Interviews of visiting teachers at Christian Liberty Academy
Paramaribo, Suriname, South America

Visiting teachers of 2006-2007.

Greta Visscher from Surrey, B.C., Canada teaching High School English & Math

Courtney Withington from Raleigh, North Carolina USA teaches Junior High English & English as Second Language courses.

The following is an interview was done while they were working at CLA ( Christian Liberty Academy) for a bit less than one semester (August to December 2006) at the time of the interview. This is the full, unedited interview. Rev. Rudy Poettcker is doing the interview.

Rev. Poettcker:
Now that you have been living and working in Suriname for a while…

1. What is the most surprising things to you about living and working in Suriname?

Courtney: One of the first big surprises was that I’d be teaching math as well as English, but that soon became not such a big issue once I looked over the curriculum and taught a few classes. Also, I was surprised that no one was sitting in on the first day of classes that I taught. The ESL II class also surprised me; first, because I was teaching it, and then because there was no set curriculum. I think I was expecting a more standardized or formal introduction to teaching when I first started. As for living here, I have to give thanks to the Lord that I can say the most surprising thing is how easily I have adjusted to feeling at home here.

Greta: -dealing with students was not as hard as I thought it might be. I knew from hearing about other new teachers at home, that the first year has the potential to be a disaster, but so far, by God’s grace alone, mine has been going well. The students have never revolted and said anything like ‘you’re too young to teach’ or anything I was imagining might happen.

-I was able to get used to the climate. I think I even like the mugginess…

-I’m rarely very homesick

-how much I like green mangoes and pepper.

Rev. Poettcker
2. What have you liked the most about living and working in Suriname?

Courtney: I like interacting with the students and working alongside the other teachers here. I’ve been very pleased with the working environment at CLA. I like the convenience of being able to live on campus, and I appreciate the accountability I have with those living around me.

Greta: -Being able to talk about God during Literature classes – hoping and praying that all of this will mean something to some of them someday.

-Getting to know my students, especially through tutoring and class discussions

-Exploring the country – Tonka Island and Brownsberg especially, but also going to the interior church with Hassan and Debbie, going swimming, things like that…

-Getting to know Courtney, Hannah, Fareza, Grant and Vonessa, Alney… they have all made a difference in my life and their friendship has been a huge blessing

Rev. Poettcker
3. What have you disliked the most about living and working in Suriname?

Courtney: I’ve had a challenging time fulfilling my role as disciplinarian in the classroom, but I think that goes along with being a first-year teacher regardless of location. I especially do not like the way that women are flagrantly sexualized here, even in the student body at times--I’ve not only had to pull girls aside about dress code standards, but also about having provocative pictures of themselves in their binders at school. As a female teacher, I often feel my sex is a disadvantage to be respected among the male students in particular.

Greta: -the lack of light in the apartment and the feeling of being closed in on the compound. It took a long time for this to be a problem for me and if I get a chance to go running, it’s usually OK, but I do miss windows and sitting outside.

-being whistled/hissed at while walking down the road – always feeling conspicuous when I go out in public.

Rev. Poettcker
4. What do you wish you had known in advance before coming to Suriname?

Courtney: I would have liked to have some idea of the school year schedule, lists of student names for each grade, as well as the quarter plans from the previous year. Even if they were only tentative, I think it would have helped to have some sense of what the year was going to look like.

Greta: -it would have been nice to see last year’s lesson plans before coming. I had no idea what I would be teaching beyond the course name. If Vonessa had not been there…

Rev. Poettcker
5. What advice would you give to someone who is considering coming to Suriname?

Courtney: I would encourage them to ask all the questions they can think of, plus ask others for more questions to ask. There’s no reason to stay in the dark, so ask! I would also recommend volunteering at a school before coming, if possible, and talking with more experienced teachers one-on-one about how to prepare for teaching. It would be especially beneficial if you are able to talk with someone who has taught abroad before.

