-In these months-
Life is mosquito attacked legs and aloe vera
Life is left-over oil drenched donuts dipped in ice cream for breakfast
Life is high school campus puppies’ hellos and goodbyes
Life is a fixed phone and deep conversations into the morning
Life is teachers transitioning in and out
Life is harmonized mass songs that stick
Life is rainy days, rainy nights, fresh air, gray skies, gray ocean,
Life is brilliantly quiet classes,
Life is tin roof din and student races,
Life is shared pork, rice, and lumpia,
Life is quiet noise, rooster mornings, steamy sunshine rising
To the teachers of the world:
My skin is covered in dried sweat, chalk dust covers my shoulders, and the bun in my hair is falling out. The heels of my feet are covered in dirt and my arms have a strange sticky substance on them. I have just returned from school. Each day is a unique adventure at Akoyikoyi. Usually though, these characteristics or something similar to them remain constant. The days are full of sweat, chalkboard lessons, and moving around constantly. My bare feet are usually a bit black before I leave (for slippers/flip flops are taken off following local custom). At some point too, a student from my class or another has come to rub their nose on me, dry their eyes, or take me by the arm- hence the mysterious stickiness. I do not mind these aspects of my teaching. In fact, teaching would not be as intriguing, and challenging, and beautiful without them. I return every day on a bumpy pothole riddled road, proud of my students. No matter how badly behaved, how energetic, or how silly they were being during the day, I love them and I am proud of them.
Akoyikoyi Teacher
I am the nurse, the art modeler, the dance supervisor. I am the English instructor, the reading professor, the math guide. I am the scientist and the social studies enthusiast. I am the invisible administrator. I am the pencil sharpener, the napkin retriever, the recess monitor. I am the janitor, the librarian, and the tech support. I am a teacher at Akoyikoyi.
Hannah Klein is a Jesuit Volunteer and teaches at the Akoyikoyi School on the island of Weno in Chuuk. Her reflection was inspired by her pwipwi’s (sister’s) writing and her experiences in Chuuk.
