Summer camps were by far the highlights of Peace Corps service. |
My
primary school in Ruhabat, Number 41, after a fresh snow fall. There
was no heat in the schools, so everybody wore coats indoors during the
winter months. Children have to attend school for 9 years, from age 7
to
15.
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Compare School 41 with my secondary school, Toplum, one of many large construction projects of the government (the statue is President Nyazov's mother). The facilities were great, but the administration was corrupt and the teachers were unmotivated. Everything that occurred at Toplum was for government self-gratification, not for the education or professional development of the Turkmen people. |
But I was able to work
with students who wanted to learn. This
was one of many English clubs I conducted throughout the year on all
grade
levels. We learned about American holidays, folk songs and
fairy tales, world history and literature. These kids especially
loved songs and word games that applied to the lesson.
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I worked with students and teachers, modeling new teaching methodologies that encouraged conversation, comprehension, and critical thinking. I liked using arts and craft activities to teach vocabulary and simple grammar rules while creating something each student could take away from the classroom. |
Here is a
survey of some
of the sports I played with my students and
fellow counselors - basketball, ultimate frisbee, baseball, and
American football. I especially loved introducing frisbee and
football to my students - even the girls, in their dresses and dainty
shoes, went after the disc and football with passion and skill!! They
made me so proud. :o)
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This world map was one of the major projects at an arts camp I organized at my village school in Ruhabat. Along with drawing and painting the map, we also did painting, drawing, photography, dance, and singing. |
I loved working as a
counselor at a teachers camp organized
by a Turkmen Professional Organization of English Teachers (POET). The
teachers from around the country really knew how to have fun!! I had
the wonderful opportunity to teach a photography and writing workshop
where I gave
each teacher a disposable camera and they wrote poetry to go along with
the images
they captured from their environment. We set up an exhibition for all
the other
teachers to admire their work.
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Here is a group shot after the first performance of the spoof play, "Beauty is a Beast". These kids are some of the brightest kids in the country: most are fluent in English, and wealthy enough to live in Ashgabat and study in places like Kiev and Moscow. The following year, the kids put on a modified production of "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat". |
We were lucky enough to
have a summer English camp at the new school in
my town (Toplum). There we had amazing facilities - a large
auditorium, air conditioning, and computers upon which we taught the
kids simple typing and digital drawing skills while practicing English.
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At the regional summer camps we organized, we invited ambassadors from the U.S. embassy (shown in picture), British embassy, Iranian embassy, and representatives from the U.N. Because the English level of these kids was very high, the camp was based on international issues, including economic development, global environment, people and drug trafficking, genocide, world religions, international NGOs, and human rights. |
The
graduation ceremony was a celebration
that I was so happy and proud to be able to attend with some of my
students in May. I really came to love my students and I
really hope and pray that they will endure and find happiness wherever
they go.
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Photo by Jane Bardon |
I know that a lot of my plans did become a reality eventually. I know that there are plenty of things I could have done better, but I learned a lot, and I am glad that in the end, I helped my colleagues and students in Turkmenistan achieve their goals as well. |
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TURKMENISTAN | DAILY LIFE | WORK | PEOPLE | VACATION |