Hello!
Oh me oh my. I haven't seen a computer for a month and now I'm sitting in an internet cafe writing this. I am completely and utterly overwhelmed. Well, I don't have a lot of time to write (as usual, I know), so I will just share with you a few highlights of my first month at site.
Things have been going really well.
- I am teaching 11th and 12th grade physics and 12th grade biology.Last week in biology we had a discussion about how mangoes do not cause malaria (a popular belief here.).
- My students age in range from 15-20. Class sizse are 29-53. Ala tantu (thank god in Susu) that I'm not teaching at the middle school level - each class has 100+ students...!
- At nights I help my neighbors and some students with English, they flock to my front porch and bombard me with questions (and potatoes and guavas)
- I am the only female teacher (out of 29) at the college (middle school) and lycee (high school)
- Last week I became the coach of the girls soccer team! We had our first practice in the middle of a huge downpour. I guess that's how things go in rainy season. Supposedly there will be a girls competition in a neighboring city in December. Hopefully our team will be able to go and compete.
- On Saturday nights I give English revision to high school students at the school. I taught them how to play "2 truths and a lie" and one of the students came up with: "My name is [he said his name], I am a student, I have 5 umbrellas" ....
- On Thursdays I work with the other 2 physics teachers at the school, we work on lesson planning together and share ideas about how to teach physics. Mostly it ends up that one of the teachers reviews the "terminale" (13th grade, last year of high school) curriculum with me because I might teach it next year. It is really just A LOT of calculus-based stuff. I must say, I never imagined my peace corps experience as deriving functions of circular motion
-I now have more family in Guinea than I do in the US. At my site I have 2 host families - the family whose concession I live in and the family of my principal, in addition to my host family in Dubreka. Everyone is always looking out for me and I just can't describe how gracious and genuine people are here. My families know it's difficult to be in this new environment, especially away from ma propre famille. But then often remind me, "Won Tanara" - we are together. This has become my new favroite phrase in Susu. We are all in this life together, so let's help each other out if we can.
Ok, that is all for now folks. Take care and, Won Tanara!
The story here is the story of my childhood as a elementary and HS student. Same issues, same lack of material, same way of learning by memorizing everything but no labs to practice. That project is laudable Liz, you have many friends around and you can start collecting books in any subject, the rest will come. Think about it we could create our little organization to further such projects there and of course in Cameroon cuz you haven't been to my home and you will. Charles too.
ReplyDeleteStay strong my dear, you are doing good. Don't worry about the sun and the heat, remember my jokes in class, I used to be white at birth but due to heat and the sun, I got discolored and now I am black and proud though :) that may happen to you and I will be soooo happy for you.
"On est ensemble" Liz...that's how we say it in Cameroon, literally.