Coming to Terms

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill

Yesterday was not my favorite day. I cried, I panicked, I blame the roosters. I woke up this morning with a better attitude, thanks to those friends and family of mine that just happen to be awesome. Namely Bethany listening to me blubber over Skype, Erin and Maggie reading my tales of woe in email, and Mabel and Sonia giving me some phone perspective. And mom and dad! Those people rock.

Today is a new day. At the ripe old age of 32, I have gotten to know myself pretty well. And, it turns out, I am often prone to focusing on the negative and too pessimistic for my own good. No news flash to most of you out there I’m sure. But regardless, I’m working on it. Some flexibility never hurt anyone. The greatest challenge for me is adjusting to the different work ethic. In America, it’s go go go work work work all day long. I was that crazy teacher that showed up at 7am and left the building at 4:30pm with a bag full of work each day. Here, I am experiencing a much more laid-back life, which is essentially the polar opposite of Amy. I really need to zip the lip and sit back and enjoy the relaxation. It will be good for me, despite my efforts to resist. I’ve been told that you can’t change Africa; Africa changes you. I’m in the midst of accepting that notion.

So, with some pushing and shoving, I think I am on the road to developing a solid work plan for my time at this college. My frustration yesterday lied in the fact that no plan was set for me here. I have had to initiate my own job. I’m not a surprise visitor; these people knew I was coming. But, ‘tis life. Seems that my primary responsibility is going to be helping students develop teaching and learning materials focused on reading and showing how reading skills are important in all subject areas. I’ve also been told I may be asked to teach a few sections of English. We shall see where the road takes me.

Today I observed several classes: Education and English. Thirty-forty students in each class. The English class was two classes combined today and there were about fifty students total. Only six of which were female. In each class, the teacher lectured, and the students wrote every word that was told to them. One teacher was reading from a manual, but also facilitating discussion with questions and prompts, while the other teacher essentially did the lesson on her own. I guess it’s similar to American universities, which often includes a lot of lecturing. It is a shame though that teachers here and in America constantly preach about “engagement”, yet so few actually model this in their own teaching practices. Having struggled with managing twenty students, I can only imagine the challenge of managing engagement when you have forty or more students. I’m headed to town this afternoon to pick up some things. I’m bracing for impact! By impact I mean the hundreds of African eyes that will likely gravitate towards my pearly white skin.