Most of you already know that I’ve decided to continue my education by pursuing a Master’s degree in Education (Reading and Literacy) at UT-San Antonio. What some of you may not know is that I once thought I would run off and join the Peace Corps in hopes of finding myself in some distant land where I could learn the culture, way of life, language(s) and in turn give of myself in a way that would benefit all involved. As I entered the master’s program at UTSA I still had dreams of bridging those gaps and my focus to this point (and very far from being fine tuned) would be on multiliteracy and especially reading and comprehension of students who speak English as a second language. Being that I’ve worked with ESL students of various ages, I’ve seen that the demands are great for learning English but also that the material available often resonates with no one. And wouldn’t it be great to learn about things that you can actually relate to? Wouldn’t having appropriate materials foster the learning of a second language, or learning in general?
So, allow me to get to the point. My graduate advisor now (pre-thesis) worked on a literacy project in South Africa (Ithuba Writing Project) in which textbooks and supplemental teaching materials were created, printed and supplied (in their indigenous languages) to under resourced schools for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Training sessions/workshops were held to address teaching techniques and craft better teachers in South Africa. Most importantly, the books printed are stories that come directly from South African teachers which make the material relatable and comprehensible to students. That project ended on August 31, 2009, but on September 1, 2009, Malawi Reads! started. Based on the same principle, Malawi Reads! will create, print and distribute books (in their indigenous languages) to schools in Malawi for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders and I am now a part of that project.
What does this mean? On one level it means that I get to actively participate in a project that will dispense enough reading material to students in Malawi to equate to every student having her/his own book. Aside from helping the students, the teachers are guided through workshops on how to utilize the material in multiple ways to make the most of their resources. I get to work from skeleton to almost completion (if I continue my studies for an additional year then I will be on the project from start to finish). For me personally, as I take off running in my graduate program, this means exposure, connectivity and boundless paths for research. There may even be the opportunity for me to travel to Malawi and not only experience first hand what our efforts are producing but to conduct research of my own.
I know there are words for what I feel, but I can’t even begin to articulate my thoughts. The transition as a whole has been near flawless and while I wondered what I would do about work and I felt defeated for a moment that I would end up having to take some random job just to pay the bills; this opportunity has been handed to me without hesitation. For the first time, I feel a part of an elite group, a place I only dreamed of being, a place I thought could only be achieved by a select few and I never put myself in that box despite what I may have expressed. I actually walked away from my meeting today with tears in my eyes and I couldn’t figure out if they were for the joy that I felt or the accomplishment that I feel I’ve worked hard for or the unyielding belief that I would always see that person but that person would never be me. This is my life, and what a wonderful life.
Until next time,
Courtney Chivon
Until next time,
Courtney Chivon
