Peace Corps Goal #1

“…to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.”

So, 10 months into this one year gig, how are we doing?  As one of our several Peace Corps Country Directors put it, “’Go slow’ is the mantra of development.”  And, “slow” certainly characterizes our progress.   But, we are making headway, and we do seem to be appreciated for what we bring to the Pohnpei Department of Education, so there is room for optimism.

From school-based positions designed to help individual schools meet accreditation standards, our Response roles have evolved to the point where we facilitate, coordinate, and deliver staff development opportunities to teachers and administrators in all schools on the island.  In the language of Peace Corps, we are attempting to “build capacity” among those we serve.

Roger’s focus is leadership.  He has designed and delivered workshops and retreats for principals on topics that run the gamut, from broadly defined concepts related to leadership such as accountability and leadership styles to nuts and bolts topics such as running faculty meetings, time management, and budgeting.  A modest example of recent progress was the establishment of an advisory group of principals who have been charged with helping to identify future subject matter for these workshops.  Most recently, Roger convinced one of the skilled Pohnpeian principals to provide training to his peers—a perfect example of building capacity.  Roger has also been working with the Director of the Pohnpei Department of Education (akin to a superintendent of schools of a large US school system).  In this capacity he developed and delivered a strategic planning retreat for central office staff which has better defined district issues and plans to address them.

Linda’s focus is teacher performance.  Soon after she arrived she began working with a Response colleague (who has since completed his service) to develop and deliver teacher training workshops, traveling to schools all around the island.  Topics have ranged from lesson planning and teaching strategies to assessment and classroom management.  She has followed these presentations with teacher observations—the goal being to observe and reinforce the application of these concepts within classrooms.  Just last week Linda and Roger combined forces to provide what may be the most promising endeavor yet.  With the help of the district’s newly minted staff development coordinator, we delivered a two-day retreat to principal-designated “Lead Teachers” from each school.  Our goal was to provide initial training in areas of leadership and staff development strategies to these teachers who, with the support of their principals, will become teacher leaders within their schools, helping to improve teaching and learning among their peers.  During our last couple of months, Linda will again be traveling around the island, helping these newly designated leaders to get started with some initial action plans.

So, progress certainly—although all of this needs to be viewed within the context of a school system that is badly in need of material and human resources.  Some days we make progress, other days, not so much.  We do feel that we have gradually gained credibility and achieved a comfort level with many of our counterparts.  Relationships have changed subtly.  People are more at ease with us, and we with them.  After 10 months we are comfortable sharing thoughts and opinions.  Our counterparts, in turn, are more willing to accept (or reject) our counsel, knowing that it is given honestly by Peace Corps friends and colleagues.

If there is a downside it is that this development takes time, of which we have little remaining.  Ideally, others would continue what we have begun.  Unfortunately, however, the future of the Response program in Micronesia is uncertain, subject to a review by the Peace Corps—but that’s a whole other story.  In the meantime, it has been a great privilege to represent the Peace Corps in a capacity that, for us, has been an incredible experience!

Education Day  One thing the Pohnpeians do well is celebrate (even modest) success.  This week we celebrated “Education Day.”  School was cancelled (the irony was not lost on us…) and staff members and selected students all met at the gymnasium complex of the College of Micronesia.  Awards were given to students, recognizing attendance and academic achievement, and to staff members, in the form of Teachers of the Year awards.  Those schools that recently achieved accreditation status were also recognized.  Lots of speeches, applause, and songs, with the staff members of most schools and the District Office flaunting their own “uniforms,” i.e. identical Hawaiian shirts for the men and muumuus for the women.  Students representing pre-K through high school age levels also performed.  As usual, the little ones stole the show.

Early Childhood Education students in traditional costume.

Bigger kids performing

Pohnpei's overall "Teacher of the Year"--one of our Lead Teachers!

Peace Corps Response Volunteers in uniform