Final Thoughts of Ukraine as Rhody Returns Home

Ukraine's Future

                                                      
The Day After:  The return to Kyiv and finally, to Rhode Island, was a whirlwind that included a 26- hour trip between Hotel Rus in Kyiv to the airport in Providence. It's taken me another full day to unwind and although processing all that transpired in the past two weeks will take longer, here are my initial thoughts.

Ukraine's vivid culture is evidenced throughout Kyiv and Crimea. However, it is a newly independent state, a toddler crawling away from it's soviet past.  Market capitalism has not benefited the masses yet and this is evidenced in poorly paid teachers and other workers, and a crumbling infrastructure. However, the youth, who are bright and eager, are Ukraine's biggest assets. The young people I met are gifted and persistent in making and meeting personal goals. When they approach their careers  with the same enthusiasm, they will help propel their country forward, and will, I believe, make Ukraine shine.

I am not sure if I added value to Gymnasium #9. But, I have brought home many gifts. With joy I will remember the mature, lively students Dina and Olya and the incredible teachers I saw, especially my mentor teacher, Mariana and the vice principal, Svetlana. With fondness, I'll remember the genuine smiles of all the kids. And, with hope I'll look back on the superb academic outcomes attained by students who do so with little technology, but rather by sitting before great teachers and applying positive attitudes to a solid work ethic.



Although this is the end of my trip, it won't be the end of the experience. We still have to iron out details, but next year will be one in which my JSEC students will engage with learning opportunities with their Ukrainian and Chicago peers.  I look forward to our collaboration!

Dasvidania Simferopol

Day Twelve:  Dasvidania is Russian for "good-bye" and sadly, that's what I had to say to my host and the teachers and students here in Simferopol. What an emotional day! It started with an awards ceremony for 5th to 8th form students who gave powerpoint presentations yesterday on subjects such as "The Etymology of Names of Ukrainian Cities", "Origami", "English Slang", and "World Water Day." 

Later, Dana and I met with a 10th form class to give presentations on American schools and students. When we asked what their stereotype of Americans was they said we had more freedom, more opportunities, more independence. It made me realize we, as a community, should think about these concepts. Ukrainian students truly value the culture of education and work very, very hard. They want what they think you already have. So, are they right in their viewpoints? And, if so, do we take these things for granted? If others are working hard to attain "more freedom, more opportunities, and more independence," should we work just as hard to keep them - if, indeed, it is true?

Tomorrow I fly to Kyiv to meet with the other teachers and to "debrief" about our individual experiences. Then, it's home to Rhode Island. I wonder what "big ideas" we'll all come away with from our time in Ukraine.

Question: What do you think about the students' stereotypes about life in America?

Ukrainian Treasures

               Marina in her "Rushniki" standing before a photo of birthday heroine Vera Ruik

Day Eleven:  Today Ukrainian treasures took center stage. The morning began with a school presentation on Vera Ruik, a Ukrainian heroine and master embroiderer who would have been 101 years old today. She taught at Gymasium #9 in the 1950's and it is said she "embroidered her own destiny". Marina wore her traditional "rushniki" in honor of this Ukrainian treasure. I've been looking for a similar one to take home, but it's difficult to find in this part of Ukraine. Sadly, we've been too busy for much souvenir shopping, but perhaps that just means another future visit is in order.

                                           Dima and Olya, our tour guides today

The second treasures were the most important as they were two of the school's students: Dima and Olya. They volunteered to take Dana and I to the local ethnography museums and in doing so I learned a lot more about them and other typical students at the school. They both have full class loads of 7 classes per day but both take extra classes before and after school. Dima's extra classes include physics, math, Russian and yoga - which he takes after the school day ends. Olya takes extra lessons before school (at 7 am!) in chemistry and physics and after school lessons in math, German and English. Both study from about 7  to 11 pm every night as well. Now that's dedication! The two 10th form students were gracious, accommodating and super friendly.

                              Traditional Ukrainian dress at the ethnography museum

The next treasures were those of Ukraine's cultures. The ethnography museum displayed the cultural contributions of various Crimean peoples including Tartars, Georgians, Russians, Jews, Muslims, Greeks, Italians, and of course, Ukrainians. Such a diverse corner of the world.

