Life Shaping

My time teaching in Cape Town was a life shaping experience not because everything was perfectly set up for me by World Teach but because the program allowed for self exploration. Many times I was given the freedom to find my way. This kind of experience was exactly what I was looking for. My Program Director, Peter Fenton, was one of the most down to earth, inspiring individuals I have ever met as well as being a huge supporter of education. He not only discussed intricately the educational, social, and economic pros and cons of Cape Town but also placed the volunteers, according to their comfortability, in the thick of it. We were allowed to become as integrated as we possibly could in our work. I remember by the time we were halfway through the summer I was teaching English Literature, Tourism, and Arts and Culture in Ocean View High School then getting in a taxi to go tutor my previous students in the Black Township of Masiphumelele in Math and Science. Then after that I was running rap workshops with a smaller group of boys obsessed with the art form. When I wasn't teaching core subjects at Ocean View High School I was running workshops in creative writing and latin dance just because there was an interest from the students I worked with. I was able to give all of myself to the experience and I learned so much about education, cultural difference, and the shared humanity we all have. This experience did not come without its hardships from homesickness to long, tiring days, and disagreements with fellow volunteers and host families but they paled in comparison to the richness of the experience. I made life long friends, still keep in contact with numerous students, and have a burning desire to return to Cape Town for any reason whatsoever. If you want to be a globally aware teacher, this is where to do it, no matter where you are from.