Teaching in Kosovo

The main purpose of our trip to Kosovo was to train teachers. The education system in Kosovo is in disarray, although it is slowly improving. Most of the men and women who are teaching today were educated in terrible schools due to the oppression of the Serbians. Because they received a poor education, they are less equipped to teach the current generation of Kosovars.

We spent four days working with a group of 11 teachers from schools in greater Mitrovica. As we got to know them , it became clear that they loved their students and were willing to do anything to become better teachers. However, it was also apparent that there were some serious deficiencies due to an education system that was severely degraded.

On Sunday evening we introduced ourselves and Mrs. Allen explained the importance of effective communication. We also spent a considerable amount of time fielding questions from the teachers. Our Sunday evening session helped build a relationship with the teachers which served as a foundation for the rest of our sessions. We also confirmed that no matter where you teach, the same challenges are present: absent students, students who don't turn in homework, students who don't listen, etc. Some things are the same no matter where you are!

Monday we taught from 8:30-2:00. Mr. Foote guided the teachers through an extremely valuable session on lesson planning and each teacher had an opportunity to create a lesson of their own. This was a great advancement for them as many of them had never done a formal lesson plan!

We did not meet together on Tuesday because of Independence Day, but on Wednesday we met in the morning to discuss classroom management and in the evening to learn about assessment. In between these sessions we were invited to visit two schools at which several of the teachers worked. Both schools were elementary schools, one in Mitrovica, and the other in a small, neighboring village. We enjoyed the opportunity to see our teachers in their classrooms and observe the Kosovo educational system in person. They were very gracious hosts. 

Our final session was Thursday morning during which we had the teachers put the lessons they

had learned into practice. They created a lesson plan, a rubric, and answered some tough classroom management scenarios. We were grateful for their graciousness and enthusiasm. They came to our sessions faithfully despite a two day blizzard that swept across the city. 

It is clear that the educational system in Kosovo is well below where it should be. Much more work is needed to build up the educational standards with those of the rest of the world. Until this happens Kosovo will struggle. The need to restore the educational system is understood and the Kosovars are doing everything they can to rebuild the system. 

The person we have been working with, is helping this endeavor by starting the  a private school which will train the next leaders of the country. 

Mrs. Allen, Mr. Foote, and I left Kosovo Thursday afternoon and are now safely in Vienna, Austria. Tomorrow morning we fly to Amsterdam and then on to Detroit. We are grateful for your prayers and look forward to sharing our experiences and stories with you in person!

Kosovo's First Birthday!

Today was a great day of celebration and rejoicing in the streets of Kosovo. One year ago today, after a bloody battle between the Serbians and Albanians which was finally settled through the help of US and NATO forces, Kosovo was declared an independent country. Although their first year as a nation has not been without hardships and difficulties, the people are grateful for their freedom.

Kosovo was previously ruled by Serbia despite the fact that well over 90% of the population was Albanian. After the war, the country became self-segregated. The Albanians occupy the majority of the country and the Serbians occupy a very tiny part of Kosovo on the north side of the Iber river which divides Mitrovica, the city we are visiting. A bridge separates the two parts of the city and is a sign of the division of the country. Several years ago, a riot broke out on the bridge between the Albanians and Serbians. Both populations fear and despise one another. Today, access to the bridge was severely limited and the police were out in force to maintain order. Fortunately, no incidents of violence were reported.
The feelings and deeply rooted emotions between the Serbians and Albanians are very difficult for foreigners to understand. The bitterness between the two countries runs as deeply as the bitterness between Israelis and Palestinians. Another thing that is interesting is the fact that there really is no such thing as a Kosovar. Everyone who lives here is identified as a Serbian or an Albanian, they just happen to be living in the country called Kosovo. The patriotism of both ethnic groups runs very deep. In the pictures and videos in this post you will see both the flag of Kosovo (blue and gold) and the flag of Albania (black and red).
While the Albanians don’t like the Serbs, they do love Americans! They are very grateful for the role that the United States played in liberating them during the Serbian occupation. In the pictures and video you will see numerous American flags honoring what US troops accomplished. Furthermore, one of the primary roads in the capitol city of Pristinia is “Bill Clinton Boulevard.”
Mr. Foote, Mrs. Allen and I enjoyed participating in the impromptu celebrations that took place throughout the city today. Everyone was out enjoying the “warm” weather and sunshine. The streets were packed and EVERYONE was carrying a flag—either Albanian, Kosovar, or American.
Mr. Foote and I traveled with Lydia Hennesey and Lavdim Musliu to Pristina where we joined in the celebration with a flag laden car and loudly sounding horn. Mrs. Allen watched the parade with Nadine Hennesey and Bill and Carol Prime and then bravely ventured over to the bridge separating the Albanian side of Kosovo from the Serbian side of Kosovo. Hopefully someday the animosity between the two ethnic groups can be resolved and access to all of Kosovo will be restored.
Our time in Kosovo is winding to a close. Tomorrow we will have two teaching session—one in the morning which will focus on classroom management and one in the evening which will focus on assessment. In the afternoon we have the exciting opportunity to visit the primary school at which several of the teachers work. We are looking forward to seeing what the educational system of Kosovo is like. Thursday morning we will teach for a few hours before packing up and heading to the airport in Pristina for our afternoon flight.
Thank you for your interest in our trip and for your prayers. We are only a small part of the exciting work that is being carried out in Kosovo through the work of Nadine and the Primes. They truly have an opportunity to transform this struggling country. Please continue to pray that God would bless their work.

