Well, there is no need to illustrate the anxiety of entering a new environment—you are all too familiar with it. For me, stepping through the doors of Pearson High School was harrowing. A new school, a new system and a new assignment: to get through my first day as an educator in South Africa. I struggled to sleep the night before, just as I had before joining you all at Whiting.
I arrived at 7:30 a.m. for the school-wide staff meeting (you will be jealous to hear that school begins at 8:00 a.m. for students here) and was introduced to a staff of over 50 educators across all disciplines…a far cry from the small community at Whiting. Then, in a flash, the school day began—my immersion was instantaneous.
I felt quite out of place from the start. Although I arrived in slacks, dress shoes, and a button-down shirt, I immediately recognized that a tie was mandatory for male staff members too…should I wear my Pearson uniform to Whiting when I return in a few weeks? Anyway, this was just the first of many differences that I would soon recognize.
One striking difference between the student teaching experience in the U.S. and South Africa is that instead of having one or two mentor teachers, I have over ten mentor teachers at Pearson.
