Do I like my life here?

Somedays, yes. Somedays, no. This week was really hard. I never actually started teaching until Friday, despite the children showing up on Tuesday. Tuesday was spent "sorting" the students. There are 500 plus students and the entire day was spent dividing them into eleven classes. Not just the entire day Tuesday, part of Wednesday as well. Tuesday, I had brought plenty to do. I wrote four letters and finished New Moon (the second book of the Twilight series... am I really reading this?). Tuesday the rain began.

On Wednesday, I did not understand what was going on so I went to investigate. There were still 118 students to be "sorted!" Are you kidding me? Is this some sort of joke? I sorted all of those students in 12 minutes (yes, I timed myself). The teachers were in shock, "how did you do that?" You demand fucking order, that is how you do it. Stop the mass choas. So by this time a few of my classes were over, but I could spend the rest of the day teaching. NOT! Now, the students needed books. So many questions... why weren't the teachers who had been playing around in the staff room working on this while students were being "sorted?" Oh wait, you have not learned the word efficiency. Side note: I borrowed a dictionary, looked up efficiency, wrote down the definition, and posted it on the door to the staff room. It humors me. Oh, it's still raining.

I volunteered to take charge, knowing if I let them do it I would not be teaching until Easter break. It took me half the day on Wednesday and ALL day Thursday working efficiently to get 500 students their books. I will not even begin to tell you what an absolute nightmare this was. I should have turned around and walked out when I opened the door to the classrooms where the books were stored and saw 7000+ "textbooks" lying on the ground. Each student has 15 "textbooks," and about 500 were missing (of course, I did not know which ones). Oh and yes, they "care" about their textbooks so they were all covered in paper, meaning to sort them I had to open each one to discover the title. Rest assured, I will collect the books in December when school ends and properly demonstrate how to another teacher (oh sustainability) how to organize and care for the textbooks so it never takes that much time again!

Thursday night as I began my walk 45 minute walk home in the rain (yes, it was still raining), two of the teachers accompained me. They complimented me on how hard I worked and how kind I was. I laughed, if they only knew what had been going on in my head all week. Really, though the comments were so welcomed. FINALLY, someone was reaching out to me! I had been greeting them and speaking basic Sesotho with them all week, but I did not think they noticed or cared at all. They did! They went on to tell me the previous volunteer was a little cold and she never learned any Sesotho. The "silent treatment/we only speak Sesotho in the staff room" had not been me at all. It never bothered the previous volunteer because she found her friends elsewhere. They even offered to teach me Sesotho (before I told them the PC would pay them). I want to continue learning the language! I can probably get by without it, however, it brightens the Basotho's day when you speak to them in their language. Plus, my biggest complaint all week has been how lonely I am. If I can speak their language... I can make more friends.

Things were starting to look up. I learned I am going to be perpetually soaked until the end of Feburary. The rain here is amazing, I do not mind. It just seemed fitting to mention how it was pouring rain during my long week. Drenched, I taught my first class on friday. With 58 students and a very tight classroom I found it incredibly hard to be mobile and keep everyone engaged. I also learned that half of them came from an elementary school where they did not speak English (which is "illegal" in Lesotho, ha, oh accountability) and the other half came from the fifth (who knows how accurate that is) best elementary school in the country. Challenge? Yes!

I planned a 15 minute activity ("You wake up tomorrow and you are the teacher, what good ideas will you bring to the class") suggested to us during training. The assignment was get in groups of five, spend five minutes discussing, and pick someone to present to the class. The purpose behind this activity is to learn what students expect from you as a teacher. Well, it took the entire 40 minute period (for serveral reasons). One being they did not know what a group of five was. Another, what does "present" mean? So many more reasons too. That is definitely a flaw on my part (and the Peace Corp), we practice taught at one of the best high schools in the country... and now reality. I felt like I was doing everything right or at least trying everything, but they still weren't grasping the concept. I refuse to lecture to them for the next two years. They are going to learn about student-centered learning whether it kills me (or them) or not. A few groups, 3 out of 11 were able to present their ideas at the end of class. All three groups responded, "a good teacher does not shout and practices corporal punishment." I am sure I hid my facial expressions well. Not. You are so brainwashed, you want me to beat you? Needless to say, I readjusted for my next couple of classes.

I think I can. I think I can.