More on school

Greetings friends,

Another week... they seem to be racing by these days! How is it already March?

Last weekend was a lovely break, and allowed me to plunge fully into this past week, and the week was full and good. This term really keeps on getting better and better as I feel more fully integrated into the school and more accepted as part of ordinary life here and less and less as some distinguished visitor(although I do still here myself often referred to as mzungu, which is a little frustrating as people are quick to tell you if asked, that this in fact is not a respectful reference... I told my PE class to at least call me mwalimu mzungu, meaning teacher white person...)

What does a regular school day look like here? Well, for the children it means getting up at the crack of dawn or before to clean their dorms before the 6:30 devotion bell(for me it means getting out of bed hopefully a few minutes before the bell so I can be ready and not late). After devotions, around seven, we take our uji(hot maize porridge). As it is bitingly cold that early in the morning, steam rises from our cups and warms us up. Honestly, it is quite good.

Then, after breakfast, the children go to their classrooms to wait for parade at 8 where the teachers instruct them in discipline and encourage them in their studies. At 8:20, classes begin. Periods last 35 minutes(there are nine in a day... I normally teach between five and six between English and PE), and there is a twenty minute break at 9:30 and a half hour break at 11. At 12:40, we break for devotions and lunch(beans and maize, truly quite delicious) with classes resuming from 2-3:45. At 3:45 the students have parade again and are either sent for chores or games. Games are a lot of fun, especially lately as the teachers are really into it, and breaking into girls and boys, they play volleyball or football with much laughter. Then at 6 the bell summons us for devotions and dinner, with the younger children being sent to bed after dinner(and me going to my room) while the older primary and secondary stay and study until 9.These children are committed to their studies, but as the primary means of learning is memorization, they probably need all that time... It was the same when I was in University in Ghana... to perform well we needed to memorize(at times verbatim) what we had been taught; at least in Ghana, critical thinking was not taught or encouraged, and thankfully it was pass/fail for me, because I did not get good marks...

Classes are 35 minutes. For English, this means going over our material and hopefully having time for the students to complete an in class exercise. If they do not finish, the exercise becomes homework, and if they do finish, I try to assign some review material as homework because they like homework... crazy children, but these children are pretty serious about their educations and have dreams of university and careers even in the lower grades. I was asked recently what my career was, and had to confess I wasn't sure. Different cultural expectations between here and home, where my generation seems to be moving away from the idea of careers in the pursuit of happiness, meaning, or some other vague ideal... For many of the children, they dream of becoming lawyers, doctors, and pilots, although one of my grade fours wants to be a baker so he can make cakes and chapatis(he told me this with the biggest smile, clearly he intends to eat a good amount of his wares!)

Thinking over why this term is so good, it is teaching properly in the school and being in the timetable as a real teacher. Also, it is the level of acceptance the other teachers have granted me, both primary and even secondary. While before I felt there was a level of wariness, this past week I have had good conversations with many of the teachers, and I think they are seeing I am not such a distinguished visitor anymore but perhaps a slightly eccentric peer. They can see I am trying, and I feel very blessed to get to work alongside such committed men and women(well, to be honest, there is only one other woman teacher, but she is incredible!) 

Another reason perhaps why this term is so good, is that I understand how things work here so much better. Last term I was perpetually confused and afraid I was doing something wrong, and now while I may never know what is going on, I realize that that is alright and as long as I do my part well, I am okay. 

As for my language ability, I now understand what people are saying most of the time, but haven't practiced speaking enough to be able to participate. This leaves me a little silent often, but entertained by the conversations around me.

Overall, things are good, and I have hopes that things will just continue to get better and better. This is why I wanted to come for a year, because relationships take time, and integrating cross-culturally takes time... To come for less time would have left me leaving before I had begun to belong... Coming for a year will make leaving quite hard, as already this feels like one home of many, and while I will also be so happy to see family and friends in America, I will be leaving so many friends and this family behind... That is life though, and life is real. Praise God!