My partner Chris has organized a weekly English Club at our library, the District Public Library "Tamara Isac." Every Tuesday, we offer two different hours of activities in English: 4pm-5pm is for children where I do activities for beginners and he has conversations with more advanced students; 5pm-6pm is for young adults and adults where he does activities for beginners and I have conversation with more advanced students. Today I talked with several young adults and one adult in the conversation group about The Duckling Ball in order to better answer a few of your questions. Involved in the discussion were 4 teenage boys from 12th grade, one teenage girl from 9th grade, and one 70-year-old retired man. First, the students had to explain what The Duckling Ball is to the older man because he said this is a tradition that was not around when he was in middle & high school. The teenage students explained that, at least in our town, the activities are generally the same for each grade; however, they become increasingly difficult and more complex as the students age. First graders do the simplest presentations, knowing that learning a song, a dance, and a poem is complex enough work for their age (7 years old). Where the 5th graders (12 years old) had an "intellectual test," the 10th graders (17 years old) had a "homework" round in the competition (this year, they had to prepare presentations on what education will be like in the distant future). Sadly, I missed the 10th grade Duckling Ball to participate in another event in town. Alexandr Godoroja, local community leader at our local Youth Center, both served as a judge and photographed the 10th grade Duckling Ball at my school last week. Here are some of the photos he took: A student filmed class 9-B's dance performance, shown below. They came in second place (out of three) in the competition. The teenagers in the discussion group said that the purpose behind The Duckling Ball is to get the new groups to work together, but that it is counterproductive on the grade level. The 12th graders reported that it breeds unnecessary conflict between the classes in the grade. One said that the greatest conflicts arise between the classes' homeroom teachers and between the students' parents, not between the students themselves. One also lamented the lost time for studies that are spent instead preparing for the competition. When I informally surveyed the group about their feelings toward the event, they ranged from mild interest, boredom, and dislike. All agreed, though, that the event would be much better if it was simply a talent exposition instead of a competition. By happenstance, this afternoon a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer sent me a videoclip of the 5th grade Duckling Ball at her school in the town of Cimișlia. Talking with her about the event at her school I found out that it was what our group had pined for: It was simply an exposition, not a competition. All students who participated in the presentations and performances were lauded and received certificates. Students were proud to share their talents and didn't face the pressure of competition. Here is one of her favorite clips she recorded today of 5th graders performing a group dance number: Thank you for all your great questions! They will surely keep me busy for a while and help me learn about my host country along with you. I plan to continue to involve people in my community in responding to them.
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Rebecca LehmanHealth Education volunteer serving at Boris Dînga Middle & High School in Criuleni, Moldova. Archives
May 2017
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