I’m listening to Christmas music as I write this. It’s March, that’s okay right? (I know Aunt Elaine and Uncle Bud would agree with me). I think these songs are feeling neglected on my iPod because they keep popping up. I gave in and switched to my Christmas playlist. Christmas music really is nice anytime of the year. Especially Charlie Brown’s Christmas album. I listen to that anytime I need a pick-me-up. It reminds me of my favorite times at home.
I had my last study skills class this week. I taught about how to use a dictionary (they know, but there are special things like the dots between the syllables that no one ever explained to them). I also did a following directions quiz. I walked into the classroom acting all serious and told them I’m giving them a “pop quiz,” but they didn’t know what that was, so I started telling them “I’m giving you an exam that you didn’t know about.” That’s not as much fun to say, but it scared them nonetheless. Mission accomplished. They all looked frightened and a little pissed. I put on this schpeel about how this exam was really important and they have to follow the directions closely.
I passed out the exams. They looked something like this:
Read this whole paper first, and then follow the directions given:
1. Put your name on the top right corner.
2. Put the date on the top left corner.
3. What is the name of the first Tanzanian president?
4. Write your age ___
5. Ask your neighbor what her/his favorite color is and write it here:
6. Stand up and shake 5 peoples’ hands
7. Add 2003+3532+3995: _____
8. When completing number 7, shout “I found the answer!”
9. Put your shoe on your desk and leave it there.
…..
20. Don’t follow any of these directions. Do only #1 and #2 and sit quietly at your desk until time is called.
They were pissed until they started moving down the paper and saw that it was a little ridiculous. Of course, because I gave them a 10 minute time limit they rushed through without reading the whole paper first, but there were a few smart ones in each class that found number 20 and sat there laughing with me at the silliness of the others. At the end I walked around proclaiming who passed and who failed. They thought it was really fun. And I thought it was hilarious.
Recently Sean and I started getting serious about helping our students with really poor English. We teachers have been neglecting them a little in my opinion, not giving them the extra English attention they really need. They have a 30 minute tutoring session with Sean, Madam (the English teacher), and I but the students weren’t really utilizing it and honestly, 30 minutes can’t even give you enough time to introduce yourself if you don’t know a smidge of English.
It’s really a pity these students aren’t in their own English remedial class – they could really use it. But I made an announcement reminding them about tutoring and since then the students have been seeking us out a lot for extra help. It is a wonderful group of about 15 students. Most of them have really, really little English comprehension, but there is one or two really sweet kids who are there and know more. They have helped Sean and I translate things that are really difficult, or helped the other students find the correct English words when trying to speak. I think we’re making progress.
I’m coming to realize how much I love English. In high school I absolutely loved my Grammar and Composition class with Mr. O’Neil (and all those with Mr. Daransky), and in university I had Dr. Pace who was an extremely tough English professor but he completely transformed my writing. It is kind of fun to go back to the basics and help these kids understand. Part of me wishes I were teaching English here, which I was out rightly against when I first arrived. Go figure.
These past few weeks I have been doing a lot of work in our library. Fr. Marty registered our school on “Books for Africa,” a US organization that takes donations and sends books to schools in Africa. The school did fantastic through Marty’s efforts, and they send over boxes and boxes of subject books, Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and tons of story books. Our library is still under construction, so we’re setting up the books temporarily in one of the classrooms. Teacher Bonaventure is the official librarian because he was in charge of the library at the last school he worked at (St. Ignatius, the Jesuit primary school in Dodoma). Bon has been taking the books from the boxes and putting them on shelves, and I’ve started a database where I register all the books into the computer. It is taking a while, but I don’t mind the work. So far I have registered up to 800 different books (many books come in duplicates of 20, 30, or 40), and I still have maybe another 3-400 to go. These kids are really lucky. Hardly any schools in Tanzania have libraries like this one.
I’ve been allowing the students to come into the library while I’m working to browse if they have free time (i.e., their teacher is MIA). They keep asking when they can check out books. Some pick up Goosebumps or other story books, but many go for the subject books to help them with Geography or book-keeping or other things that are hard for them. A few were even flipping through Encyclopedias. I’m really excited for them to be excited about reading. I keep hearing that there is definitely not a reading culture here in Tanzania, so maybe this library will spark a new interest.
This week will be midterms. They have 2 or 3 exams per day, Monday through Friday. Next week is midterm break. Sean and I are planning to travel with David to his home village in Uganda. It is an 18 hr bus ride to Kampala, and then another 3-4 hours south to his village. It will be a rough travel, but David said it is usually a pretty cool drive (temperature wise). And I’m excited to meet David’s family. He always talks so affectionately about his mother and grandmother. It will be great to meet them.
That’s all for now. Take care at home.
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