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JICA Volunteers in Palau

◆Alii from Palau!

Masami Yamaguchi
JICA Volunteer
Ngaremlengui Elementary School

(Teachers and Students of Ngaremlengui Elementary School)

　　　“Ohayo gozaimasu” (Good morning), “Genki desuka?” (How are you?), “Korewa nandesuka?” (What is this?). I can hear the conversation in Japanese in the morning and hear students in school bus singing “Ue wo muite aruko, namida ga kobore nai yo ni… ” (I look up when I walk, so the tears won’t fall…). There are students who enjoy origami making cranes and small throwing blades, who enjoy playing ayatori (cat’s cradle) in pair, who enjoy cutting grass with high speed spinning tops, and who ask many questions about the meaning of names of the characters in Japanese animation.

　　　Students are interested in Japan and full of curiosity. While I wish the speed of learning mathematics by the students is as fast as they learn Japanese language and cultures, I feel sad and tears fall when I think about the day I leave this familiar and memorable place.

　　　I am currently working at Ngaremlengui Elementary School, which is located in west central Babeldaob and which has 53 students from grade 1 to grade 8 and 14 teachers. My missions as an elementary school teacher are ‘to improve the students’ mathematical academic skills at school I work and in Palau as a whole and to improve the teachers’ teaching skills’.

　　　To improve the mathematical academic skills of the students, especially to improve the skill in simple mathematical operations, daily repeated practice was implemented and calculation competitions were held. To achieve the goal of ‘useful mathematics, enjoyable mathematics’, I have introduced teaching methods such as mathematical games in PE classes, calculation of money using recycling cans, puzzles and games.

　　　In cooperation with teachers, in addition to the preparation for classes and teaching material study, I held Lesson Study/Open Class every month for the improvement of teaching skills and school・class management and held open class for the parents for the first time in Palau to gain the support from the parents of the lower grades students.

　　　In addition, in the cooperation with other JICA volunteers working at other schools and Ministry of Education (MOE), I made approaches to MOE, broadcasted mathematics song on TV and held workshops.

(Workshop with other JICA volunteers)

(Open Class at 1st grade classroom)

　　　While time passes slowly in Palau, I had times feeling frustrated because I felt as if only I myself was busy working. Also, I had days of struggles against the situation that the students’ academic skills do not improve as much as teachers expect, despite their great care to individual student due to the small number of students in each class, against the slow changes of teaching style and the use of time by teachers, and against educational system itself.

　　　In the end, however, cheerful and innocent smiles of students, the teachers with flexibility and positive thinking, and the beauty of Palauan great nature healed me and always made me feel calm and happy naturally. I noticed that I am not here without support from people around me and that I am learning so much more from others than I teach them.

(My host mother)

(New Year calligraphy with 5th grade students)

　　　In April 2012, I will return to my old job at an elementary school in my hometown Nagasaki. I applied for JICA volunteer because I wanted to contribute to world peace as one of the teachers who teach in Nagasaki. I could have opportunities to think about peace and make origami cranes with Palauan children. Through the exchange of letters and videos, we became more interested in each other. When I go back to Japan, I would like to introduce Palau and Palauan culture to Japanese children and organize the opportunities to think about topics such as peace, environment, and international cooperation.

　　　Lastly, I would like to say “Mesulang” (Thank you) from the bottom of my heart to my host family who supported me like their own daughter and to all the Palauan people who were always kind to me during my stay in Palau. Also, I will be always supporting Palauan children for their bright future, who told me their future dreams as “I want to be a mathematics teacher in the future” and “I want to study in Japan”.