3-week break?

So, amidst all the excitement I neglected to tell you all that Sept. 3-12 (Friday afternoon to the next Sunday) was the "midterm break." I had planned to go to Dar to visit my roommate and other friends, and I was really excited to be in a different environment for a while. However, I had talked to the headmaster a while before that, and he said that he could not allow the Form IIs and Form IVs to go home because of the national examinations at the end of October and beginning of November. So, since I'm teaching a Form II class, it also meant no break for me either... sweet.

Well, then there were some rumblings amongst the staff that maybe the headmaster would be forced to give everyone a break because most of the students had to go home to collect school fees and fees related to graduation. It didn't really give me that much hope because I know the headmaster is quite stubborn, but some teachers were really convinced that he would have no choice. Well, he ended up deciding that the students were to go home for the weekend to collect the fees, but that they should be back for class on Monday. Doomed, right then and there.

Everyone knew he was delusional to think that the students would be back on Monday. Except for those students who live close enough to walk or who live in Iringa, this command was impossible. Plus, even if it WAS possible, they wouldn't be back on Monday anyway because 1.) it is not Tanzanian culture to be on time to anything and 2.) the Form IIs and IVs hadn't had a break since March (they spent the June holiday at school as well).

So I think Emily and I and two other teachers were the only people from who took the bus to Magulilwa on Sunday. Most students, as predicted, stayed home, and most of the teachers did as well because why not? Emily's and my problem is that good old Lutheran guilt. The headmaster told us specifically that we were "not allowed" to go for longer than two days, and he called on Sunday to make sure we got to the bus on time. So, we did a whole lot of nothing that week.

THEN, the next week a bunch of students returned, and then all got chased away for not having collected school fees. Why the administration didn't just have EVERYONE go home for the midterm break and make it clear that they had to bring their school fees on Monday is a complete mystery to me, and to all the other teachers I talked to. Some less-than-nice words were said about him that week, especially since HE was gone to some conference. So that week, Emily and I taught one Form I class with 33/70 students, and I taught one Form II class with 18/40 students. Great plan, your highness.

Now this week we're preparing for graduation, so the students only have two classes every day instead of 5. Really glad they made those Form IIs and IVs stay here during the midterm... Ugh. Most of the staff thinks the administration is very disconnected from the school and that they just like telling people what to do. It does seem that way sometimes. Oh well. Maybe I'll start teaching again next week.

ELECTRICITY

Holy crap!! I'm still in Iringa, so I haven't seen it, but the treasurer of the school called last night and said we have electricity now!!! My house still doesn't, but the staff room, all the classrooms and the dormitories do! Now the students won't be hovering over kerosene lamps all the time trying to study! I can't even believe it.

Intra-staff communication and teaching prepositions

So, last week Emily and I were trying to prepare our Form Is for their midterm exam this week, which we thought started on Friday. Then, the evening before our last class last week, we were informed that midterms, in fact, actually were going to start on Monday. We were, as usual, the last ones to find out, but even the rest of the staff only found out that day.

So, we had thought we had three more class periods to prepare our students for the exam, when in fact we only had one. Oh well.

Our one review day was my day to teach, so I very quickly tried to remind them of everything we had done since I got here. I had gotten about 3/4 of the way through what I had planned when a Form III student came into our class and asked to make an announcement. I let him, and he made the announcement in Swahili, so Emily and I didn't understand, but didn't really care. I continued to teach after he left, summarizing the family tree and whatnot, but after about 5 min, all of the students were really restless. Just as I turned to figure out what the problem was, Emily came up and said that one of the students had told her they were supposed to go to a debate right now.

Great. So I quickly told them the other topics that would be on the exam, and said ok Go. And they all stood up and started taking chairs and things out of the classroom, up to the dining hall.

So what was this debate, you ask? Oh, just a little inter-class debate, hosted by none other than the English department , of which we comprise half.

Perfect.

This sense of "what the hell is going on?" is sort of normal for us, and it's not always because we're foreigners. The administration often just decides things like this. Keeps things interesting.

