Leeann Kluskiewicz

Edward W. Morley Elementary School, West Hartford CT

Deepen a sister-school relationship in Deschapelles, Haiti, while researching the educational and cultural aspects of the community to create inclusive instruction that honors the wide range of human perspectives present in classrooms in both countries.

Where I've Been

  • Cap Haitien, Haiti
  • Deschapelles, Haiti

My Fellowship in Images

Just another day in Deschapelles. Local residents transport their goods on foot (and have excellent posture as a result!)
This is Rose. She attended the summer camp we helped to run in Deschapelles. Like many children there, Rose shows signs of being malnourished. Though she clearly did not feel well each day she came to camp, she participated with enthusiasm.
Like students in America, students in Haiti leave their materials in piles around their classrooms!
At a mountain school, posts that hold up a roof are supported with rags. Safer, sturdier structures are needed, but make no mistake - students in this school learn, and learn well.
A daily schedule in a classroom in Didier, a mountain town.
Citadelle Laferrière is a testament to the Haitian spirit. Built completely by hand atop a mountain, it was designed to protect against invasion by the French.

Your Personal and Professional Growth

How have your knowledge, skills and capabilities grown?

My awareness of my unique place within the world, and my awareness of the level of privilege I enjoy as both a teacher and a American citizen have changed in an enormous way. In Haiti I was forced to be creative and open to new experiences that I never would have been able to have in the United States. I returned from my fellowship trip more open-minded, more curious, and humbled. I carry my experience to my classroom each day. A piece of my heart will always be in Haiti.

As a result, in what ways will your instructional practice change?

As a result of working with students who have so few resources, I have come to realize that what my students need to learn is not a computer or an iPad or a fancy curriculum. They need teachers who care and give 100%, and they need intrinsic motivation and curiosity about the world around them. That's it. I will work to foster curiosity and motivation within my students in the coming year.

What is the greatest personal accomplishment of your fellowship?

Traveling to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere required that I abandon many luxuries I took for granted. I left a home that guaranteed me free access to clean water and a wide variety of food and traveled to a place that forced me to gratefully receive what was available in terms of housing, sustenance, and comfort. Giving myself over to the experience of surrendering control and simply enjoying the community around me on their terms was challenging, but exhilarating.

Impact on Your Classroom, School and Community

How will your experiences positively impact student learning in new ways?

My work with children in Haiti showed me that what students need to learn is so, so different than what I had come to believe. I think I have returned home a more creative, but also a simpler, teacher. I have more faith that the content that I am teaching has value that doesn't require "razzle dazzle" presentation, but that I can foster interest and investment in simpler ways.

What are your plans for working collaboratively with colleagues?

My FFT team was amazing, and because we work together so closely, we are already incorporating our learning in organic ways. Moving forward, we will share our experience in staff meetings, and are already planning a Haiti Day for our community. I look forward to visiting classrooms to work with colleagues to bring new learning to their students, and to meet with colleagues one on one to share the experience and encourage them to follow in our team's footsteps.

Imagining the Future

How do you envision celebrating of your students’ new learning?

This is such an interesting question. I think the ultimate celebration of student learning is to allow them to take it where they want to go. I am hopeful that simply sharing my experience with my students will inspire them to want to learn more and perhaps find ways to share the experience with others. I would be so thrilled to see them take the reins and to tell me how they want to learn more about Haiti and connect with the country.

Are there issues or challenges in your school, community or the greater world about which you and your students might try to make a difference?

Yes. Traveling to Haiti and reading about its tumultuous history has helped me realize that the ways we try to help countries in crisis - while kindhearted - are often misguided. Haiti needs so much, but I am not sure that help needs to be financial, or in the form of donations. Haiti needs infrastructure and for its considerable young brainpower to stay in the country and help it grow and improve from the inside. I would like my students to consider this challenge. How can we support Haiti?

How would you describe to a friend or a grant funder the most fundamental ways in which your fellowship has changed your personal and/or professional perspective?

My FFT experience completely shook my worldview and changed me. It made me a more empathetic and creative. It challenged my critical thinking skills and forced me to reconsider my place within the world. Traveling to Haiti gave me new perspective about what children need to learn and what teachers need to teach. I fell in love with a country I had never given a second thought to a few years ago, and feel inspired to help my students reconsider their own place and mission as global citizens.

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