First Week Highlights: Part 1 (The Staff)

18 Sept 2015

Rather than a ridiculously lengthy post, I’m going to break down the highlights of my first week into a few segments…. So much was going on that it could take me two weeks to explain it all J

First, let me explain the structure of administration: Iryna Kokol’ is the Director and she really does run the show. She oversees all aspects of the school and is a strong leader. Her passion and determination are impressive and when she speaks, people act. I think her personality is a good fit for this position. Underneath her are two other Managers: Zinna is the head of Curriculum and Instruction – that’s not her exact title but the closest I can come to explaining it. She oversees the teachers and general educational curricula. Vera is the head of Social Development and Extracurricular Activities – again, I’m loosely translating the role. She oversees psychosocial development and independent living skills and arts….everything that isn’t strict classroom instruction. Vera is my official ‘counterpart’ or peer, but in truth they share this role nicely. All of the administrators have been at the center for more than 10 years and it would be hard to say who is more passionate or generous. They are all wonderful, kind hearted people and I feel at home among them, despite the lack of a common language.

From Left to Right: Alla, Zinna & Vera

The person I spend the most time with right now is Mary (whose real name is Marika, but has Americanized it for my benefit. They seem to like to do that here). She is a teacher of English and the only person at the school who actually speaks English fluently. There are still gaps, but we have no trouble getting our messages across. The school had assured the Peace Corps that there were 10 staff members who spoke English, and it turns out that it’s not exactly true. Why would they do that, you ask? Because they desperately wanted a Peace Corps volunteer and they knew that’s what the agency wanted to hear. So, it is what it is. Not ideal, but I guess that will just motivate me to learn Ukrainian as fast as possible. Mary is a full time teacher and mother of two young children and like most working moms, she is super busy. Adding one more job to her plate is just part of her life, in her opinion – and she’s happy to do it. She is so very generous with her time but I am mindful of the added work of translation and we’ll need to work out some system that allows here to do her ‘regular’ job while helping me with communication.

There is one other person here who speaks some English – Alla. You can see her photo above with Zinna and Vera. Alla is an interesting person. I would guess she is in her early 20s and grew up in an orphanage as her parents abandoned her when she was young (yes, because of her disabilities). I don’t actually know what her disabilities are but I am guessing there is some sort of syndrome underlying both physical and developmental impairments. There is a mild intellectual disability but she manages on her own as best as possible. About 10 years ago she went to Fargo North Dakota for some specialized surgeries and stayed for several years. During that time she picked up quite a bit of English – not fluent but certainly enough to communicate her needs. Alla explained that when she returned to Ukraine, she was living in a group home and then got her own small room in an apartment building (like a small studio apt without cooking facilities). Someone helped her to get a job at TOCER where she works sort of like a personal aide…mostly helping to transport students around the building and assisting those who need help at lunch time. Alla told me that many cruel things have happened to her in the past and for a while she only wanted to die to end her terrible life. But then she found God and became active in an Evangelical church and has since changed her attitude about things. She is lonely and vulnerable but also so very sweet and eager to please others. And I am struggling with this because she has attached herself to me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. (I know….I know….you all saw that coming, right? OF COURSE someone like this would find me! I am a magnet for it). I am okay with setting necessary boundaries and we have already had several conversations about this (because she waits outside my door to walk me to school every day, holding my hand at lot and she runs from her job duties to whisper ‘I miss you already’ in my ear when she sees me in the halls at school). She is very vulnerable and I want to be sensitive about any sense of rejection. The difficult part is that because she is the only other person who sort of speaks English here, she is sometimes called upon to translate when Mary isn’t available. And she is so eager to help. I am grateful and cautious at the same time. Alas, I’ll find my way with it. Just one more step in the road.

I haven’t had a lot of interactions with the other teachers yet although they have all been very willing to let me sit in on their classes and observe. It is a typical mix of teaching styles and topics.

The other aspect of the Center for Education and Rehabilitation is of course the “Rehabilitation” side. And I think this school does an amazing job of supporting the children with the resources available. There is speech therapy and physical therapy, a psychologist and a social worker, and a nurse and doctor on staff. The physician is a neurologist who has a son of her own with a disability and feels passionately about working with this population. They understand the team-based approach to rehab and seem to consult with each other regularly to ensure they’re always working toward a common goal. The neurologist (perhaps because she was first a parent advocate) has developed her own case management forms, which include asking the parents to describe in some detail their own dreams and goals for their child. Some parents really seem to like this collaborative approach while others think it’s the school’s issue to deal with. I imagine you find the same mix everywhere, although it’s heartbreaking to hear a parent open say they have no interest in their son or daughter’s welfare. And they do say that L

They take a very holistic approach to physical rehab here – and I’ll talk more about that in a separate post. There’s just so much to share!