9.07.2004
I never know where I left off, what stories are on here or sent via letters I’ve sent home to this person and that so I can only write about my most current experiences, here’s the latest….
Since Spring has arrived and the time has sprung forward an hour my evenings bring much more joy. Just now I waltzed out to the back corner of my yard to gaze at the illuminated stars and absence of any moonlight. Two yappy Jack Russell terriers joined me to keep from utter stillness taking over. In the close distance I could faintly hear the hostel boys chatting and making mischief as they began to settle down fro bed, it is already half past eight. Lying back looking up at the stars brought back a favourite memory of summer 2003, as Chris Schletter and I got off the bus at a rest stop somewhere in Indiana and plopped down to check out the star filled sky. Just as this thought crossed my mind the Southern Cross caught my eye. It’s easily found here as it is the pointer for the South Pole more or less. Often in my travels here it’s always pointing home since most of my Namibian travel takes me north. It will be strange to look up one day and not see this comforting sign. If you can’t tell life is going well and is on the upswing. In just a few days we’ll be having out “teacher of the year” celebration for 31 schools. Watching the excitement grow in my supervisor’s eyes and pride in the event to come, is almost reward enough. At least one of the papers should cover the story and hopefully if all goes well we could be trendsetters. I’ll keep you posted. Just really cool to invite “cultural groups” instead of a choir or dance group, and get one group of 30 learners that do it all…I only wonder if it’s warm enough for the traditional garb too!
After sitting and talking through this idea since November 2003 it’s nice to know we’re so close!
The following 4 weeks will be filled with workshops I’ll be co-facilitating. The first is an extra-curricular club focusing on shaping behaviours in grade 4/5 learners to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS…do you ever remember talking about the 4 fluids that can transmit HIV when you were in grade 4? Necessary life skill here. Thing is it’s a great, fun and positive way to approach self-esteem building etc and is being implemented nationally by the end of the year.
So yes, people hear all about HIV/AIDS all the time and re not as excited necessarily yet, they are calling and inquiring constantly about a 3 hour Reading Comprehension workshop focussing on grades 4-7. Crazy eh! The whole country realizes what a problem reading is in a country where a “reading culture” is almost non-existent. Now you can understand why books are so cherished. One of the goals for Educational Library Services by 2005 is for each school to have 3 books per learner in each school library…it’s a big task especially since teachers in charge of school libraries move from school to school the library often suffers significantly since there is no one to continue running it. It’s wonderful to see how eager everyone is to attend this, I only hep we can serve their needs and not disappoint. Just today I was questioned 4 times about when and where the workshop would be. This is just so opposite to many reactions of teachers in the states who to often had to be dragged to “professional development” sessions or mandatory ESOL classes. I ‘m very thankful I was at a school in the past that initiated such efforts to continually enhance best practices. In speaking to a local principal today, eh mentioned how English many be the official language but is most often a child’s 3rd language and they don’t/can’t read in the first two. So, how can they be expected to in their third! Challenges that will take dedication, hardwork and generation. Luckily with the eager, responses of so many, there is an air of positivism.
On a lighter note about the topic of English…I’ve heard complaints about my poor grammar on here…all just part of painting the picture of life here J Many ”mistakes” you may find may be common language (Namlish) here so take it all in. I will also share the responsibility that all of us PCVs here joke about, how fast your “American English” begins to falter, part of the experience? To calm any of your worries about my language skills which have never been my strength throughout life, it all seems to come back rather quickly…after a few weeks with at least one other American around, I was mumbling, rolling, using slang and even some 3 syllable words!
* Note: By the end of the month I should be getting a PCV roommate so let me know if you see some improvement.
Since Spring has arrived and the time has sprung forward an hour my evenings bring much more joy. Just now I waltzed out to the back corner of my yard to gaze at the illuminated stars and absence of any moonlight. Two yappy Jack Russell terriers joined me to keep from utter stillness taking over. In the close distance I could faintly hear the hostel boys chatting and making mischief as they began to settle down fro bed, it is already half past eight. Lying back looking up at the stars brought back a favourite memory of summer 2003, as Chris Schletter and I got off the bus at a rest stop somewhere in Indiana and plopped down to check out the star filled sky. Just as this thought crossed my mind the Southern Cross caught my eye. It’s easily found here as it is the pointer for the South Pole more or less. Often in my travels here it’s always pointing home since most of my Namibian travel takes me north. It will be strange to look up one day and not see this comforting sign. If you can’t tell life is going well and is on the upswing. In just a few days we’ll be having out “teacher of the year” celebration for 31 schools. Watching the excitement grow in my supervisor’s eyes and pride in the event to come, is almost reward enough. At least one of the papers should cover the story and hopefully if all goes well we could be trendsetters. I’ll keep you posted. Just really cool to invite “cultural groups” instead of a choir or dance group, and get one group of 30 learners that do it all…I only wonder if it’s warm enough for the traditional garb too!
After sitting and talking through this idea since November 2003 it’s nice to know we’re so close!
The following 4 weeks will be filled with workshops I’ll be co-facilitating. The first is an extra-curricular club focusing on shaping behaviours in grade 4/5 learners to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS…do you ever remember talking about the 4 fluids that can transmit HIV when you were in grade 4? Necessary life skill here. Thing is it’s a great, fun and positive way to approach self-esteem building etc and is being implemented nationally by the end of the year.
So yes, people hear all about HIV/AIDS all the time and re not as excited necessarily yet, they are calling and inquiring constantly about a 3 hour Reading Comprehension workshop focussing on grades 4-7. Crazy eh! The whole country realizes what a problem reading is in a country where a “reading culture” is almost non-existent. Now you can understand why books are so cherished. One of the goals for Educational Library Services by 2005 is for each school to have 3 books per learner in each school library…it’s a big task especially since teachers in charge of school libraries move from school to school the library often suffers significantly since there is no one to continue running it. It’s wonderful to see how eager everyone is to attend this, I only hep we can serve their needs and not disappoint. Just today I was questioned 4 times about when and where the workshop would be. This is just so opposite to many reactions of teachers in the states who to often had to be dragged to “professional development” sessions or mandatory ESOL classes. I ‘m very thankful I was at a school in the past that initiated such efforts to continually enhance best practices. In speaking to a local principal today, eh mentioned how English many be the official language but is most often a child’s 3rd language and they don’t/can’t read in the first two. So, how can they be expected to in their third! Challenges that will take dedication, hardwork and generation. Luckily with the eager, responses of so many, there is an air of positivism.
On a lighter note about the topic of English…I’ve heard complaints about my poor grammar on here…all just part of painting the picture of life here J Many ”mistakes” you may find may be common language (Namlish) here so take it all in. I will also share the responsibility that all of us PCVs here joke about, how fast your “American English” begins to falter, part of the experience? To calm any of your worries about my language skills which have never been my strength throughout life, it all seems to come back rather quickly…after a few weeks with at least one other American around, I was mumbling, rolling, using slang and even some 3 syllable words!
* Note: By the end of the month I should be getting a PCV roommate so let me know if you see some improvement.
0 Comments:
