Thursday, April 23, 2009

Jenny, Teachie-Weechie, and Ms. Crystal

This semester I have been super busy with school! I have, however, gotten into some sort of flow of things. I love teaching when I feel like I am actually teaching something. Using time to prepare ahead well, finding resources (which may be dependent upon power, internet, and printing options), figuring out the topics most in need of covering, learning how to use class time well… has been a challenge. It is a challenge to new teachers anyway, but here it is compacted by various conditions (inadequate curriculum, no text books, not enough copies of class novels, unreliable power, no set standards to follow, and in general life in a different culture…. I could go on). I must say that I am not complaining about these things; they have been challenges that I have faced and learned to deal with or found another way. I have and continue to learn from these and numerous other challenges of life here. Anyway, back to school. This semester I have also been teaching Life of Christ 2 to Leila and Lydia. The class has been a valuable sundry of discussions; I am enjoying studying the Gospels with them. I have seen much growth in the boys this semester, both academically and mentally. I am blessed to be a part of that growth. This semester we’ve mostly studied writing and recently moved into creative writing. I have been proud of them in the work they’ve done as they become better writers and explore avenues of written expression. Jennifer has been co-teaching grammar for Josiah with me and it has been really helpful and really great for him. Malachi is now my only student at that level. Sadly, Angela had to move and left the school. Malachi, however, has done really well in my class. He catches on to things very quickly and is rapidly progressing through his book. In British literature we recently finished reading John Milton’s Paradise Lost. We had some fascinating discussions on the text, Creation, and redemption. The girls each did an art project to culminate the unit. Both projects were very impressive! The rest of the semester they will be working on two different power point presentations. The first one they’ve been doing together on the history of Britain as it connects to the specific texts that we’ve read. The second they will do independently after the first is completed, and it is a thematic study power point. This semester we’ve been discussing the nature of man and eternal life as they connect to the pieces we’ve read. I didn’t set it up that way on purpose at first, but when I saw the themes threading through each work we began to focus on it more. Basically, each of my students is doing really well and I am very proud of each one!
This may be quite boring to many of you, but I thought that I ought to write a bit about what it is that I am teaching since that is my primary job here. We only have 4 weeks left of school (I can’t believe it!). There is still so much that I want to teach, and I feel overwhelmed. The middle school class has been doing a unit on poetry and I am about to focus more on poetry in my other 2 language arts classes as well. I’ve been busy and out of town often; hopefully, though, I will be able to sketch out my lesson plans for the rest of the year over the weekend. (Please pray that I do and that God guides me as I work out the plans). One big focus (of many) for me has been trying to prepare the Shelburne boys for a school year in the States next year. They will be on furlough for 1 year and will be going to public schools in Texas. The classroom environment here is a stark contrast to the classroom environment in the States. I am trying to help them prepare for that hoping that it will ease their move by providing a bit of a transitional classroom here. That is a very brief summary of my life as a teacher at MMS. Feel free to ask any questions about it. It is, after all, my job! :)
The title—the 3 teachers for the oldest students each have quite different names that we are called by the students: Jennifer is Jenny, I am Ms. Crystal, and Julie is Teachie-Weechie (or a variety of other names that come up while teaching history). Yes, we are each very different in our teaching methods and styles.

Short continuation of Spring Break

Wow I need to update…
Nairobi and Kitale--
We went to Nairobi from Masai Mara. Since we arrived in the late afternoon, we spent the night there. Julie and I really wished we could have stayed longer to really see the city, but we had plans to go to Kitale. After some confusion and a booked bus, we found a bus to take us to Kitale. That was a long bus ride. We arrived in Kitale late Sat. afternoon and went to the guest house to crash for the day. Sunday we went to the Children’s Home for church and spent the afternoon visiting with some of the house parents and playing with the children. I enjoy going there and having the chance to play with them. By Monday we were ready to get home! We got a private hire (taxi) to take us back to Mbale. We spent the day lying around and trying to get things together for the next week of school.