Oh my gosh, something I never thought possible is turning out to be sort of natural. Me-a teacher of youth! Though right now I still think teaching in America is out of the picture, it is an interesting revelation of mine. I keep taking on new students, classes, and working in more schools. Another reason I think Louga was fatefully chosen to be my site- there are a lot of schools. So as of right now, I have two English classes once a week, am tutoring two students personally, doing various talks and discussions in classrooms, am doing the SeneGAD scholarship program with one of the middle schools and maybe another, and hope to build another girl’s group out of the candidates. The reason I am really hoping for that is because these are the girls with the best grades in school, which could make for a really beneficial girls group. In challah. I am really happy with the punctuality and professionalism of the middle school principal in the scholarship process. Tomorrow I will supervise the girls writing their essays responding to the questions about life after school, etc.
Please consider donating to SeneGAD to see that all girls in the country who are worthy of it, receive the scholarship to continue their studies. And I can seriously imagine what that would do for a girl here-give her so much confidence and pride, and that really touches me. Girl power, yo. Education, yo!
I actually was at the American Corner in the Cultural Center today and there were some young teenage boys doing online quiz games, testing knowledge in science and then English. And I was trying to help them with their English (I got one wrong hahaha) and then afterward spontaneously agreed to start doing a class with them Friday mornings because they don’t have school then. (how can I say no to kids who pay to use computers and take educational quizzes!?) Its weird how the students here are really eager to do classes in their free time. Ok I guess its not weird because the educational system here could afford to stimulate their minds more and also there are hardly any after school activities. Alors! In steps Ndaye. Me. So… yea. Oh along with that, I am starting this week to teach some elementary school teachers a grade keeping program on excel and basic internet skills. Hopefully that will trickle down to other teachers and students. And if successful, I will do it with more schools.
In a lot of ways, all Peace Corps volunteers are teachers. Mine is just more blatant at the moment. I am totally winging it each and every day, but each time I gain more confidence and skill. Its pretty cool actually. I am surprised more people do not join the Peace Corps, because hey its like free travel and awesome professional experience, what with all the freedom and trust. And then I am like wait, this sucks here dude. This is hard, ambiguous work. And the people really can get under your skin. Its definitely the most testing experience of my life. Its like you cant just escape the people that piss you off. And that’s just it- I do get pissed off here, something really rare for me in the past. They are here, you are here. I am indeed here. It is still not totally normal, I thought to myself as I squeezed by a truck parked in the middle of the vegetable market this morning, stepping in trash. I have my doubts it ever will be. But who knows, really. I have made it 7 months, which leaves just over a year and a half left. Time flies more than it takes forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment