Lately..

        For the past four weeks we have been in the city, due to safety and other reasons. Though different than spending three days a week in the village, we have been able to do some new things. We have been going to lots of primary and secondary schools and every Thursday we have had the privilege of teaching English to primary school students. Most of us, including me, have our own classroom. I have P5, which is between 11-13 year olds. The school system here is completely different than in America. The children here have to pay to attend school. It is almost like a "pay as you go" concept. There are three terms in a school year and each term cost around $25-$50. Kids who cannot afford a term, don't go for that term and if they have money for the next term, than they can go.
       I loosely use the term "classroom" because it is nothing like an American school's classroom. Their classrooms are small, have a tin roof and siding of some wood,cardboard and anything else that can fill holes. The classrooms are dark, dirty and so close together and only separated by cardboard and wood that I have to yell over the other classrooms for my students to hear me. But I absolutely love it. Even when it's raining and I am writing on the chalk board and I am getting wet, I love it. I have about 12 kids in my class who are so eager to learn. They do not take education for granted because they have to pay their way through. When I enter the classroom they all stand until I tell them that they may be seated and when they ask a question they stand. They are so polite and well behaved. I have been teaching them elements of a story, comprehension, sentence structures, adverbs, and parts of a car (random right?).  Today was my last time teaching them because next week they are having an exam on everything they have learned these past four weeks, and then I leave that Saturday night.
        I can't believe I only have 9 days left here. From here I am going to California to visit friends for 5 days and then I will finally be home. I am so torn. I want to stay, but then again I want to come home. It's really hard to have your heart in 2 different places.

The science teacher teaching my class

My class!

What I teach from