In Kasama this weekend for Provincial meetings in Kasama. There are about 30 volunteers from all four sectors (health, agriculture, fish farming, education) in this province and we had meetings yesterday with updates from headquarters, information on the upcoming election, and specific issues that volunteers wanted to discuss. It went by pretty fast. Tomorrow we are having a special program at the house to celebrate the 50th anniversary of PC.
Things are moving along fast. At school I started teaching. It's been interesting. I like teaching Math for some reason- don't freak out- it's fifth grade so they have no idea how bad I really am in math. But maybe that's why I like it- because I teach it from my perspective- how I've always taught myself Math- a somehow different way from what every teacher has ever taught me. I find myself drawing visuals all over the board- projecting my thought process to forty 9 and 10 year olds. The fifth grade teacher is actually pretty awesome and is the one helping me with the world map. But she went to town yesterday and when teachers are absent classrooms turn into single room jungle gyms. I wasn't doing anything so I stepped in--without a plan or agenda and tackled grade 5- all subjects, all afternoon. I had no idea what I was in for. I felt like those substitute teachers that you know after only five minutes of them in class they have no idea what they're doing. Now I feel bad for all the things I used to get away with when those substitutes taught me as a student. Kids in Zambia are not that different from kids in America when they realize what they can and cannot get away with. Anyways, it was a great lesson about why lesson plans are so important, and I also noted a few things about how I do NOT want teaching to go next term. I played all the substitute teacher game you can think of! Simon says, hangman, head shoulders knees and toes. Though mostly- I taught English because that is what they were most interested in.
I've also started teaching grade 8 and 9 English. It's fun but it's difficult to keep the attention of over 100 pupils when there is limited space, desks, and books. I've been co-planning with the grade 8 an 9 English teacher and I think she is the one I want to work with next term. Although I don't want to make any commitments yet.
With the community I've mostly been surveying people and doing informal needs assessments. However, on Sundays after church- it's an interesting scenario. All the parents meet with their various groups (catholic women's league, women of Christ. UCZ club, Pentecostal association, club for people who go to church, blah blah blah) and I'm usually waiting for my friend Modester to get out of her woman's league club so we can eat lunch together at her house, and the children are usually roaming around and chasing each other with nothing to do while they wait for their parents. Since I refuse to be sucked into a club where they talk about God in Bemba, and gossip about the community- I've started playing games with the kids and doing silly songs (yes- like the tootie ta). Some people have started calling this Sunday School. Not sure if I can commit to a Sunday School program. But it IS what the community wants and to be honest, what they need (all four churches are in a circle within feet from each other- so you can imagine the number of children between all four churches). It's the only time and place where most of the children from all the villages are together, of all ages.
I've also been helping my deputy head teacher with some papers she is writing for her diploma. By the year 2013 the Ministry of Education is requiring all teachers to have their diploma - a certificate along will no longer suffice. One of her assignments has to do with the theory of evolution. Boy did I have an interesting time trying to explain Darwin (she is the chair for the Catholic woman's league). She was about to go to the library here in Kasama to do research- had no idea all the info was right in her book.
I've also started to hang out at school after hours to work on my world map painting. Some of the grade 8 and 9 pupils also stay after to study on their own for their final national exams. I've been helping them out... I think it might turn into a 'homework club.'
The village life is also going well. I went to a large market the other week and a man gave me free "posters" of American rap artists with Bemba proverbs because he was impressed with my Bemba. I ate rabbit the other day, started to go on runs through the village (although it is nearly impossible when a 'quick run' turns into each neighbor inviting me in for Nshima, giving me huge bags of sweet potatoes, and then two house later I come home with a parade of children running after me-- not as much of a coping mechanism as it was for me in the States). I'm no longer "Musungu" I am "Shannon" or "Mulenga"--my Bemba name (means creator). m The days are getting easier the more time I spend outside of my house. And I'm slowly starting to figure out where I can start
So I had about twenty more to upload but it takes forever. I think I might burn them to a disk and send then home for Abby or Pat to upload somewhere. miss you all! happy summer party!
Things are moving along fast. At school I started teaching. It's been interesting. I like teaching Math for some reason- don't freak out- it's fifth grade so they have no idea how bad I really am in math. But maybe that's why I like it- because I teach it from my perspective- how I've always taught myself Math- a somehow different way from what every teacher has ever taught me. I find myself drawing visuals all over the board- projecting my thought process to forty 9 and 10 year olds. The fifth grade teacher is actually pretty awesome and is the one helping me with the world map. But she went to town yesterday and when teachers are absent classrooms turn into single room jungle gyms. I wasn't doing anything so I stepped in--without a plan or agenda and tackled grade 5- all subjects, all afternoon. I had no idea what I was in for. I felt like those substitute teachers that you know after only five minutes of them in class they have no idea what they're doing. Now I feel bad for all the things I used to get away with when those substitutes taught me as a student. Kids in Zambia are not that different from kids in America when they realize what they can and cannot get away with. Anyways, it was a great lesson about why lesson plans are so important, and I also noted a few things about how I do NOT want teaching to go next term. I played all the substitute teacher game you can think of! Simon says, hangman, head shoulders knees and toes. Though mostly- I taught English because that is what they were most interested in.
I've also started teaching grade 8 and 9 English. It's fun but it's difficult to keep the attention of over 100 pupils when there is limited space, desks, and books. I've been co-planning with the grade 8 an 9 English teacher and I think she is the one I want to work with next term. Although I don't want to make any commitments yet.
With the community I've mostly been surveying people and doing informal needs assessments. However, on Sundays after church- it's an interesting scenario. All the parents meet with their various groups (catholic women's league, women of Christ. UCZ club, Pentecostal association, club for people who go to church, blah blah blah) and I'm usually waiting for my friend Modester to get out of her woman's league club so we can eat lunch together at her house, and the children are usually roaming around and chasing each other with nothing to do while they wait for their parents. Since I refuse to be sucked into a club where they talk about God in Bemba, and gossip about the community- I've started playing games with the kids and doing silly songs (yes- like the tootie ta). Some people have started calling this Sunday School. Not sure if I can commit to a Sunday School program. But it IS what the community wants and to be honest, what they need (all four churches are in a circle within feet from each other- so you can imagine the number of children between all four churches). It's the only time and place where most of the children from all the villages are together, of all ages.
I've also been helping my deputy head teacher with some papers she is writing for her diploma. By the year 2013 the Ministry of Education is requiring all teachers to have their diploma - a certificate along will no longer suffice. One of her assignments has to do with the theory of evolution. Boy did I have an interesting time trying to explain Darwin (she is the chair for the Catholic woman's league). She was about to go to the library here in Kasama to do research- had no idea all the info was right in her book.
I've also started to hang out at school after hours to work on my world map painting. Some of the grade 8 and 9 pupils also stay after to study on their own for their final national exams. I've been helping them out... I think it might turn into a 'homework club.'
The village life is also going well. I went to a large market the other week and a man gave me free "posters" of American rap artists with Bemba proverbs because he was impressed with my Bemba. I ate rabbit the other day, started to go on runs through the village (although it is nearly impossible when a 'quick run' turns into each neighbor inviting me in for Nshima, giving me huge bags of sweet potatoes, and then two house later I come home with a parade of children running after me-- not as much of a coping mechanism as it was for me in the States). I'm no longer "Musungu" I am "Shannon" or "Mulenga"--my Bemba name (means creator). m The days are getting easier the more time I spend outside of my house. And I'm slowly starting to figure out where I can start
home
family
shower/toilet
house/insaka (kitchen)
neighbors
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