I had the adventure of a lifetime this summer with Ms. Lewis exploring and teaching in Zambia! We made friends from all over the world and were challenged in new ways as teachers. We taught in classrooms with little to no supplies, were astonished by the immense size of Victoria Falls, and were in awe of the African wildlife after experiencing a weekend safari. Experience Zambia for yourselves second hand through my photo blog below! :)
Chobe National Park Safari
I was completely amazed by the beauty of the animals and landscape of Chobe National Park in Botswana! Ms. Lewis and I traveled there for a two-day safari with some of our new volunteer friends. We spent the weekend traveling throughout Chobe National Park which has over 4,000 square miles of protected land. We began the safari on a boat on the Chobe River. We spotted a variety of animals in the water and along the shore. I was blown away by the size of the hippos swimming in the water, and I could not believe how close we were able to get to crocodiles resting in the sun! We spent the rest of the safari traveling in an open sided vehicle. My favorite part of the weekend was when a herd of elephants crossed a stream and walked right in front of our car just as the sun was setting over the beautiful African landscape! It was absolutely magical!
Teaching in Livingstone
Ms. Lewis and I spent our mornings teaching separate classes at Celia Day School, and then taught an afternoon class together at another school in the Livingstone community. In the morning I taught a preschool class of 3-5 year olds. Every day I was reminded of how fortunate we are in Arlington Heights to have schools equipped with copy machines, desks, chairs, whiteboards, computers, ipads, internet, pencils, craft supplies, books, and so much more. My classroom at Celia consisted of a few tables, chairs, an old chalkboard, and a lightbulb that regularly went out. In the afternoon, Ms. Lewis and I taught in an open classroom built by volunteers, with mats on the floor and a portable chalkboard. With this group of students we focused on counting, letter sounds, and letter formation. My heart was filled with joy seeing the excitement our students had towards the picture books we brought for the classroom. They were mesmerized by the stories and illustrations, shouting "Again!" every time I finished reading a book. It feels good knowing our classes are still reading those stories again and again today even though we are no longer there.