Valentine's Day in Kosovo

Hello from Kosovo and Happy Valentine’s Day!
This afternoon our team made it to Kosovo! We had a smooth flight from Vienna to the airport at Prishtina, Kosovo’s capitol city. After passing through customs and being thankful that all of our luggage made it, we were happy to be greeted by Nadine Hennessey. Nadine then drove us from Prishtina to Mitrovica where we will be staying and working this week. The one hour drive from Kosovo gave us a glimpse of the country’s beautiful mountainous terrain, some of which can be seen in the video below. On our drive to Mitrovica, Nadine told us the recent events of Kosovo’s history and informed us of the current events and issues facing the nation. Upon reaching Mitrovica, Nadine, her daughter Lydia, Lavdim, and our team stopped by the House of Laughter and walked to one of the local restaurants for a delicious Kosovo dinner. As we we`re walking it was exciting to see the preparations being made in the streets for Kosovo’s first Independence Day celebration! After dinner we walked back to the House of Laughter and were given a tour of the facility. Nadine shared with us the future plans and vision of the Kosovo Leadership Academy. Our next stops were the final stops of the night as Bill and Carol Prime opened their home to host Mr. Sowash and Mr. Foote. Nadine and Lydia are hosting Mrs. Allen in their home. We are so thankful to our wonderful hosts for their abundant hospitality and graciousness.

Introduction

You found our blog! We're happy that you are interested in the partnership of Southfield Christian School and the nation of Kosovo. Please return daily February 11-20 as we post updates and pictures on our adventures in Kosovo.

There are most likely few questions on your mind right now. Let's see if we can answer them for you.

1. Where is Kosovo?

Kosovo is brand new country (their 1st independence day is February 17th!) that was once an autonomous province of Yugoslavia. In the late 1990's, tensions between neighboring Serbia and Kosovo flared and NATO forces, with support from the United States military, liberated Kosovo from Serbian oppression. The country of Kosovo was officially established and recognized shortly thereafter. More information about the history of Kosovo can be found here. 

2. Why is Southfield Christian School sending people to Kosovo?

This past summer, Margie Baldwin and Lauren King were asked to visit Kosovo to observe the work of Nadine Hennessey, an American who has devoted much of her life to ministering to the people of Kosovo. Several years ago Nadine opened up an after school tutoring program called House of Laughter. The program has grown considerably and has tremendously helped Kosovo children and teens. 

This summer, Nadine traveled to the US and was able to visit all of the SCS teaching staff during our staff training in August. She told us that she had been given a prime piece of land on which she plans to build the first Christian school in Kosovo. Fundraising is currently in process to open this school in the next couple of years. One of here immediate needs, however, was experienced teachers who could share their knowledge with hand-selected Kosovars who will become the teaching staff at the new school. SCS agreed to assist Nadine with her vision by providing staff to train these teachers.  

3. What are you going to be doing while in Kosovo?

While in Kosovo, we will be conducting teacher training workshops for the future staff of the school. Our sessions will be on practical issues such as lesson planning, classroom management, and effective instruction techniques. 

4. Where will you be in Kosovo?

We will be flying into the capitol, Pristina, before driving to a border town in the North-West of Kosovo called Mitrovica (pronounced "Mitrovitsa").

5. How did you get picked to go to Kosovo?

We would like to think that we were selected because we are the smartest, best-looking, and most highly educated of all the Southfield Christian staff. However, that is not the case! God placed a burden on each our hearts for Kosovo after hearing of Margie and Lauren's summer visit and Nadine's vision for the school. We expressed interest in traveling to Kosovo back in August, and between then and now, the Lord opened up doors for each of us to go. We are humbled and honored that we can be such a integral part of this exciting opportunity. 

6. Who exactly are you?

Dianne Allen: high school English teacher at SCS, wife of Dan Allen and mother of Libby Allen.

Joe Foote: high school history teacher at SCS, husband of Liz Foot and father of Anna Foote.

John Sowash: high school biology teacher at SCS, husband of Nellie Sowash and father of Jonelle Sowash. 

7. What are the details of your trip? 

We leave on Wednesday, February 11 at 9:00pm from Detroit Metro and fly to Vienna, Austria where we will be staying Thursday and Friday to adjust to the 8 hour time difference. Saturday afternoon we fly from Vienna to Prestina, Kosovo and will be picked up and driven to Mitrovica where will will stay until Thursday, February 19. 

Our return trip begins on Thursday the 19th when we fly from Prestina to Vienna. Our final flight is Friday  morning when we fly from Vienna to Detroit. Our expected arrival time back in Michigan is 4:30 on February 20.