“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.” ~ John Cotton Dana
At the beginning of each school year, I ask my students to complete an activity called, “The Real Me”. In addition to sharing interesting things about themselves and what they are good at, my students are also asked to share struggles, worries, and goals.
In my classroom, I am the teacher… here in Ghana, I am the student, eager to learn and experience new things.
So, who is “The Real Me”?
My name is Sara Jones. I teach contemporary U.S. history in Titusville, a small town in rural Northwest Pennsylvania. I have been teaching for more than 25 years, but have been a student for twice as long… for my entire life.
Akwaaba - Welcome! From the moment I arrived in Ghana, I have felt welcomed by the WTIG group, Ghanaians working with our group, and by Ghana itself.
I celebrate my birthday every year, however, I have never felt any significance in the day of the week on which I was born. The idea that in Ghana all those born on the same day of the week share a connection and are given a day name to reflect this is also welcoming. And so I am Ama, Saturday.
Ga Naming Ceremony
I have also learned new perspectives on music, that music begins at birth with the cry of a newborn baby and that nature provides its own music, like the crashing of waves on the beach. And to celebrate this music, we have learned to dance in a way that tells a story.
Learning a regional dance at Legon University
As a historian, I teach my students how to work with primary sources. What better primary source is there than standing where events have shaped the history of many nations? This was the experience while visiting St. George’s and Cape Coast castles, as well as Slave River. Here we learned about the enslaved people that were taken by force from their home and families to far away lands. It was incredibly emotional to stand where these people once stood and hear their stories.
At the entrance to the site of The Slave River
Stepping out of our comfort zone is not easy, but often necessary to grow as a person, as a student, as a teacher. The canopy walk at Kakum National Park was just such an experience for me. As scary as it was while I was walking across the rope bridges, the encouragement of my WTIG colleagues kept me going. And the sense of accomplishment in successfully making it to the end made it worth the effort.
Crossing the canopy bridge at Kakum National Park
This year’s WTIG group is made up of both U.S. and Ghanaian educators. What more valuable learning experience could there be while visiting Ghana for the first time? I am learning from them about their country, culture, and traditions, not just in a classroom, but in conversations while sharing a meal, traveling, and in the in between spaces of the day. And I hope they are learning from me as well.
The WTIG 2021 Cohort at Cape Coast Castle
Historian, teacher, student, colleague, friend … this is the real me, enriched by my experience in Ghana and excited to share with my students what I have learned.
- Sara Jones