Eyes Wide Open

As many of you know, we were fortunate enough to have a US visa granted to our principal, Boniface, and we are now in the middle of our American safari. It has only been 5 days since we landed in the US, but I can tell that this is going to be a life changing, eye opening 3 weeks, in so many more ways than I could have imagined. Of course, there is the culture shock for Boniface; the freezing weather, the huge highways, the nice houses, and commodoties at our fingertips, but there is so much learning taking place that I know Boniface, and therefore the Joseph and Mary Primary School will never be the same.

Even though we have only visited one school (Bronxville Public School in New York), I can tell that Boniface has an entirely new appreciation for what it means to be an educator. He said to me that after almost 40 years in education, his eyes are finally open to what education can be, and he is excited to get back to work with a new fervor and drive. He is amazed by the teachers drive, the way that a class is controlled without the use of harsh language or corporal punishment, and how much FUN learning can be for a student when a teacher is excited about the subject. Of course, these are all things that we have discussed in our countless staff development days over the past year, but I am hopeful that Boniface having his eyes opened here will mean a new commitment by our entire staff to changing the education system in Tanzania by being an example at the Joseph and Mary Primary School. There are still so many more schools to tour, and so much more to see, but if we continue in this direction, I think this trip could possibly change what it means to be a teacher and student at JBFC!