Joan Haviland

The children in Fond la Grange school were so attentive when their teacher was explaining what was going to happen. They were going to ?become? the planets of the solar system and step distances from the sun. The children were very excited. One little boy took the paper that had the name of ?his? planet and tore the edges to make it into a circle so it would look like a planet. The teacher had a poster of the solar system that we had brought. It was taped to the wall with duct tape. The tape didn’t hold because of the very hot day and so one of the students went to the back wall, took out the nail, and the teacher nailed the poster to the wall with a rock. After the teacher showed the students how the solar system was arranged, the students went to the courtyard of the school. The teacher had forgotten to assign the part of the sun, so Maureen Conley, Rochester elementary teacher and H.O.P.E. Education Committee member became the sun and the students organized themselves in the order of the planets.

Members of the H.O.P.E Education Committee had spent most of their meeting time for a year planning for this April, l999, trip in response to the request of the Borgne teachers for a workshop in which they would learn about methods of teaching that they could use in addition to lecturing. We gathered and laminated big world maps, maps of the solar system, and additional posters for each of the 14 schools. HF-L High School had sponsored a ?Hike for Haiti? which raised funds which we used along with funds from the H.O.P.E. budget to purchase science equipment the teachers had requested. Members of the Education Committee who went to Haiti were Maureen, Joseph Pierre (interpreter, coach and teacher), Joe Fisher (Honeoye Falls-Lima High School senior), and Joan Haviland (Honeoye Falls-Lima high school teacher). Other members who worked very hard to make this happen were Judy Conley, John Albertini, Paul Kuppinger, and Richard Haviland.

We were welcomed with a hibiscus blossom on each step leading to where we stayed. We had thought the teachers would have a couple of days off. Unfortunately due to communication problems, the teachers didn?t know that we were coming at that time. Fortunately, we were able to meet and work out a plan where the Borgne teachers would come to ?night school? because they had to teach during the day. Fr. Mesidor cranked up the generator and we were in business. The teachers became the students and we shared with them methods that we use with our students. Then they, in turn, used them with their students. In order to teach the methods, we brought posters for the content of the lesson. We soon realized that they were so hungry for content?for information. They asked question after question about the solar system. When we used the world maps, they did the same. We had a Writers Workshop. The teachers were eager writers. We enjoyed sharing our stories. We brought books in French by Haitian author Edwidge Danticat. We began to realize that these teachers have no sources of information: few books, no television, no computers, no library. We continued to marvel at how much they do with so little. They are such bright, dedicated, competent people.

The use of learning stations was our last workshop. We put out all the science equipment we had brought. We had balance scales, a microscope with pre-made slides, magnets, various kinds of rocks, even magnetic poetry. The teachers went from station to station experimenting, questioning, marveling! They looked through a microscope for the first time. They gathered around the French magnetic poetry and created poems.

We ended our time together with a great party. In addition to delicious food, there was singing and dancing. The Borgne teachers entertained us with songs and poems. They asked us to entertain them, too. Maureen and I surprised them with a funny song that some Haitian children had taught us. Joe Fisher played his trumpet. The teachers were so grateful. One said, “I feel as if I’ve been born again in education.”

Joe Fisher, the high school student, had been saving his money for four years to go to Haiti. I was so surprised when he joined the musicians who play for Mass. He was playing right along with them. When I asked him how he did that, he said, ?In my family, we can play by ear. I always had that gift, but never had the chance to use it.? I think that?s how Haiti affected all of us on that trip. It brought forth gifts that we had, but that we hadn’t been called upon to use.

Before we left, we packed the science equipment into a duffel bag which the teachers would take turns using. One microscope for fourteen schools.

At this time, the Education Committee is committed to working with the people of Borgne to build a library. Our dream is to have a building which will house a library with books and educational toys, a center for teachers to keep the materials that they share, a television/VCR which will show videos, a computer with an encyclopedia, and a generator to provide the electricity. We are teachers in solidarity with the teachers of Borgne.