Where the Heck is TGC Georgia Cohort

 Dancing is universal and brings out the best in people.

This video was put together by Walt Davis, a teacher from South Carolina. He was inspired by the Where the Hell is Matt video. I helped film in Akhaltsikhe, Tblisi, and Milton.

Final Day in Akhaltsikhi

I presented my host teacher, Lela, with an I Love Milton shirt.

Milton Bear with the Dancers.

Today was my final day in Akhaltsikhe. It was my favorite day in a school yet. In the morning, I introduced the 10th grade students to whiffle ball. It was great watching them pitch and trying to hit the ball. We then played some football (soccer) and ended the period with basketball. Luckily for me the rim was very forgiving I was able to score two baskets. It was great to see how you do not need language to play sports.

I then visited a seventh grade and second grade classroom. We ended the school day with the 8th graders. We had the students write about their favorite object and took a picture of the object. We also video taped them talking about their objects. It was great. At the end of class, I gave them one of my favorite books, Stargirl, and I handed them two Rubic's Cubes to solve.

After school, I went to Girls in Civics meeting, where we talked about American schools. I showed them a few clips from Yellow Jacket TV, and they were impressed.

Finally I ended my day watching the students perform a traditional dance. I was completely blown away with what I saw. I wish all of Milton's dancers had seen this dance. There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe how awesome it was.

Here is a link to watch this amazing performance. It is well worth the wait to watch it.
Akhaltsikhe Dancers

Village School and Reading

I went and visited a village school. This had a very different feeling to the schools in Akhaltsikhe and Tbilisi. There were a total of 40 students in the school. Many of the students who attended this school were from families who were farmers. I went to a fifth grade classroom, where there were only four students in the class. It was interesting to see the fire place in the classroom. This classroom also served as the computer lab, which did have internet service and a projector. We got to see an English lesson. The students first interviewed each other in English and then they reported out on what they learned about the other person. Then they began a lesson on Shel Siverstein's, "The Giving Tree." Afterwards, they completed a word sort. Then the bell rang.

Irma teaching to her class of four.

I was a little shocked to see these images from the Georgian Orthodox Church in the classroom. When we talked to teacher, she mentioned that the entire population of the school is Georgian Orthodox. The teacher from the school in Akhaltsikhe said, that they could not do this in there school because there are Catholics, Muslims, and Georgian Orthodox students in the classroom.

We then went back to the school in Akhaltsikhe and taught a first grade class. We got to read to them. I read "Are You My Mother?" and my partner teacher, Wendy, read a Elephant and Piggie book. This was fun and I enjoyed being a teacher as opposed to an observer. Afterwards we played Baby Shark with the students, which is similar to "What Time is it Mr. Fox?" and then we taught them Duck, Duck, Goose. Then we got to see the biggest birthday celebration I have ever witnessed in a school. They put foot long sparklers on the cake and lit them. I do not think this would be allowed in Milton.

Meeting the Teacher and Students of Akhaltiskhe #5

Mitlon Bear, Me and the 4th Grade Class

Milton Bear, me and the 8th Grade Class.

The teacher:

Today I had the opportunity to watch an amazing teacher. After all of the talk about how the education system here in Georgia is very tradition stand and deliver and memorize rote facts, I saw a teacher that promoted group work and presentations. Students were doing group work, giving presentations and seemed very engaged and happy. It reminded me very much of the work that I see teachers do on my house. I even had to laugh because she was correcting students on putting words on presentations that they did not understand. I have heard Ms. Endres give the same critique to my students numerous times. I was also very impressed with the content the 8th grade students presented on their favorite TV shows and the 7th grade students presented on environmental issues. This may be my American ignorance, but I was shocked to see them presenting on environmental issues. At the end of the lesson, the teacher gave an impassioned plea for bike lanes in Georgia to help cut down on green house gasses. And given the way people drive in Georgia, I would be very hesitant to get on a bicycle and ride the streets of Georgia. Another thing that was impressive was the vocabulary of the student explaining such complex issues in a language that was not their own. I could not envision any student in Vermont giving the same quality presentations in a language other than English.

 


The students:

The students were awesome. They were very courteous and curious. They asked me about my favorite TV Shows, DC vs. Marvel, and music. During the 8th grade presentation about TV shows here were their answers:

In order of most popular:
Flash (3)
Georgia X Factor (2)
Shadow Hunters (2)
Teen Wolf (2)
Harry Potter (2)
Georgia Dancing with the Stars (2)
Once Upon a Time (2)
Prison Break
Grey's Anatomy
Shannara Chronicles
Arrow
The Legends of Tomorrow
Umaru
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Flat 18 (Georgian Sitcom)

Sometimes they watch the shows in English and sometimes they watched them dubbed in Georgian.

Another thing that was interesting is that one 7th grade class asked for my autograph. I felt like a celebrity of sorts.

Below is a video of Happy Birthday and part of a presentation on Harry Potter.

8th Grade Art Work

8th Grade Presentation

4th Grade

4th Grade

Miton Bear and 4th Grade eating Salt Water Taffy from New Jersey

Student Presentation on her favorite band. Look familiar?

Milton Bear 4th Grade

Introduction to Akhaltsikhe

I had a wonderful welcome to Akhaltsikhe. Our host teacher Lela was awesome. She met us at the hotel and we walked over to her school. The students were all buzzing with excitement when we walked into the building. There were a lot of big smiles on their faces. We visited with the director of the school, visited some of the classrooms, and watched a dance class. After the tour, we went back to our hotel room and had lunch. We then went on a quick visit to Rabati Castle. (We will be visiting Rabati Castle tomorrow to get the full tour and for dinner). Afterwards, we had a nice chat with Lela about education, her experiences, the fact she know four languages, Georgian, Russia, English, and Ukranian. Her daughter is a high school exchange student in Texas. The conversation then turned to the importance of travel and coming back to you homeland to help improve it.

We also talked at length about women's role in Georgain society. In Georgia, the cultural expectation is that women serve the men, stay at home, cook, and clean etc. This expectation is beginning to change in society and Lela is a great example of someone who has bucked the trend.

Milton Bear at Rabati Castle. He is looking forward to visiting the school tomorrow.

The Dancers:

Pictures:

Lela in her 8th Grade classroom. The students stay in the same room and teachers move to different rooms.

The school's entrance.

Dance students.

The American Corner

Queen Tamara

View from the castle. I love the mountains.

Wendy, Lela, and Me at Rabati

Georgians love their cakes and I do too.

Public School in Tbilisi

Outside of the school.

**Be sure to view my Instagram Account to see students in action in chemistry, reciting the alphabet, and at recess.

Today I went to visit a public school in Tbilisi. It was very eye opening. On the outside of the school wall there was a bunch of graffiti. When I went inside, parts of the school looked like any other school and other parts where in disrepair. Throughout Tbilisi, it is not uncommon for the outside of the building to look run down, while the inside of the building is well kept.

I visited a 10th grade chemistry class and we walked into see a few elementary school grades. There were a few things that struck me, when we walked into the classroom, all the students rose from their chairs to greet us. When students spoke in class they needed to rise to address the class or the teacher. 

In the chemistry class, they were worked in groups to mix different chemicals to make the colors of the rainbow. It was cool to see the periodic table in Georgian and other science posters in Georgian. Can you understand what they are saying?

Video:

Periodic Table.

Recess/Gym

Stage/Theater

These are pictures from the elementary school. They did not look too different from our elementary school classrooms. The elementary classroom where all just redone. It was really nice to heart them count to 10, recite the alphabet, and tell us their name.