Question:  What Rhode Island treasures would you share with visitors?

On Stage!

Day Ten:  Here are a few English language teachers from throughout Crimea who came to Gymnasium #9 for a professional development workshop on language teaching methods. Guess who presented? Yes, me - along with Dana, my colleague from Chicago. It was a bit intimidating but luckily I came prepared. The "class" was about 2 hours long - so, as you can see, my Ukrainian visit isn't just about touring beautiful palaces and attending the ballet. Some teachers seemed timid about asking questions in a whole group setting, but several spoke with me after, requesting a copy of the presentation.

Next on stage was an amazing production of Romeo and Juliet, acted by students from the 7th-9th form classes. They had been practicing their performance for months for a Crimean-wide competition, in which they took third place. I have a video of the performance, which I'll share when I return to school. However, here is a group photo of the main actors. They did a super job! I'm now hoping our students will get motivated to learn scenes from plays by heart!

      Romeo and Juliet actors with their director/producer/teacher Inessa Ivanovna Chukaveva

After the school day ended, Marina treated us to lunch, delicious Russian blinis, which are a kind of stuffed, rolled pancake. Then we walked to the office of "Windows on America", a US State Department sponsored organization that is a meeting place for local citizens interested in American culture. The amazing Peace Corps volunteer at Gymnasium #9, Cynthia, also gives conversational classes there and even leads a (book club) reading group! 

                          Cynthia and Marina at the "Windows on America" office in Simferopol

Question to ponder:  Would you be up to the challenge of memorizing monologues for a competition between our school and Gymnasium #9?

Top 10 Lessons Learned

Day Nine:  After a full day at the school, which included teaching two classes about American schools and students, this is what I learned:

10.  Ukrainian and American students are more alike than different. They watched the presentation the JSEC 11th grade AP English class prepared, which included their favorite sayings, school cliques, and global issues of concern. Ukrainian students also identified themselves as a "geek" or "hipster" and were concerned about global climate change, poverty, and global security.

9. Teachers are overworked everywhere!

8. Diversity is universal. At JSEC we are multi-lingual and multi-ethnic. So are Ukrainian students: they speak at least two languages at home (Russian and Ukrainian) and are culturally diverse - Ukrainian, Georgian, Russian, Tartar, and Armenian are a few of the cultures found in the hallways at Gymnasium #9.
7. JSEC students don't have enough passing time (your counterparts have 10 minutes between classes).

6. JSEC students should read more - in more than one language. Ukrainians are readers: Gymnasium #9 students are reading in 4 languages (Ukrainian, Russian, English, German).  11th Form students gave presentations today about Langston Hughes and a science fiction writer named Clifford Donald Simak. Other favorite writers of theirs include Lillian Hellman and John Updike.

5. Ukrainian students have "fire" drills, too. They are called "civic defense training" drills and they must leave the building wearing masks. Here you can see that not all students follow directions!

4. No Internet in a classroom is challenging.

3.  Flexibility is a plus when teaching - anywhere.

2. "Nerd" is a universally understood word.

And (drum roll, please)...The Number 1 Lesson I've learned so far is...

1. Even students in the Ukraine text during class.

Question:  What would you like to learn from Ukrainian students?

Palaces, Princes and Playwrights

Day eight was a historic hike into history. While yesterday took us southwest to Bakhchisaray and Balaklava, today we left the flat terrain of Simferopol and drove south, across towering mountains, to the seaside and historical port of Yalta. The father of Sasha, a bright 8th form student from the school, selflessly volunteered to chauffeur us while tour guide extraordinaire (and vice principal) Svetlana provided us with the history of all the places we visited.

Swallow Nest Palace along the Black Sea near Yalta, one palace we didn't tour

We started at Vorontsov Palace, a fairy-tale structure set in a sweeping park, that took 20 years to build (1828-1848). Churchill stayed here during the Yalta Conference.

