Sarasota Herald-Tribune Article by Jennifer Willis
What’s more exciting for a teacher than the summer off?
Traveling to South Africa to take part in a four-week professional development experience tops the charts for me and my two co-workers at Phillippi Shores Elementary School, Samantha Cataline and Ann Matthews. The Education Foundation of Sarasota County is sending us overseas to collaborate with Good Works Foundation, an organization providing access to world-classlearning for youth in rural South Africa through the creation of digital learning centers. We will be based in Hazyview, just 15 kilometers from the edge of Kruger National Park.
While in rural South Africa, we hope to discover new ways to engage students, develop a global perspective on education and share best practices. We will also bring our expertise to aid an underperforming school system where the student-to-teacher ratios far exceed our standards (Florida 1:18, South Africa 1:50+).
Our work at the GWF digital learning center will include providing their facilitators and interns with ideas for maintaining classroom management and assist in creating lesson plans and curriculum. We will conduct new teacher professional development supported by the professional learning given to each new hire in Sarasota County.
My colleagues and I are each dedicated to our profession and have found our passions in various aspects of teaching. Samantha is a natural performer and teaches our Spanish/Drama class. Ann Matthews is our ESOL liaison, technology pro and jack of all trades. My passion is in development of curriculum that allows every child to receive an individualized education. Together, we hope to bring back new knowledge and connections to our school and the district while acting as a great resource to the teaching team at the Hazyview Digital Learning Center.
The students in my first-grade class were so excited about my upcoming adventure to South Africa that they decided to help me prepare by inquiring into the animals I might see throughout my journey. Two weeks were spent on reading and researching animals, writing books and sharing with others. I selected six of the books to take with me to share with the students in South Africa. I am eager to share a little piece of Sarasota with the students in South Africa and hope they appreciate the love that was put into the books.
As we prepare for this exciting adventure, we are mostly feeling gratitude for the wonderful experience ahead. Our school, Phillippi Shores IB World School, hopes to provide a global experience for our students.
This trip to South Africa will bridge our school to the world beyond, and I am hopeful that this will create new opportunities for our students and community.
Sarasota County Visits South Africa! 