Day Four Dominica: Traversing the Isle

Dominica has the Atlantic Ocean on the East and the Caribbean Sea to the West. The picture is a view of the Atlantic Ocean from library of the North East Comprehensive School in the (you guessed it!) North East of the island. I cannot imagine trying to focus on my studies with that view calling to me.

The day started early so that we could make our way across the small, mountainous island. What a beautiful, green place. Weaving through the tropical rain forest, around the dormant volcanoes is a meandering road that is frighteningly narrow. Currently there is construction to widen these alleys, and this process delayed our arrival somewhat.

At the secondary school I met some fabulous in-service teachers and their students. I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but things here in Dominica are not all that different than the way things are in Canada. Some teachers embrace technology and have figured out how to do things on their own by simply investigating. These teachers are amazing and I feel inadequate trying to help them, since they do not need me at all! Then there are teachers who are unsure of themselves and just need some coaching and encouragement to get rolling. These teachers are great to work with as they are easy to please! There are also some teachers who are reluctant to change. These can be the most difficult to work with, but if you find that one thing that works for them, the thing that makes the job easier for them, then you just have to get out of the way!

I met teachers just like this today. One is a teacher who already knows much of what I was prepared to share with her, another just needed to be told to go ahead and try what she was thinking of doing who was impressed with some simple tips and another who was comfortable staying on the well-tread path. Today I did not find that one thing to inspire this teacher, but I did find out more about Dominican life.

Students are the same everywhere, too. The ones who sit at the back of the class, the ones who sit up front and try to answer every question, and the one who just hopes not to be noticed by the teacher or peers - these students are in every classroom around the world. Where the tomfoolery of the boys at the back of the class made me smile, my heart went out to the in-service teacher who was being officially observed by a faculty member while a stranger from Canada also sat in on her class. She did marvelously well under that pressure.

Finally, I have to mention the generosity of my hosts. I was a passenger for this trip, and they took me through the Carib Territory to see a traditional village. This made the trip all that much longer for them and I appreciate it greatly. In fact they even insisted on buying lunch and even gave me a lovely hand-woven basket to put my trinkets in. Honestly, what delightful company. What a fabulous place to live! I might have to check out the prices of houses; do you think anyone would hire me?