                           Sasha, myself and Dana in the inner courtyard of Verontsov Palace

Next, we went to the site of much of the action of the 1945 Yalta Conference; the meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to reorganize postwar Europe. Livadia Palace was originally home to the last Czar of Russia, Czar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their children. But, before then, in 1861, Mark Twain visited the original wooden structure that first existed here, when he toured Europe. His visit is recorded in his book Innocents Abroad. Then, of course, there is Ms. Barnes. Now I am part of this illustrious group of people who have walked these historic grounds.

                                           Lividia Palace, the site of the Yalta Conference

              Dana and I in front of a portrait of the last Czar Nicholas and his family in Lividia Palace

Our final stop was Yalta, where we toured the summer home of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov before we strolled along the windy pedestrian harbor front where we saw trendy shops, kids skating, and families enjoying their day. We continued to a main square where a statue of Lenin was graced with flowers from those observing his birthday (April 22nd!).

                                       Standing at Checkhov's Back Door. Anyone home?

Birthday flowers for Lenin in Yalta

I'm exhausted now but looking forward to tomorrow's day at the school. Dana and I will be sharing information about our schools and this is when I'll give the students the cards the Language students made and the 11th grade presentation.

Question:  How did the Yalta Conference change Europe? What happened to Czar Nicholas and his family after the Russian Revolution? What is the most famous Chekhov play? If any of my students can answer these questions - extra credit points might come your way!

Crimea's Past at Play

Days Six and Seven:  Work and Play!



Picture this scene: A teacher enters the classroom and all the students stand until she says "good morning." They repeat the greeting and sit only after they are given permission. Hmmm.....this is a routine I might have to implement in room 327 at JSEC! It works very well at Gynasium #9 and was one of many surprises I encountered after sitting in on three classes. In all the classes, the 45-minute lessons offered a variety of activities that fostered fluency in English. The students seemed comfortable with their conversational skills and one impressive student translated a Greek monologue into English while asking a few questions in his native Russian. Wow!

Teachers also make time to relax with each other and during the day one of the vice principals, Svetlana, served Dana and I tea with sweets before we talked about her responsibilities and classes (yes, administrators also teach here!).  In fact, I sat in on Svetlana's class, English for Tour Guides, which focused on museums. So, it was a great introduction and lead-in to our weekend activities.

                                             Tea with Marina, our host, and the vice principal

Today, Saturday, was a chance to leave Simferopol to visit a few sites west of here. Cynthia, a Peace Corps volunteer from Georgia who teaches at the school, came along. First, we toured Bakhchisaray Khan Palace, a spiritual and political center for the Crimean Tartars. Here is an excellent website about this compound, which is undergoing restoration:   http://www.hansaray.org.ua/e_index.html

                                                           Part of Bakhchisaray Khan Palace

                                        Peace Corps Volunteer Cynthia and Dana Desjardins
                                                               at the Harem's balcony


Next, we stopped at a monastery, built into high cliffs. The visit afforded a well-needed, but short hike up a steep road. At the top we were able to continue our short trek up to the small chapel that's carved into rock. Although we didn't see any monks, the monastery is still active and the resident monks still live in cliff side dwellings.

Stairs to the Monastery Chapel

Finally, we went to Balaklava, a once top-secret Soviet nuclear submarine repair base. The underground facility is now a museum and walking into the deep passageways felt like walking onto a film set for a spy movie. The base closed in 1993, but was originally built to survive atomic impact. When it was operational it was one of the most secret areas of the Soviet Union and nobody could visit the city without top security clearance. So, seeing it in person today gives a fantastic opportunity to view a piece of "Cold War" history. http://www.kawapanga.com/balakclava-crimea-ukraine/

                                             Sign at the entrance to the submarine museum

These are replicas of nuclear missiles situated in front of the door to the chamber which originally housed the real nuclear submarine missiles

Question to ponder:  What areas in Rhode Island would you share with visitors from the Ukraine, or elsewhere, to give them a unique perspective on our history?

Simferopol, Crimea - My Home For The Next Week

Day Five:  Warmer weather and warm greetings by Marina, our host teacher here in Simferopol, marked this unforgettable day. Marina and her son, Andre, met Dana and I at the airport and after we settled into the hotel we went to our home school: Gymansium #9. 

