MR. RIBA TEACHES US ABOUT “UBUNTU” BY KRISTEN GOGGIN, Upper School Math Teacher
AS CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ITS GLOBAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM in an effort to develop cultural humility in all community members, Cathedral partnered with Teach With Africa in March 2019. Teach with Africa is a non-profit organization that empowers students and teachers through an exchange of teaching and learning in Africa and the United States. Through this partnership, Cathedral School welcomed Nalamotse “Ralph” Riba into our community for the month of March. Mr. Riba, who was born and raised in Tafelkop, Limpopo, works at Waterkloof House Preparatory School in Brooklyn, Pretoria as an intern, sport coach, and house master. Prior to this trip, Mr. Riba had never left South Africa and was ecstatic to be here in San Francisco. Programs like Teach With Africa are very powerful as they provide opportunities for us to learn alongside one another. With a background in teaching mathematics, Mr. Riba worked closely with the math department while on campus. However, his impact went far beyond the math classroom, as he was a participant and leader in many other areas of the school. Mr. Riba brought his passion for cricket to the PE department by co-leading a multi-week unit teaching Lower School boys the rules and skills needed to play. He loved morning advisory because he saw it as an opportunity to create strong relation- ships between teachers and learners and enjoyed getting to know the sixth graders at a deeper level. Mr. Riba had many opportunities to engage with boys in both the Lower and Upper School classrooms, which confirmed his belief on a daily basis that Cathedral School boys are kind, inclusive, and helpful. Mr. Riba said he learned a great deal while here at Cathedral School. He was intrigued by the more student-centered approach to education—whether it is through inquiry, problem- solving activities, or the use of technology— to reach learning goals. These methods were not as natural to him as a teacher, and he spent much time reflecting on how he could bring these instructional practices to his own classroom. During his time at Cathedral, he looked closely at multicultural education and was able to provide direct feedback on his findings. He appreciated Cathedral’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion work, as well as curriculum and the School’s commitment to social-emotional learning. While Mr. Riba learned so much from the Cathedral community, we also learned so much from him. As an extension of our efforts to guide our students to develop cultural humility, Mr. Riba reminded us how important it is to practice compassion, empathy, and resilience. Mr. Riba quickly became an important member of our community and we all gained from his perspective and story. He was valued as an insider, and modeled the importance of leaning into new
experiences and showing a deep sense of gratitude. He truly brought out the best in all of us in his short time on campus. Participation in this partnership would not be possible without the help of the entire community and especially host families. Therefore, our sincere appreciation goes to the Salewski and the Lehman families for their hospitality. Before coming to America, Mr. Riba had never seen snow and was excited about the possibility. However, he never imagined in a million years that he would enjoy skiing in the mountains. Visiting the Academy of Science, Alcatraz, Swensen’s Ice Cream, and In-N-Out burger complemented the evening meals and home activities that led Mr. Riba to feel like he was part of the Cathedral family.
“Ubuntu” is a Nguni Bantu term meaning “humanity.” It is often
translated as “I am because we are,” or “humanity towards others,” but is often used in a philosophical sense to mean the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.
84 | CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
FALL 2019 • RED & GOLD | 85
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