My Coconut vs Snickers story – and what it’s teaching me about education

Jorje the shop-cum-hut-keeper, my first coconut and me a little excited

Dominican Republic Part 1

5 days ago, I had never heard of the word electrolytes.

Now, I find they are essential for my white, British, Gringa body when I fling her to a Caribbean Island and expect her to work at her usual pace in school…

Yesterday, I had sunstroke. Logically, it didn’t make sense, I had been directly in the sun for around 30mins when walking to The Hive School – the alternative school I am currently working with in the Dominican Republic.

How could 30mins give me sunstroke?

Some emergency chats with locals and other hot-bodied friends revealed that not just the direct sun, but the sudden increased temperatures (around 35 C) was causing my body to overheat.

I covered myself head to toe in aloe vera, sourced ice cubes from the freezer to make myself an ice bucket for my feet and a cold flannel on my head. I was also told that I should keep up my electrolytes by drinking coconut water.

Now coconut water to me comes in 1l cartons, usually white and blue with an exotic picture of a coconut on it. I can’t believe that was my first image of where to source it. After a few minutes I rethought – what had those squashed messes been that I’d seen on the road on the way to school?- oh, coconuts.

So after school today I took myself to the nearby hut. I was feeling wobbly again.

I saw a Snickers.

I saw a Coconut.

I felt like I knew where I was with a Snickers – it would give me some pick-up sugar energy, plus a bit of nut to keep me grounded.

I also saw a basket of coconuts.

Coconuts without a wrapper, or packaging, or instructions.

With my basic Spanish, I was able to say-mime that I would like to drink from the fruit.

Jorje the shop-cum-hut-keeper expertly did this for me – had he washed his hands? Was there a sanitised place for him to cut? Did I know what that knife had been used for to cut beforehand? Did I know what it would taste like? If I would like raw, fresh coconut?

No. No to all of it.

But I’m here to learn and I’m here to observe.

So I went for the coconut – heck, I went for two.*

Jorje was proud to discover that was my first Dominican Republic Coconut experience, and when I asked where it had come from, to my amazement, he non-chalantly pointed towards the nearby tree – less than 100 metres away.

The coconut is the new style of education I have thrown myself into.

The snickers is education as I have known it up to this point.

The Hive School (the coconut) is a self-directed school, an alternative to the usual teacher-led learning that many western countries follow as standard. I have visited some of these schools in the UK and read lots about them all over the world (I have seen the cartons), but never immersed myself in them – let a lone taught and trained staff in them.

I can’t see a wrapper, or packaging and I haven’t grasped the instructions.

And it’s weird.

1. When a kid sits on their ipad instead of engaging in the activity most have chosen to do, what do I do?
2. When a kid climbs up the tree swinging a saw around in one hand, to cut down a branch to make a better view, what do I do?

I’m learning the answers. I’m daring to see what happens when I don’t move to my default of adult-solves-all-problems-and-guides-the morale-compass.

And now, after day 2 – it’s hard.

Part of my walk to school in Cabrera

I realise how much the British Education system is imprinted on my cells, the very thing that I often rally against has, unwittingly become a part of me. (oppressor and oppressed? Stockholm Syndrome?)

It’s a part of me in two ways:

a. Adult Adele the Teacher – feels an inbuilt responsibility to lead, to be the source of all answers and help others conform – to whom? To what? Why?

b. Child Adele – is confused and jealous – why do these kids get to play? Why didn’t I? Maybe they won’t have the skills for life – what life? Whose life? Whose rules?

I am visiting this school for a double exchange – I am there to support and train staff around behaviour, and I am there to learn what self-directed learning and alternative, inclusive approach to education can look like when it’s not just theory. So, in the moments I feel myself getting frustrated or confused or lost, I take the guidance from the values and questions often sited in the school that aid re-regulation:

How do I feel?

Where are my feet?

What is my heart doing?

My breath?

How am I relating to others?

And the answers to this, tell me that sometimes I need to walk away (or dip in the pool, or have a sing, or a stretch…) – no, not when I am the only adult supervising children about to use a saw freestyle up a tree, but as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Then I observe and ask, and find some answers that might lead me to that glorious coconut water I’ve heard about –

1. Kid with the ipad; as part of this introductory week, tomorrow’s lessons are around establishing shared values and guidelines for respect during this 6 week session. Having spent a couple of days together, getting to know one another, the staff and the school, children established these – supported by staff depending on age and ability. This is the place to reflect – are ipads useful in school? When might they and might not be appropriate? What could help me/us stick to that?

2. Kid with saw in tree; with a co-teacher, we worked this out together – first to ask what’s going on, there’s really nothing to be gained in scaring or provoking anger in a child who has a saw in their hand – when you left your spare shield in England. After explaining he wanted cut a branch down for a better view, we asked if he knew what trees did for us – he did, and we helped him to consider what happens, therefore when branches are cut off. After contemplating this in a microscale (this small branch on one tree) and on a grand scale (all of the trees being cut down by other men causing huge deforestation issues for our planet), the child decided that he could try simply bending the branch and tying it back – he got his view, he practiced design and engineer skills, the tree still gets to grow – and the saw was handed back to a member of staff.

So I’m here.

And I’m in the transition part, where it’s icky and weird and alien, and I find myself cringing at myself as I repeatedly explain “Well in my country…”

But that’s OK too. I am learning, I am in the integration section of the process – just like the pupils.

I look forward to seeing how this develops, and how it informs my practice moving forwards towards my own vision of an inclusive education for all…

Questions? Want to know more? Want training and inspiration on alternative approaches to education?

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* I also bought the Snickers.

Kate, the Principal of The Hive School introducing the school goat to pupils, parents and carers on the first day of school