Challenges and Achievements

Mon Feb 11

Wow has it really been a week since I journaled. Time is flying!  I was counting the weeks I had left today and it was freaking me out. 9 weeks left doing placement stuff and only 7 of those are in El View school. How am I supposed to teach all I want to in those weeks? (Except in math I can be done with that). Math is torture Its boring to do and boring to teach. And I have to do it every day. Any teachers reading this, HELP ME:P I want to get some good goals in place, if I can get a good library system of borrowing and returning going that would be great. That requires getting someone to fix up the computer program so I can actually search for books to speed up the process, also arranging times and transportation with the teachers. I am willing to help as much as possible and I think the school will benefit so much from a good library system. I really thin kI am learning 10x as much as I am teaching here, I am learnign to be patient and flexible. I am learning the challange of not being fully understood when I speak, or fully understanding others. Even the way of life is so different then meanings get crossed and implications are different, so interesting really.

This weekend was amazingly fantastic, in the Kakamega rain forest. It has been my dream to visit a rainforest, and we got to see the only one in Kenya! And go for a 5 am 15 k hike to see the sunrise. Didn't feel real. We also stayed in a treehouse and I fell asleep to rainforest sounds that people pay money to have on C.Ds. I would live there I really have to learn how to attach photos to my blog though when I do I have to wait hours for them to upload. 5:30 how did you get here? Ah. Ill have to battle with uploading these blogs later.

Sorry this blog is so incomplete!

Not the Most Exciting Blog

I've been writing blogs but not posting, because the internet has been very unpredictable .So bare with me while these all get posted not on the day they were written!

Feb 8 2013

Just quickly, because I really have no time for journals but they are so important to me while I am here.School is crazy I got home at 5 today and then I have school marking to do, and then I have to plan the next days lessons and then it is 9 pm and I haven’t planned lessons or even looked at my own school books, then tomorrow I wake up at 6 and do it again. The problem is I really don't like teaching without a plan so I don’t let that fall behind and really my school work is really going to suffer. It is hard and I’m trying to adapt because the fact is I bring my work home with me. Also my teaching time counts as nothing towards my degree, although the experience is fantastic there is no credit even towards my practicum so school is very confusing to me right now. Additionally I don’t think the other teachers realize quite what a university school load is like, whenever I leave right after school they ask "are you leaving already?". I am incredibly behind right now. The girls and I tried to catch up on homework on the weekend, and we explored downtown a bit more (checked out the mall:P). We went out on Sat. night with some Dutch students (medical) who we will be staying with in Uganda, who are lovely. It was a lot more fun than I expected, although the men were intense “I want to marry you ,I love you, be my wife” but you just have to be firm, no gentle let downs, once you straight up say no a couple of times they are okay. We also went to a church on Sunday which was really neat, so much singing and dancing I liked the spirit.  Gotta go work more :(. Bye!

-Sophie

Bananas and Moose

Feb 1 2012

Today I did a lot of homework (or tried to) and napped. What an exciting Friday night:P I had to come home early from school because I am feeling not so great. It sucked coming home early today but Im really glad I did. 

School has been very different here, I am trying to figure stuff out and learning that being flexible is even more important than in a classroom in Canada, requiring me to be much more relaxed than my usual self:P. Today for example I taught a full lesson and had 2 more I was meant to teach but then a bunch of students to go swimming. So I combined the class 6 and 7s and taught an impromptu lesson. Also a child in the special needs unit was upset because she had hurt her elbow and ran through my classroom upset, she was scared when I tried to help her and I felt so bad because she is non verbal. I also taught "P.P.I" for the first period with the whole upper school and was just to sing with them. So I basically lead Camp opening circle (Thank you camp songs). So I was singing about Moose and Bananas and all kinds of goofy stuff which the kids loved but when I asked them to show me what they usually do all their songs were religious and apparently they usually read the bible during "P.P.I" so I think I shook things up a little:P Oops, learning. 

The students are adorible though I absolutly can't express enough, they are so sweet and so eager to learn. When I first got to school the classes I had taught a song to yesterday started singing it as I walked by I was so impressed they remembered the words! We also played the game called one-word story which they really enjoyed and helps with creativity and formation of story structure. I have learned that the students formal writing (like writing me a letter) is a lot better then their creative writing which I don't think they have much experience in. They tend to retell stories or change a few names and places in stories they usually know. I think I'm going to focus on trying to develop that, as well as really encouraging reading. If I can get thm to realize the importance of creative expression and maybe find a few who really enjoy it that would be great. On a side note I really wish it would stop raining! (I know at least it's not freezing rain) But in Kenya it doesn't usually rain until April! I hope the rainy season hasn't come early like Mr. Duke has suggested! XD

Zebra, Giraffe and Monkey Friends (and Buffalo enemies)

Tues. Jan. 29th

Ah I really need to blog! Slacker. SO I went on a Safari. Whatever no big deal JUST THE BEST THING OF MY WHOLE LIFE EVER.

 I love Kenya, it’s beautiful. And I saw Giraffes, I love giraffes. We also saw crocodiles and Hippos (while we were in a boat XD). And monkeys and ostriches and camels and all kinds of deer and birds. Hyenas who look evil (or maybe the lion king has influenced that a  little). Also terrifying Buffalo, Who knew that Buffalo were so terrifying? They were all “your on my turf” and we were like ahhh slowly inch away. I had so much fun with the girls, which I really think I need to take a moment to talk about because they are so incredible and I seriously think we must have all been brought here together for a reason because there is no way I can imagine it differently. Today we also received another blessing in the form of Grace who has been able to get away and come to our home to cook and take care of us, although we are grown adults being in a new place is so overwhelming that we are kind of a mess. 

School so far is interesting, exhausting, challenging. The kids have made it worth it and its only the second day. The nursery is hilarious because they chatter away to me in Swahili and I don’t think they understand why I don’t reply XD They are so cute although very rambunctious. I tried to introduce ball toss games outside but lost the ball twice over two different fences XD Oh well. I got my class (grade) 6  class to write me a letter to tell me things they thought I should know about them and Eldoret and the school and it warmed my heart that they all were so welcoming and loving. The Kenyan people are very friendly for the most part. Today I got caught in a thunderstorm and took shelter under a little shop roof and before I knew it was welcomed inside and the shop tender emptied a pop crate to turn it over and give me a seat to wait out the storm. Kindness really makes the world a better place.

English, Math & Babies

Thurs. Jan 24 2012

Today I went to the school to see my way around. So much stuff that it is so overwhelming but also exciting. The kids are very good, I adore the little ones. I am going to be teaching the older grades reading and writing in the morning (9-13)  then the primary age math after that (6-8) and then finishing my day with little ones in the nursery (3-6). It will be interesting because 11-13 year olds are not usually my favourite but the classes are all so quiet and well behaved - very strange. Then I have to teach math which everyone knows Im not very good at XD But its nothing more than addition and multiplication. The school is interesting because it’s a private school it is really very nice, and the class sizes are very small for a Kenyan school but even so they do not have access to a lot of supplies public schools do in Canada, for example their work books are bound in newspaper instead of fancy journals, and there isn’t much In the way of craft supplies and other things I am used to. In Canada we learn so much integration of technology and fancy supplies but here it's all about using and reusing what you got. The principal of the school has "good job" stickers but they are in polish XD They call me "teacher sophie" or "madam." Having so many different classes and kids is hard because learning individuals an where they are at is a challenge, the first thing I will have them do is make name tags! In the nursery there were few toys and books, even the actual physical size of the classroom is very small.  I will do what I can, I have big shoes to fill!