Two of Marina's students gave us a tour of the building where we had the chance to meet a few other students and several teachers. Everybody was kind and welcoming; I truly felt "at home". Like the school we visited in Kyiv, Gymnasium #9 educates students from Form 1 through Form 11 and focuses on teaching languages - especially English. The students' command of English was impressive, which means their teachers must be outstanding. I can't wait to learn from them and only hope that my teaching experience will be of some benefit.

                                            Dana, myself and our two English expert guides
Along with our student-led tour, we were honored by a presentation of the school's museum by Lyudmila Katsura who teaches English and American literature. In fact, her students just read Catcher in the Rye, a favorite of mine. Lyudmila has been teaching since 1969, which means she's been engaging students for about 43 years - and doesn't seem as though she is ready to take a break anytime soon! I was humbled by her dedication, but also by her loyalty and love of the former students and teachers she introduced us to via the museum's photographs and posters. One panel was dedicated to those students who lost their lives during World War 2. Lyudmila shared the story of local resistance heroine Zoya Ruhadze, who at 16, had been caught and brutally tortured.

   Zoya Ruhadze   

Lyudmila Katsura with a bust of Zoya Ruhadze

For Debbie, With Much Love

Easter Egg Gazebo in Kyiv

One of thousands of hand-painted eggs hung on trees in the park

Thousands of hand-painted eggs hang from tree branches and a gazebo in a square in Kyiv. Easter is a time of re-birth and that is the thought I carry in my heart for you.

First School Visit

Day Four: This morning we visited our first school in Kyiv- "Specialized School 57 with profound study of English"

Above are a few of our guides - Form 11 students, or the equivalent of seniors. The students we spoke with had a commanding fluency in English, which they have been learning from the first grade. School 57 is similar to a charter school with a competitive entrance exam. The major difference between this school and ours in the US is that students - from first form (first grade) to 11th form (seniors) - are housed in the same building. The elementary students were very cute and also seemed to understand English.  We met them during a student-led puppet show/assembly.

After the assembly we toured the school, which included a school museum and a room dedicated to former students who served in WW2. The school museum had posters of different classes and special visitors - one of which was former President Bush!

Culture in Kyiv

Day Three:  We had a primer on the educational system, but that was not a highlight. And, yes, we had a briefing at the US Embassy on political and economic issues - which, on any other given day would have deserved a gold star. But, my most memorable experience was.....understanding that the culture in Ukraine is alive and well and flourishing. People read.  People go to the ballet. And that is important in any culture.

We've been to four restaurants, two of which used books as decorative props and as resources for customers' consumption. And, people did look at them and read them. Sure there were also the ubiquitous tied-to-technology folks browsing their ipads and smart phones - but people also had old-fashioned books and newspapers and magazines open. They were read. That's important. In fact, this guy is still reading:

                                                                 A Kyiv Shop Window

This evening we attended a performance of "Carmen" at The Kyiv Opera House. It was a Tuesday evening and the house was packed: couples on dates, parents with young children, retired folks, young professionals, and teachers from the US were in attendance. The performance was stunning and I was in awe. The price was affordable (about $25.00) and our seats were prime. This is unheard of at home where the fine arts - ballet, the symphony, opera - is available at a dear cost. And, while I realize that due to the average, low Ukrainian wage - $25.00 for a ballet ticket could also be deemed costly - I am impressed by the attendees' knowledge and appreciation of high culture.

                                     Looking up, inside the Kyiv Opera House during "Carmen"

First impressions and musings

Day One in Kyiv.

After the usual, tedious trans-Atlantic flight and a Ukrainian feast too extravagant to be fully appreciated by myself and fellow weary partners, we settled into sleep at the Hotel Rus, and awoke to a fully planned

Day Two - and the start of discovering Ukraine, along with exploring my essential question of:

     “How is the landscape (political, economic, geographic, historic) reflected in the character of Ukrainians?”

