deep thoughts

i uploaded some photos a while back but never posted. click on 9/11/06 "leftover pics" to enjoy(specially if you're a liz relative/fan)!

jack handy moment
how much am i helping versus hindering the situation in africa? i'm assuming every volunteer contemplates this. i'm not a trained teacher, yet i am in charge of 80 odd students' entire middle school English education. it's not like i run a supplementary class in conjunction with something else. this is it! in asia, the students had a solid base and i helped with extra tutoring or conversational practice. africa is a completely different story. i totally lack the background in their culture, their methods of discipline (i'll get to that issue), British English grammatical standards (did you know they use "somehow" instead of "somewhat"? i forget to spell favorite with the u. and i call the dot at the end of a sentence a period instead of a full stop. these seem like petty details but are really noticeable when teaching a language!) and a plethora of other significant knowledge that would make me ten times more effective in the classroom. these kids are expected to pass rigorous tests in several subjects to enter secondary school and university. it's scary how much i have an impact on their future.

we met an expat working with the government in accra the last two years. she explained that ghana cuts a large portion of their education budget to train teachers because of their heavy reliance on foreign volunteers. basically, if they can get some obrunis to do it for free, why spend money on it? why help the next generation help themselves? what exactly would happen if all the volunteers just up and left the continent? i'm not discounting the importance of peace corps and other organizations, but what about a little self-sufficiency? i guess, at the very least i can be positive that i am learning a ton from my students. being here has opened my eyes and broken down many preconceptions. and any cultural exchange has to be good thing. last week i started reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to my class and although some references went over their head, they totally got into the story when i explained words like "cooties" and "boo-boo." i am spreading my love for judy blume around the world!

the cane
we were warned that corporal punishment was a part of life in africa before we got here. it was shocking last semester, but then gradually teachers wielding canes stopped being a big deal. now with the new school year, the cane is coming back in full force. i totally flinch and don't like to look when i see them getting whipped on the hand or butt. the majority of teachers and parents we talk to see it as completely necessary. they grew up with it and know no other form of discipline. while in some ways, these students are more mature, understand more about love hardship and sacrifice than i did at their age. they really are crazy more physical and out of control. especially the little tykes. they run around, hit, kick, knock each other down, stand on the desks, bite, pick up things and hit each other, scream etc. i would balk if i saw this kind of behavior in a classroom in the states. i guess i would also balk if i saw these learning conditions in the states. no running water or electricity, rickety wooden benches too small for their tushes, nails and splintery boards sticking out of steps and doorways, 100 degree sweltering hot rooms.

think about punishments we get in the states... "no tv! no phone! go to your room!" well, they aren't really an option here. they don't have anything to take away. getting sent to your room instead of fetching water would probably be a dream. so if hitting is common at home, it is extremely problematic to keep the student's attention and seem serious in the classroom if you don't also follow the same form of harsh punishment. but on the other hand, how can hurting someone, physically and emotionally, impel them to learn? when they are flipping out and bawling about a bruise, it might stop them from acting out in class for five seconds, but for the long-term i highly doubt that they will be encourged to want to learn on their own or value learning.

when i try to enforce alternative punishments in the classroom they don't seem to work. what was the worst thing in elementary school? you take away recess. these kids have one break/snacktime at 10am before their lunch a 1pm. it's very possible this is the first time they eat all day. i don't really want to mess with that. food is sort of imperative. in liz's case when she tried to threaten her student's to stay during break with her, they rose their hand and said, "madam, i want to spend break with you". sort of confuses the punishment with the reward.