for hosting the event). The goal was to raise funds for our agricultural project.

Initial reports are that we'll have a few moo-moos here, baa-baas there -- here a cluck, there a quack, etc. My friend Mary Russell (buy her book!) donated enough money for 4 milk cows with the provision that we name them -- Mary, Donna, Jessie, Danielle. Happy to do such (it is less attractive to name animals raised for slaughter, though!).

I just completed a call with my oldest friend in the world, Rob Loeb, who co-chaired the event with Toni. He reports that folks had a marvelous time.

If you weren't at the event and would like to help, feel free to head over to Chicago-Detroit Province of the Jesuits site here, and donate what you can. Please choose "Eastern Africa" as your designation, and write "OLQP farm" in the comment section of the on-line donation form.

Thanks to all for your continued support!

*****UPDATE*****
I just heard from Toni that $8,455.00 has been raised so far. Can you help us hit $10,000.00? You can click on the link above.

A Sad Day

Today is Scholastic Martin Waweru's last day among us. He'll be leaving to make his annual retreat and then heading to Kenya to visit his family before starting a program in educational leadership at the University of London.

Martin has been a great companion, and I shall miss his presence here in Dodoma immensely. Last year at this time I was having a particularly tough go of it, and he was there accompanying me every step of the way through that dark valley. And before that when there was a bit of tension in our community it was he, so much junior in this Jesuit life, who called his elders to face the issue and to forge a way through the difficulty.

In late December I discovered a teacher whom I'd employed was not going to show up, so I had to re-arrange the schedule. I asked him if he would be available to teach mathematics because he is trained as a maths teacher, and he agreed on the spot.

And what a maths teacher he's been. Recently a visitor asked five students who their favourite teachers were, and 4/5 mentioned him (and the fifth had a different teacher for mathematics). He exhibits just what you want to see in a good teacher: very high expectations and a willingness to support students in every way possible to help them meet those expectations.

Just two hours ago at our weekly baraza, I announced his departure, and along with Mwalimu David and the Headboy and Headgirl bade him farewell. Oh the tears among the students! -- and a few discreet ones among some school employees, too. His own words of farewell to our students were spot on, encouraging them to shoot for the stars.

In a couple of hours the Ivrea sisters will join us SJs for dinner to bid Martin farewell, and later some of the lay teachers living on campus will join us to lift a glass or two; and then tomorrow he departs.

We humans are not the only creatures who will miss him, either -- Chui our cat prefers Martin to everyone else.

Fortunately, I will have a chance to visit him in London when I pass through in November! Already I'm saving my shillings so that I can take him to a nice place.

Karibu tena, Waweru!

Home Again

I just returned home about one half hour ago.

I was so happy to be greeted by our students returning from an outing to the NaneNane grounds (tomorrow, after all, is nane nane or 8/8, the national holiday honouring farmers). They raced up the road to greet me and refused to let me carry my own luggage (I had taken the bus, the driver of which kindly dropped me off at our corner rather than making me go all the way into town to the depot.)

I enjoyed my holidays immensely (and in many ways wish the time could have been longer), but I am indeed happy to be back home.

A highlight yesterday was the chance to spend time with my friend Veronica Sarungi and her parents, the Honourable Professor Sarungi, retired member of parliament, and Mama Sarungi. It really was a delightful time. Veronica was concerned that I had been taken hostage by her father because of the two hours I spent with him. For me it was fascinating -- he was TZ's first orthopaedic surgeon; served as the defense minister, the education minister, and the minister of health; and has countless stories about Nyerere, my hero.

Time to Think

These days at the beach have been restful, even retreat-like. I've managed to read a lot, to sleep a little more than usual. But they have also provided me a chance to really think about some short-term and long-term issues facing SPCHS and OLQP.

I have been thinking in particular about Loyola Teachers College and just what a difference this could make for the TZ. I'm very thankful to my friend Professor Vicki Graf (who recently visited us) for an an article she sent me that confirms not only my concerns about the present state of things here but also some of my initial thoughts about what's to be done relative to teacher education.

But I've also spent time thinking about how it is I can help our present teachers imagine different ways of being in the classroom, imagine different ways for their students to be in the classroom. That is a more immediate and more pressing concern -- and not an easy one. I think having teachers here who could model different possibilities would be a tremendous help, and I'm hoping the imminent arrival of a volunteer professionally trained as a mathematics teacher might be a good start. I'm also thankful for the kind offer of JP Morrison, the headmaster of St. Ignatius College, Enfield, London, UK, to have some of his best teachers come during the time the students from his school are here so that they could provide demonstration lessons.

