I’m a big fan of Humans of New York. Stories are incredible things. Brandon Stanton is one of those people who can create deep human connection with complete strangers. His ability to dig down to that structural piece of humanity that we try to bury so deep within ourselves is amazing. Sharing that is so […]
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To anyone looking on, the day had been a series of utter failures….one hit after the other…the FFA meeting had only 2 members show up, the FFA movie night had to be cancelled, and the FFA officer induction ceremony (which I was really looking forward to) scheduled for the next day was forced to be […]
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Sitting in the barber seat again in Begoro, I can’t help but recall the fact that despite being in an African country, amongst my peers group technically speaking, I am a minority. During one of our monthly in-service trainings in Tamale, the busy and desert like city in Northern Ghana, my colleagues expressed some of […]
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I will be the first to admit that I have a ‘guns a blazing’ attitude towards life. I like to get into a situation, put everything I have into it and get out. I came to Sankpala, my community, with this same attitude towards this new adventure. I thought by month two we would have […]
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I suppose one could make a case that teaching is in my genes. My mother taught high school English for 38 years, my brother has lectured at the university level and even my Grandma Rippke was a teacher. Despite my bloodlines, teaching was the activity that I looked forward to the least before coming to […]
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As I stood in front of my classroom yesterday, already dripping in sweat from writing the objective on the board, I looked out on my new students actively working on their warm up and I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I thought about how different my life was now. For starters, I walk […]
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I rinsed off my hands and feet under the hydrant in the school garden. After an afternoon spent planting some green beans, squash and okra with some students, I was tired. I heard footsteps behind me and a voice say “Madam, please, I need your help”. I turned around to see Baba, one of my […]
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So imagine just for a moment with me. Ok…one two, three. It’s probably 80 something degrees outside and feels like 90. You’re using your iPhone to create a blog post in the front seat of a transport vehicle otherwise known as the tro -tro. The air is thick with the smell of everything from local […]
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