Today, my inquiry was partially answered during a lecture at the IREX office on Ukrainian History and Culture, given by Iryna, our local consultant and guide. This is partially what I learned: This multi-cultural state, populated by Europeans, Asians, and numerous multi-ethnic groups, has only been an independent state since 1991, when it left the former Soviet Union to start its existence as an autonomous state. People speak Ukrainian and Russian, along with 40 other languages and dialects. Post-independent growing pains included economic struggles with a change to a market economy from the former communist regime. But even before the current challenges, Ukrainians suffered greatly. The Great Famine of 1932-1933 claimed between 6 and 7 million lives; in World War II about seven million more lives were lost, including 100,000 at Babi Yar and 450,000 soldiers killed during the 1943 Kyiv liberation from German occupation. Of course, more recently, the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear accident caused and is still causing death and ill-health. Today, the Ukrainians struggle in other ways. The average gross salary is $319 per month and the average life span is only between 60 and 75 years old.

So, perhaps this is translated into the stoic, serious faces, and the enormous variety and amount of foods we’ve had at our two group dinners.

Iryna also shared that Urkainians are emotional, not punctual, and believe that life is pre-determined. Their culture is oriented towards the common good; relations are all important and they are very concerned with how others think of them. Like a bee-hive, the group is of great importance. Maybe that’s why personal space is minimal, and that critical thinking skills are secondary to rote learning. Communication is authoritarian and seniority and rank is respected. Finally, avoiding direct conflict is stressed while indirect communication is the norm for conflict resolution.

I experienced much of this today during our tour-guide, bus trip of Kyiv. Like students with short-attention spans, we did not pay heed to our earlier lecture. Ludmilla, our broad-faced, stern tour guide was well prepared for our tour. We stopped to view the historical, educational, cultural and governmental buildings of importance, but her scripted lecture became a string of facts, a blur. “Look left; look right”, “19^th century” this and “1610” that became factual overload. Often, especially when the bus rattled over cobblestones, her lecture became completely inaudible. And so, like bad school children, we chatted amongst ourselves and asked for more time to walk and wonder. Ludmilla was not amused. Hadn’t we just learned that communication was authoritarian and that seniority and rank trumped all? And when we wandered too long at stops, they waited patiently, albeit with stern expressions and I wondered why specific time limits hadn't been given.. Ah, yes - now I understand: Avoid conflict and use indirect communication for conflict resolution. Check.
　
My bus partner reminded me of how focused attention can be an ally. And, I gleaned a teachable moment. I lost my focus in listening to Ludmilla, but my bus partner shared how listening intently would reap rewards. So, I did. Here are some of the gems I heard: There is, in Kyiv, “The Park of Eternal Glory” dedicated to unknown soldiers and victims of The Great Famine, “The Statue of the Motherland”, a gleaming, steel-faced lady towering higher than The Statue of Liberty as another monument to World War 2 victims; and my favorites - “The Institue for the Resolution of Dangerous Situations” (Ukraine’s version of FEMA) and Independence Square, the site of protests during The Orange Revolution and “several other small, inside revolutions.” I’m glad I didn’t let mild boredom let those names and places and phrases slip away.

                                                          The Statue of the Motherland


　
A Philosophical Aside:
During the tour I thought a lot about the quality of beauty because this over-used, difficult to qualify term is often the adjective of choice when describing places. Ludmilla used it a lot. "You must now look to the left. This very interesting place is very beautiful" or "This is a very beautiful, interesting and very rare example of 'Stalin Baroque Style'. Kyiv isn't a beautiful city. Beautiful architecture - yes: many pastel blue, pink, and yellow, Easter-egg shaded, baroque buildings; beautiful, Chestnut-lined boulevards; numerous beautiful, golden-domed Orthodox churches which help to ameliorate the grey-laden skies. But, beautiful is too trite of a word to describe this heavily-somber city. It has Parisian elements; in fact, one area is called "The Latin" area after Paris, but a beautiful city perhaps has a lighter temperament and exudes a quality of energetic hope. And, although a very old city, Kyiv is still forging its identity in, I believe, an attempt to slough off its' somber history. I can’t think of another generic concept to label Kyiv but perhaps that’s the point. Maybe places, like people, shouldn’t be labeled at all. I’ll try to keep that idea close to my heart - and thoughts - in the days to come.

Questions for you to ponder:
1. How is your personal sense of self formed by your landscape?
2. What is beauty?

Teachers for Global Classrooms: Discovering Ukraine!

First stop, Kyiv, the capital; then, Simferopol, the capital of the Crimea.



Roving from Kyiv to Simferopol