Rachel Drew teaches English at Střední 
odborná škola (Practical High School) in Šumperk, located in North Moravia. The town is known as a gate into the Jeseníky Mountains, a less visited, yet breathtakingly beautiful natural paradise for hikers, bikers, skiers and anyone who enjoys a romantic getaway in an unspoiled landscape. Coming from Boston College with a degree in Elementary Education and Biology and a life-long passion for the environment, animals and nature, the school where students major in agriculture business, hotel management, ecology and environment or state administration was a logical fit. Besides regular English lessons at the school, Rachel also assists one of her colleagues in his biology class. In addition, she hosts a weekly English conversation class for her Czech colleagues. Since her arrival in August 2021, Rachel has smoothly adjusted to the Šumperk way of life. Outside of the school, she has joined a local volleyball club, she frequents ice hockey games to cheer on the local Dragons, and she explores the beauty of her placement with her mentor and host Eva Kostecká. In 2002/2003, Eva spent the full academic year in the U.S.as an Exchange teacher at Highland High School in Salt Lake City. Together with her husband, they still treasure memories of this experience, saying that this was one of the best years in their life. Eva has tried very hard to make sure that 2021/2022 will be the best year for Rachel.
My December started out in a way that, since March of 2020, can now be described as the inevitable: a positive COVID test. My two weeks of quarantine brought me many hours of sleep, movies, and of course boredom. It also allowed me to see for the first time just how strong of a community I have found here in Šumperk. All 7 of my teaching colleagues reached out to check on me, offer their services, and tell me how disappointed the students were that I wasn’t in their lessons. Those same students reached out to ask how I was doing and offer their help. My wonderful mentor checked in every day (sometimes multiples times a day) to share news, ask about my day, and see if I needed anything else from the grocery store, no matter if she had dropped things off that morning or 4 days prior. I returned to school in time for our last in-person week before Christmas, and it was FILLED with Christmas lessons, events, tradition and recipes. Throughout the week I learned how many students take showers with their Christmas carps, what their favorite cookies were, who was expecting presents from Ježíšek, and what songs they were going to sing before unwrapping their gifts — featuring a lovely rendition of Ariana Grande’s ‘Santa Tell Me’. I shared my family’s traditional Yankee Swap with the students that are a part of my weekly English club. We laughed as people fought over a flower pot and books, and as I unwrapped a tiny salt shaker that one my students said was perfect for me because I was “salty” for having drawn the worst number, 2. He was, of course, 100% right.
I also had the opportunity to help score our school’s English competition. It had students from all three classes in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years, some of whom I teach, and some of whom I had never met before. It was incredible to listen to them speak so fluently and eloquently about topics such as weather, culture, food, families and sports, and hilarious to watch them improvise scenes with a partner about a given topic. Watching them exchange back forth as a dramatic patient and an overworked nurse, a jealous partner, or a skeptical parent and untrustworthy child, in a way that extended far beyond the confines of a classroom curriculum, made me proud and impressed.
In a wonderful expression of Christmas spirit, each year my school “adopts” a child from the Emmaus St. Joseph School in Gonaives, Haiti. The entire school community raises money to purchase school supplies and other necessities for him. The fundraiser is an all-day event with the students companies creating and cooking a menu to sell at the event. This year it included gingerbread, trdelník, chicken řízek, potato salad, jarred fruit tea mix, and Haitian Pate Kode, as well as workshops for every class and different foods and crafts available to purchase. The day also included a Czech Christmas carol sing-a-long, and learning about the Arcidiecézní Charita Olomouc organization, Christmas traditions around the world, and about the history and culture of Haiti and Emmaus St. Joseph.
On Thursday, students filled the gym for the annual volleyball tournament. Each class had a team competing for the chance to play against the teachers in a final 3-game series. I got to watch my students play each other, talk to them about their games, and, of course, scout out the competition throughout the day. Myself, along with 7 other teachers, took on the winning student team in a gym full of teacher and student spectators. I could hear some of my students cheering me on, while others told me they couldn’t cheer for me because they didn’t want the teachers to win. It was a very close set that ended with the students taking home the crown in the tie-breaking game. Later that afternoon, I took part in a teacher-only badminton tournament. Having only ever played badminton for fun in my backyard, I expected to lose, a lot, but ended up a surprise 4th. Having been placed in a very active town, I have been able to build community through hiking, weekly volleyball games, and promises to go skiing once the snow falls.
My mentor, Eva, and I also made some Christmas cookies with the help of Eva’s husband and another teacher. We tried a new recipe and laughed as we watched the frosting separate from the cookies while they baked. After hearing about all the Christmas baking that teachers and students had been doing throughout the month, I was excited to try my hand at some traditional Czech recipes.
After two weeks of quarantine, depending upon my new colleagues and friends for support, and a week of learning, laughs, lunches and late night coffees with friends, I realized the true strength and reach of my new found community here in Šumperk. Not only was I able to take part in Czech traditions and share my own, but I created new ones with people who have quickly become such a huge part of my life in these past few months. I am truly so grateful for what this month has been, and I can’t wait to continue on this journey come January.