It is hard for people to change without models for such. As I used to tell folks in my leadership classes, change for teachers is analogous to 19th century America -- no settler would leave the comforts of, say, Albany to settle in the West until the trailblazers had trailblazed and the pioneers had pioneered and a certain number of trustworthy settlers had settled and had written accounts assuring those they'd left behind in Albany that it was all worth the risk. I have to figure out a way to do this for our teachers, who for the most part are content with providing instruction the way it is customarily done here. And what does a typical classroom presently look like in TZ? According to a recent UNICEF study, something like this:

Teacher-directed activities (explaining, question and answer, writing on the chalk board, reading to the class, asking pupils to read, lesson summary) took up over half (55%) of the lesson time. Individual seatwork, where pupils worked on exercises from the chalkboard or textbooks and teachers marked the exercises, accounted for 25% of the lesson time. More pupil-centred forms of learning (i.e. paired or group work, pupil demonstration) accounted for just 14% of the lesson time, with paired/group work making up 6% of the lesson time. Non-curricular activities (i.e. administration, no teaching activity taking place) took up a further 6% of the time.

Obviously something must be done.

Gone Fishin'

I left Dodoma for Morogoro on Friday afternoon with our friends from St. Ignatius College, Enfield, London, UK. This group of students and teachers makes their annual trip to Dodoma in the second half of July. The students spend most of their time at St. Ignatius Preparatory and Primary School, teaching some lessons to the students and generally playing the role of older brothers (who speak good English, providing the students a chance to hone their own English skills). The students are hosted by families, which provides them some insight into living in TZ.

The gift for me is not only to meet some very committed young men but to meet their equally committed teachers as well. The trip has been organized by Fr. Tim Byron, sj, a Jesuit's Jesuit.

We spent Saturday reflecting on their experience in Dodoma, and tomorrow we'll head to Mikumi National Park, hoping to see lions among other animals. (I earnestly hope we do, for I have counselled the group that there is no need to leave here earlier than 6:00 a.m. in order to have a chance to see the lion.) After the trip to Mikumi we'll all head to Dar es Salaam. It is there that our paths will diverge. They'll spend one day in the city proper, and I will head to Kipepeo Beach for some r 'n r.

Quite frankly, I'm exhausted and need this time to re-energize. I've brought my Kindle and some books with me to read, some movies (if the power outages permit), and paper for some brainstorming/planning for the next steps for SPCHS and OLQP.

I might even manage to catch up on some more entries here!

What a Summer!

I am headed to the beach for a few days of rest. The summer (no corrections, please, about season given my living south of the equator, etc.) has been an absolutely exhausting one. But it's been exhilarating, too.

The meeting of educators from Jesuit schools in Tanzania, Kenya, and USA was amazing. It took a lot of work, but it was all work that was well worth it. And we could not have had better guests. The folks from the US were "go with the flow" types -- and that's exactly what is needed even on good days here (and a grace that I'm short of at times, I confess). Our residence was still very "rough," but they acted as if it were a palace.

And how open they were to the various experiences that I'd designed for them! I'm not a big fan of immersion programs when they are conceived of as "sink or swim," preferring instead to let people put their big toe in the water to test it first, wade a bit, and then dive in when they are ready. I think it was a profitable time for the participants from the States, a chance to see that there is more to Africa than pictures of children with distended bellies. They did see the hope, but they saw the misery, too.

I posted some days ago the results of our hard thinking. I am so proud of what we managed as a group, of how we took what has been given and made it our own.

My hope is that this experience my serve as a model for others who want to do something other than just talk at teachers about what it means to be at a Jesuit school.

Thanks Be to God!

My internet problem has been fixed. Now it's just a matter of the time-management problem!

What Does It Mean to Be a Jesuit School?

Companions in Mission

International Meeting of Ignatian Educators

St. Peter Claver High School, Dodoma, Tanzania

11-15 July 2011

What follows is the result of the reflection on the experiences of educators from schools representing Jesuit schools of the Chicago-Detroit Province and Eastern Africa Province.