So this week, I didn't have to teach Form I since they were in midterms, so all I had was Form II. I decided to teach prepositions, which, for those of you fluent English speakers who may have forgotten, are words like under, around, on, into, in front of, beside. The first class, I explained all the words as best as I could (try to explain the word "for" without using it. Just try.), and quickly realized that demonstrations were completely necessary. So I had the whole class do all kinds of crazy things like stand ON their chairs and put their noses UNDER their desks. They seemed to like it, and I think it actually worked.

In the next class, I worked on prepositions that use motion, so I brought a soccer ball to class. I first had them throw it over things, and into the class room, and around the classroom. Then I taught throwing TO vs. throwing AT by having one student catch the ball and then walking beside him and throwing it so that he couldn't catch it and it hit him in the shoulder. AT. Haha. And then I proceeded to jokingly threaten those of them who hadn't turned in their homework. Of course.

One of the footballers wanted me to throw it at his head, and I gladly obliged. He headed it back to me, so it doesn't count as beating. But that was the most engaged I had ever seen either class, and they seemed to be understanding, so that made it doubly fun. Plus, whenever anyone made a mistake, it was funny (and usually resulted in someone else getting hit with the ball), so maybe it was easier to learn.

To test their comprehension, I told them to send one student THROUGH the door, OUTSIDE, AROUND the building, pick up a rock, and bring it back INTO the classroom. Then I had another student throw the rock back THROUGH the window. The kid they volunteered was one I knew from soccer, and so I narrated as he ran around... "Ok, there he goes through the door. Now he's outside. Oh there he is, you can see him though the window, he's running around the building now... etc."

Needless to say, it was a really fun class, and definitely NOT something they're used to, but they were willing to humor me, and I think they had fun. Alright this post is ridiculously long and I haven't told you a lot of things I was supposed to but I'm staying in Iringa tonight at a friend's grandfather's house, so maybe I'll get another chance tomorrow. Enjoy Labor Day Weekend.

Teaching and Water

So, since we've talked last, Emily and I have fallen into teacher roles more completely. There was one day in Form I when I caught some boys scuffling in the back, and I asked them (in Swahili) what the problem was, and of course they saythere is no problem. But one kid tells me that they were fighting over a pen, so I scold them, and ask them where their work is. Of course they haven't started, so I get my annoyed teacher face on, and ask if they know what they are supposed to be doing. Of course they say yes, so I stand there and wait for one of them to read the directions on the board. Then of course they don't know what they are supposed to be doing, so I make them admit they didn't know what they were doing, and explain, and then walk away, shooting stern glances their way every once in a while.

Then at the end of class, Emily was explaining their assignment, and a lot of students weren't paying attention. I was already annoyed at those boys, so I had had enough. I yelled Sikilizeni! which means listen, and a deafening silence fell. Let me tell you, it felt really good.


In other news, the water tower is working! Now the students don't have to fetch water every day, except as punishment. Emily reeeally wants to start a school garden, and now that we have water it's actually possible so that might be happening in the coming months. Also, we're starting English lessons for the teachers this weekend, and other villagers next week, so our plates are filling up. It will be quite interesting, and I don't really know what to expect from either, but I never really do, and it seems to work out ok for me. :)

It's great getting emails from all of you, even if I don't get a chance to respond. I'll be back in Iringa not this coming saturday, but the following, so you'll hear from me then!

Normalcy

Now that Emily has been here for two weeks, everything is feeling settled again. We have a routine now, which includes school assembly at 7:30, then teaching one or two periods. Tea time/breakfast is 10:00, and lunch is at 2:00-ish. The afternoon usually involves writing letters and journals (it's a good thing I like writing!), and then we play sports at 5. At 7:30, we eat dinner, and then go get hot milk (straight from the cow, boiled) with sugar [sooooo good].

This week both me and my friend Mario (our teacher friend, remember?) hurt ourselves (me, a pulled muscle, him a kicked knee) playing soccer, so we were out for a couple days, and now we're only playing frisbee for a while, as it's easier on your legs. So, I taught him how to play and he thinks it's a really great game. He told me that he was going to make permanent teams so that his students could play a different game sometimes. He meant his boy students.

But then later he told me that he was asking for a list of girls who wanted to play as well. I figured he was going to make separate girls' teams, but when I asked, he said I had mentioned that girls and boys can play frisbee together, so that was what he was intending to do. :) I'm really excited. None of them know how to play, so we don't have to worry about the boys dominating the game, and the girls are improving very quickly. It's so great!