Greta: -it’s fine if you’ve never taught before – that is something that can definitely be learned if you are willing BUT personal maturity is huge. Wes [Bredenhof] first mentioned Suriname to me when I was 18 and I was interested then already, but I am thankful for every year of life experience I’ve had since then to prepare me for this.

-know something about education – ask questions from former teachers, read books, volunteer in local classrooms a little bit…you don’t need an education degree, but you do need to know what education entails

-have your faith figured out ahead of time – know the answers to the ‘hard questions’ because students will ask eventually.

Rev. Poettcker
6. Do you feel that you were well-prepared for coming to Suriname (explain)?

(If not, please explain in some detail how you could have been better prepared)

Courtney: I’d say I was pretty well prepared--a lot of people were praying for me. I know they still are. I had forgotten to get some anti-biotic cream, so I got to learn about why that comes in handy here when my foot got infected the second day of school. Two things I brought that I haven’t found a use for yet--VHS tapes (hardly anyone owns VCR players here) and a pair of heavy boots. Two things I wish I had--more pictures from home (to show people here as well as for the memories) and my big Oxford English Dictionary.

Greta: -I think I was as prepared as I could have been. Doing something like this will always be a leap of faith, but my years at university, my time away from home before, and my tutoring experience have all greatly helped me to do the work.

Rev. Poettcker
7. If the Administration were to invite you to, would you consider returning for another year? (Please explain reasons why/why not)

Courtney: Even though I don’t have other plans set in place for next year, I still feel that it is too early for me to say whether I would be willing to come back and teach then.

Greta: -I have considered and prayed about it, largely because my experience has been so positive so far, but I feel that I need to finish my degree back home before I can commit to anything like this again. So, I would consider returning, but not next year. I have applied to the final year of the Education program back home, and I hope to hear back from them in early May.

Rev. Poettcker
8. Do you sense the support and care of Administration? (give details if you wish)

Courtney: Yes! Everyone here is very eager to help me as soon as they are able and answer any questions I have. Although I have been thrown more than a few curve balls already this past quarter, I know that I can talk through anything that comes along with Mr. Hamid or anyone else concerned, for that matter. One of the things I was most recently frustrated by was when some new students showed up in a couple of my classes with no prior warning, so I had to go and ask why they were there, and how I was to go about catching them up with the rest of the class. However, after talking to Marina and Mr. Hamid about that, I was able to get a few things cleared up and find out how to deal with situations that arose like that.

Greta: -Yes. Mr. Hamid has been extremely helpful when I have needed advice or feedback on lesson ideas. He has never given the impression that he doubted that I could do the work, even though I doubt myself often enough.

-It would be nice to get a review though, to highlight areas that are not pressing but could still be improved upon in my teaching.

Rev. Poettcker
9. Do you sense the support and care of co-workers?

Courtney: Definitely--I sense the same attitude of care in the other teachers as I do in the administration. They are very patient with me in learning the ropes, and even do what they can to help me along. For instance, Vonessa took the time to transfer my first quarter grades and comments from the office copy report cards to the student copies when she saw that I had too many other things to do before I could get to them.

Greta: -Yes. This is particularly true of Vonessa. She was the most amazing help when I first started and I feel blessed that I got a chance to get to know her and work with her. Everyone else is very kind, and has treated me as a colleague, rather than the resident ‘know-nothing’ J.

Rev. Poettcker
10. Any general comments about your life and work in Suriname?

(Including experiences in class and in the church)

Courtney: I’ve enjoyed my experience of living in Suriname and working at CLA this first quarter because I have been able to do more than just work here. I’ve been able to experience being a part of the community of believers here, which has been the best part for me of it all!

Greta: -I greatly enjoy the church community and the fellowship at FPC. I feel that I am growing in my faith as a result of my being here.

 END

For more information on our teacher needs in Suriname, click here.

Click here for an Missionary Helper Application Form for CLA in Suriname .