I survived my first experience of teaching school subjects. Whether any of the students learned anything, who knows. I learned something though, I can talk for a really long time if I am given the space and stage to do it. Between Friday and Saturday I taught around 9 hours of class covering subjects from English, Science, Social Studies, and Christian Religious Education to around 90 different students at 3 different schools here in Mundri West County. I truly am unsure how useful that time was for the students themselves, but I now have a much better grasp on how to structure that time in a much more productive way for those students: at least that's the hope. We did get to have some fun working on pronunciation from a great poem involving a whole wack load of tricky words in English. For those who have had to learn English as a second or third language, I am so so sorry. Our language is ridiculous. I also got to play duck duck goose with 2 of the classes (my rational was that it helped them remember at least two animals that are raised by poultry farmers). Also, I shot a water bottle cap across a classroom in an attempt to teach that air can be compressed.
Perhaps the best part of my teaching experience though was when I got to the 3rd school (Mundri II). I was exhausted Friday after only teaching for 3 hours, imagine how I felt after teaching another 3 on Saturday morning and doing some lesson prep in between that first lesson and going to the last school. Not really looking all that forward to teaching. I trucked along anyways and got to the school at 2 which was when I said we would start. Only 2 students were there. At the other schools there had been a teacher to unlock the classroom and to get me chalk and was there as a form of support. At this last school, just 2 students. I thought, well at least I won't have to teach for long. After waiting for about 10-15 minutes about 10 more students showed up and together we started wandering around the school checking windows to see if there were any that were unlocked that we could climb in. We found one, the Primary 5 classroom. So in we all hopped through the window. It was quite the mess inside. I think there was all of one desk that was somewhat still in working condition while the rest of the seats were either half broken plastic chairs or rocks, or little kids seats. In and among this mess we started to scrounge for chalk. With all of the little nubbins combined I began to teach. Throughout the lesson a rain storm came along leading us to close half the windows leaving us in near darkness. So much for any students reading anything off the board. All in all we had at least a good time, laughed a lot for sure. **Please pray as I prepare myself for teaching again this weekend. Also please pray that the students will be a bit forgiving with my first time and come back.
Today I spent a bit of time getting ready to move into a Tukul for an indefinite period of time. I am excited to get outside of this gated compound and to have a bunch more people come for visits. That being said, I am inviting a bunch of friends over on Thursday to host a dinner/games/worship/bible study/movie night. We will see how it goes. I hope that at least some come out and that we can have a bit of fun looking into God's word together. Also, on Wednesday I am heading to a friends field to help him with his Cassava. That should be a good experience. It will be good to get my hands dirty for once, enough of this project proposal writing and teaching (please pray for our project proposal and that God will provide the money for us to build an office, and start work on the school).
Love you all and hope to hear from you soon.
Thomas Canada (as I am now called)
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