The Journey...: The School and the Flexibility...

Majuro Cooperative school is a private, secular school located on the southeast corner of Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Students in pre-K through 12th grade (this is the first year with a graduating class!) come to this school. It is the only secular, private school in the entire Marshall Islands, making it a highly desirable school to attend. Because it is a private school, it comes with a hefty month cost for tuition: $200. Obviously this does not sound like much, but in a country where the average yearly income is approximately $2000, the monthly dues seem relatively enormous. One can assume then, and be somewhat accurate, that this school only draws in students who come from relatively wealthy families. Figuring a ten month school year, a quick calculation would tell you it would take an entire yearly income in order for the average student to come to Coop. So, yes, many of our students are from families who have successful businesses on island, work for the government (who would have thought government workers get paid so much), or have jobs that take them off island quite a bit where money flows much more. However, with the price comes resources, educated teachers and facilities far superior than the other schools on island. This is by no means a statement of superiority over other teachers and schools; it is simply the truth. A recent visit to USP (University of the South Pacific), one of two colleges/universities on island, further emphasized my point. Their computer lab had about ten computers for student use but no internet, the student projects did not reflect college-level work, and their facilities in general were mediocre at best. This is at the college level, so one can imagine what the public high schools must look like. All of the public schools, elementary, secondary and college, are government owned and run...where do you think the issues arise then, in a place where the government is receiving roughly $22 million from the US through the Compact of Free Association? Sorry for the digression, but this comes up in conversation quite often and is rather frustrating. The point is that families who are less fortunate than others do everything in their power to send their kids to the Coop. Even if they are only making $5000 a year (many of our families fall in the $5-10k bracket), they make the necessary sacrifices for their children to have the opportunity of a successful future. This is a testament towards how important education is to some families, something that needs to spread throughout more of the community.

The courtyard for the younger students to play.


The basketball court, which also acts as the volleyball court.

The two high school classrooms, mine is on the right. Since it is equally rainy and sunny every day right now, rainbows can be seen quite often.

My classroom at the beginning of the year.

The cafeteria busy during lunch time.

My position at the Coop includes a multitude of things, and constantly growing with each week. Currently I am teaching 8th grade Geography & Cultures, 9th grade U.S. History, 11th grade World History, 11th + 12th grade Chemistry, and Geometry, which has students from 7th-12th grade. All teachers teach a level of mathematics during 1st period using a program called Saxon Math. Lets just say my feelings towards this program equate to me convincing the principal to hire a mathematics teacher by 2013. As for the Chemistry class, I willingly accepted to teach it partly due to the fact that I was the 4th person to be offered it, but also because I love all types of science (although I am very much NOT certified to teach any of them). It has gone very well so far, except for the fact that our lab facilities and equipment are severely lacking. Up to this point, not having the equipment has not been too much of an issue, but now that we are getting into the meat of the subject, a lab would so much more beneficial for the students. Luckily I was approached by the principal just the other day, letting me know I could order some supplies that I thought would be necessary for the experiments. Now if only I had that science background...we will see how it goes.

Outside of the classroom, I am running an SAT prep club for the 11th and 12th graders, a member of the Jambo Art Club, a member of the Long Island Tennis Club, soon to be a member of the JSA club (Junior State of America), and many more plans are in the process. Unfortunately, there are not too many options for kids outside of going to school. As educators and leaders in this community, many of the teachers are trying to continue or create clubs and organizations to keep students occupied. Rather than see them fall into a typical lifestyle of alcoholism and laziness, we are trying to get them to be proactive and motivated to make a change in their culture. As the 11th grade advisor, I am also in charge of working with the 11th grade parent advisor and the students to run fund raising activities. So far, activities will include: movie night, car washes, Saturday day care, bake sales, a concert (hopefully), and many more. All of the monies are in the works of going towards a class trip at the end of their high school career!

Here are some pictures of the younger students, mostly playing outside. My students and their views on school are the next to come...