Other than that, teaching is also starting to get more normal. Apparently some of our Form II students told another teacher that they enjoyed having us in class, which was nice to hear. Unfortunately they are preparing for a national examination this fall, so our teaching has to be really focused on that, and not as much on other things, but hopefully they're still learning useful things.

Alright, timed internet is such a bummer in terms of being able to think while I write, but I hope it's ok. Let me know what you want to hear more about, and maybe I'll oblige ;)

Harvesting corn and playing sports

On Wednesday there were no classes and the students just harvested the school corn that they grow to make the staple tanzanian food, ugali. Emily and I went down with the teachers, I thought to supervise, but they asked if we wanted to help, so we all went into the fields. The corn they grow isn't sweet corn; it's maize, so it's white, and they don't harvest it until it's all dried out because they just grind it up to make it into this stiff porridge (ugali). So, they shuck the dry corn right on the stalk and then break the ear off. Most of the time I did just fine, but any time I got to a really big ear, I couldn't for the life of me break it off the stalk, and all the teachers and students were laughing at me. I was fine with it because I think it was a sort of endearing incompetence, rather than an annoying one (I'm hoping). But I mean, who doesn't like to feel more competent at something than someone else?

Ok, so that was really fun, but by far the best part of every day is 5pm when Em and I go down to the field to play sports with whoever shows up. One day we taught like 15 boys and a few girls how to play frisbee, which was suuuper fun. I think it was interesting for the boys to play a sport where a girl was better than all of them ;) But they learned really fast. Then on Thursday and Friday a bunch of boys were congregated in the middle of the field when Emily and I showed up with a few girls. The girls started doing laps around the field, and I hate warm-ups so I just ran onto the field to see what was going on. One of the boys came out to meet me and said that they wanted to play soccer today. I asked (in kiswahili) whether the girls could play, and he hesitated. He said that he didn't know, but that he'd seen me, and that i could play (haha). So, I ran over to ask the girls if they wanted to play, and Emily said she didn't want to, so her clan stayed with her.

So, I played soccer for the 1st time in 6 years, with 21 boys, and didn't do completely terribly. Some of them were certainly better than me, but there were enough who were worse :)

Then yesterday I was talking with that same teacher, and he said that it was so great for the girls to see me playing. He said he always tells everyone to go exercise every day, but that he's never seen so many girls come before. And yesterday all of the young teachers came to watch, which he said had never happened before. He said that while maybe some are coming just to see us, once they get here they have fun and start playing. He said it's great especially for the students because otherwise they do nothing but study.

Whew, ok I think that's all I have for now. :)

Officially starting to teach

Wow I can't believe it's only been a week since I wrote last. We started officially teaching this week, and it's been interesting to say the least. Emily and I are sharing a Form 1 class (freshmen) together since there are not enough classrooms for them to be split into two, so we technically have 78 students in one class, although not all of them come every day, for whatever reason. So that class is definitely going to be a huge challenge, especially since not all of these students passed their primary school exams. Apparently since this is a private school, you don't have to pass exams to get in like you do for public schools. So, some of these kids were confused even when they were being taught in kiswahili, and now they're being taught in English, so it seems impossible. And it's not the students' fault that they don't understand now, so figuring out a way to help them will be very challenging.

Of course there are also those students who understand pretty much everything in this same class, so Emily and I talked to one of our teacher friends and he said that he always puts students into groups of varying abilities so that they can help each other. So, that's what we're going to start doing next week.

My other class are second-years, and I teach them by myself since they are split into two and emily has the other half. So then I have about 40 students, which is like how many we had in my high school. They are much easier to deal with, considering their number, and their english is much better, so they at least understand what I want them to do most of the time.

I am really glad that I do speak some kiswahili because I often repeat directions in my broken kiswahili and it seems to help most of the time. The other thing that's super weird is that I was not once nervous to teach, even on my first day, and even when things aren't going as planned, which is most of the time. The first day I walked into my form 1 class with 70 students staring at me and was just like whatever, let's do this. I'm for some strange reason confident that eventually I'll figure out how to really teach.