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Musanze, Ruhengeri, Rwanda
Today I didn’t have any student classes, I only had my first class of St. Vincent’s teachers in the afternoon. I went for a run in the morning which I could have skipped because it felt really crummy. When I got back to my room my phone rang and it was George from the District office. He was calling to say that “everyone is very happy about your English classes, and more people are coming tomorrow!” I said I was thrilled to hear that, and please make sure to bring enough photocopies of the exam! I’m thinking I better prepare a lesson plan just in case….
Although I didn’t have any student classes today, I went to the teachers’ lounge at Tea Break to see my colleagues and, well, for tea. I worked on a lesson plan for tomorrow’s S6 class but I really have no idea where to begin. I took the first few pages of the ratty green book and I’ll try to do something with it. Beyond that I’ll have to consult with Philip and Sam to see if I should keep pushing through this book. I’d be fine with that, as I appreciate the structure of a curriculum. Otherwise I’m just guessing at what I should teach. My challenge will be to take the content of the curriculum and make it more interesting than what said ratty green book outlines.
While lesson planning, the Dean of Instruction came into the lounge and I took the opportunity to ask if there was annnnny posssssible way to print and make photocopies of a diagnostic exam I had prepared for the teachers? He said, “Yes, we want to help you.” Whoo hooo! I used a flash drive to transfer the exam to Sister’s computer, printed it, then watched the Dean and another Sister wrestle with a dinosaur of a photocopier. But it got copied and I didn’t have to write 4 pages worth of exam on the board.
As all of this was happening, teachers floated around and asked me about the exam for that afternoon. “What are the questions like?” “They’re very difficult. I hope you studied.” “How long will it be?” “Oh,about 10 hours. Bring your breakfast for the morning.” They thought this was hilarious. Thank goodness my sarcasm isn’t completely lost on everyone here! I’d have to terminate my contract and move back to New York immediately.
After finally getting all the photocopies, I skipped back to my room and gulped down an avocado and tomato sandwich and some bananas. Then I was ready to teach the teachers!
Let me start by saying that as excited as I was about this opportunity, I started feeling nervous as it approached. I had a ball teaching teachers during our practicum in Nyanza, but those teachers were not my colleagues! I will probably never see them again. These teachers are my colleagues, whom I see every day. I was afraid of doing a bad job and looking foolish and disappointing them and messing up our dynamic (they’ve been helping me while I’m clueless, suddenly I’m their teacher?). I’ll have to balance my role as colleague and teacher carefully. Let’s just say I won’t be shushing them and threatening to change their seats if they’re disruptive!
So, at 2:00 pm I went to the teachers’ lounge and gathered up anyone who was there. We went to the classroom that Sister told us to take (Sam did the whole “We must use this room now” followed by scampering) and I distributed the exam. They took it very seriously, and I wonder how much of that is due to the administration’s insistence. Earlier today after one teacher told me he couldn’t attend, I heard the Dean tell him he must arrange his schedule so he can attend my English classes. Gulp!
When most people had finished Part 1 (Grammar), we moved on to Part 2 (Listening) which involves my reading a story out loud for comprehension. There were lots of puzzled looks and they seemed to have no idea what the story was about, but I assured them that was OK. I said, “If you understand the story and have no problems, you don’t need this class and we’re done!” I know they want speaking practice more than anything, but I assured them that listening is just as important (in my opinion). I said, “If you feel confident and comfortable speaking but don’t understand what another person is saying in response, you’re not communicating at all. We must practice listening also.” They seemed to agree with that.
After I collected everyone’s exams I still had a HUGE chunk of time with nothing really planned! So I did a long, drawn out brainstorming session on what they find most difficult about English and what they want to learn in my class. Holy crap, that was intimidating. Some of these teachers are quite good in English, and they were expressing confusion with things that I don’t even understand! Umm, a phrasal verb? What the heck is that? Connecting words? I gave an easy example and the teacher said, “That is very simple. I mean words that connect complex phrases and use different tenses.” Oh, riiiight. I assured him we would cover it, although I have no clue what he’s talking about. Ha! Other requests were for help with past tenses (from our Korean volunteer teacher), irregular verbs, idioms, proverbs, pronunciation and “vocabularies.” Of course they also want help with technical vocabulary related to math and science, which I told them to bring to class. I am not a math or science teacher and I’m not going to generate lists of those.
So, I made a list of their requests on the board with a big smile on my face and sweat building up under my arms. I was totally nervous that this was a big mistake! They are too advanced for me, I have no idea how to teach anything beyond level 1 ESL! Then I came to my room and pulled out the book that my amiga Anne recommended: Practical English Usage. It was one of many books suggested by WorldTeach, and when I reviewed the list with Anne she said if I bring nothing else, bring that book. Man, I’m glad she told me that! I cracked it open and looked up “phrasal verbs” (there really is such a thing!) and lots of other stuff. Anne was right – this is the book you pull out when your students ask you “Why is it like that?” and your only answer is “Because it just is.” Thank you, Anne! I felt so much calmer about the prospect of teaching the teachers after flipping through this book. Next class with them is on Monday, and tomorrow I go back to being one of their fellow teachers, much more clueless than they are, without a white jacket and gulping as much African tea as I can get away with in the lounge.
from: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gypsygirlri/2/1265221169/tpod.html
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