One simple description for justice is right relationships. As we spent the morning of our fourth day together at Upendo (“love” in Swahili) a home for the elderly and the disabled run by Mother Theresa’s Missionary of Charity Brothers, the conversations and emotions among the 20-plus educators from Jesuit schools gathered in Dodoma, Tanzania, felt like right companionship. This is important for us educators from Jesuit schools because the first Jesuits referred to themselves as “companions in the Lord.” One principal question we have asked ourselves in this regard during these days together in Dodoma has been “How are we educators who are working in very different situations both within countries and among different countries companions in the common work of Jesuit/Ignatian education?”

Near the close of our time together, we took the opportunity to begin to craft this document meant to serve as a sort of textual artifact to represent the spirit-filled activities of the previous days. What you will find below represents the fruits of communal reflection based on our experiences at our home schools, our experience of discussing foundational documents relative to Jesuit education, and other experiences. The points form a sort of constellation: We realize there are other schools that espouse many of the same values that we do, and yet we recognize a certain pattern, a certain arrangement of these characteristics that makes our schools what they are.

We realize the incomplete nature of what follows; please help us by adding your thoughts no matter where in the world you find yourself, no matter your circumstances.

Here are some things that we think mark Jesuit schools:

Christo-Centric

Jesuit schools are Christ-centered communities that form members to praise, reverence, and serve God. To love as Jesus did – unconditionally – is the challenge set before Ignatian educators. Such love demands a certain authenticity and depth. Jesus Christ is the model for everything we do in our schools. For those who do not profess Jesus Christ as Lord, we ask that they commit themselves to the Way of God, to the Truth, and to Life-giving values.

Classrooms as Communities

Jesuit schools are committed to creating communities of learners where the duty of the teacher is not simply to talk and the duty of students to listen and repeat. As a community of learners/leaders, the classroom in a Jesuit school encourages a certain freedom and dialogue. Classrooms are meant to serve as learning environments for the sake of preparing competent leaders for tomorrow’s world.

Cura Personalis

All employees at Jesuit schools dedicate themselves to caring for each student as an individual in his/her particular life situation. It is easy to love in the abstract, but St. Ignatius counsels us to love in the most concrete situations in which we find our students – as Jesus does; in this regard cura personalis is intimately related both to the Christo-centric nature of our schools and to the commitment to creating community among our students. In this regard, Ignatian educators commit themselves to special care for those in our school communities who are at the margins, and they take measures to ensure the inclusion of all in the benefits of community.

Magis

Ignatius insisted on the pursuit of excellence, and for Jesuits and their colleagues the desire to achieve “great things” captures the ethos of Jesuit schools. The focus of this commitment to excellence is on different levels: We strive to do great things in the simplest, most local situations, but we also strive to do great things at the global level. Jesuit schools seek to offer students of diverse abilities opportunities to achieve excellence in various facets of life – not just the intellectual facet. In this regard, Jesuit education is committed to an integral formation of our students.

Reflective Learning

As part of their formation, our students learn to be on the lookout for God’s grace active in even the smallest events unfolding in the world. Analogously, even the chance offerings of the moment in classrooms serve as resources for learning if there are opportunities for reflection. Reflection here is not understood simply as a personal, self-centred exercise but also as a communal activity involving conversational narratives that serve as social ways of making meaning.

Justice-Based Service

At Jesuit schools, service is intimately connected to a commitment to justice – to right relationships. Service in Jesuit schools is not an end in itself; it has a formative function: Our students do service because they meet Christ in the poor and learn about Christ as they do what he does: offering themselves for the welfare of others. They also do service to see where the will of God is thwarted so that they might begin to consider ways to “right” the relationships that make the poor poor. Educating men and women for others means in part educating them to strive for justice at every level of life – from local to global. Jesuit schools can be understood as institutions that promote personal and institutional conversion towards the living God; being so disposed to conversion, they stand as institutions that meet the ever-changing challenges of their particular localities and the global community.

In Conclusion: A Global Network

We participants in this international meeting of Ignatian educators have come to an appreciation of the fact that we are part of an international Ignatian community united by the characteristics and values listed above. This gives us certain advantages. For instance, if taken seriously our international connections provide us with a resource to create an awareness of the world and an appreciation of the virtue of solidarity (the disposition to see the other as sister and brother and to see the interdependence of people and communities locally and globally). Such a commitment to fostering solidarity should issue forth in a desire among our students and graduates to act for change when they see injustice, see threats to human dignity, etc.

What would you and your colleagues add?