by Jim Flynn
6/15/2013

These experiences seemed to be life-changing for Boo. When she approached graduation, she found out about World Teach.  After talking to a previous volunteer on the Marshall Islands during the interview, Boo determined this was the best place to challenge her and develop her teaching skills.  Having already taught in many situations during her excellent education experience at Wooster, and having seen first hand the rural situations of other parts of the world, Boo felt the challenges of working on the remote outer Islands of the Marshall Islands would be a great experience. She would be developing her skills in a way not many people get to experience -- and to experience the adventures and trials very few of us will ever under take.

Teaching in the Marshall Islands proved to be quite a challenge and eye-opening.  Students in the Marshall Islands are not raised with the same academic discipline as our students. They are just as likely to jump from their chairs and run out of class on a whim as to stay at their desks. Small children often wander in and out during the older kids classes.  While we have snow days, school in Bikarej may be cancelled if it rains too hard.  Boo’s school year started late – seemingly at the whim of the principal – more likely while he waited for the teachers to arrive from some other island. While the emphasis may be different, the children really do enjoy school. In fact, parents often use the threat of keeping them home from school to try to get them to behave.  And the kids are always curious about the US, and Boo’s family and hometown.

At first this proved frustrating for Boo.  But she came to terms with it.  She has led her fifth through eighth grade students in publishing a book of writings and drawings of Animals and Creatures of the Marshall Islands, and has received praise from World Teach on the things she has done.

Boo’s letters on her blog have many wonderful stories from her students and questions only kids from a culture different from ours can ask. She has tories of animals running in and out of the classroom, and mischievous things done by the children. 

One favorite is of a suspected “academic integrity” issue.  During a spelling test, Boo found a boy with five of the spelling words on a piece of paper. Now, while this boy is energetic in class, he has no idea how to read or write in English. He swore to Boo that he wasn’t cheating.  But here are the results of his test – guess which words were on the piece of paper he was caught with:

1.      animals

2.      habitat

3.      ocean

4.      jungle

5.      burrow

6.      xzqat

7.      psry

8.      bgsp

With all of these challenges in teaching, Boo will feel successful if any of her students pass the annual High School entrance exam.  Passing this exam affords the opportunity for the student to leave Bikarej and attend the one high school located on Majuro – one small high school that serves a population four times the size of Holliston.  As the High School uses curriculum developed in the English language, the mission of World Teach is to develop a fluency in English for students who hope to go to high school.