Another week through and my departure looms just four weeks ahead.  I really have to decide on what I want to teach, so that my short time here has as large an impact as possible.  I took a quick survey from my English learners, asking them what I could help them with the most, just like I did when I arrived.  It was the same as before, speech improvement.  I have a few ideas I’m working on (one of which is English-freeze tag, I’m very excited about that one) so that they can practice speaking their English more, rather than it being dictated to them.  As for history, I have to follow the curriculum schedule a bit more, but I still do have a lot of freedom.  I administered my first history test this past week and the results were average. 

            In Namibia, the failing mark is under 39%.  To obtain an A, a learner must achieve an 80% or above.  This may seem like an easy task to many American students, but for many Namibian learners, it is a constant battle.  For many reasons, home life, poverty, distance from school, etc. Namibian students, on average, have to constantly deal with many outside variables, much more so than U.S. students.  That is not to say there are not problems with schooling factors in the U.S., but the standard of living in Namibia is much lower than in America, increasing the schooling variables.

            Looking at the test, I can tell the students understand and grasped most of the information.  They littered down facts, opinions, and examples, but in the wrong places.  Few responded in full sentences, even though I reminded them to during the test.  The main problem is their English skills.  I don’t think my questions were phrased easily enough for them to truly grasp and I may have asked too much.  If there were two questions in one, such as give an example and explain why, most students would provide the example, but create awkward following sentences or not follow the example with anything.  Tomorrow, I’m going to go over the test and spend a few class periods on understanding and responding to questions.  They will have to take national exams in a month, so I think this will be of great benefit to them.

            Although this may seem like a dismal report for history, my grades were above average for Namibian standards.  The average grade 9 learner in history achieves about a 45%.  My class average was around a 57%.  I’m content for now with this result, but I really want to push harder.  They seem to be responding better to my more active approach to teaching, including them into the lesson and by relating the information to their lives.  I need to up this and have some exciting ideas for my next unit (such as using American flag stickers to help teach assimilation).

            Sorry for the lengthy report, but I feel it is important to discuss how things are going within the school.  Other than that, here are some brief snippets of my life outside of school.

           

            -Before I leave, one meme told me she will give me a chicken, alive and well, and that I will slaughter the chicken and cook it for everyone.  Tips anyone?

            -Every time I bring out my laundry, the girls who also live in the kindergarten insist that they do it for me.  I feel embarrassed, it is my chore and responsibility, I wear the clothes, not you.  Please don’t, It really is O.K.  Those are just some of the thoughts and words I say.  But, the do it anyways, dipping their hands into my buckets and taking over.  I give a hand (no pun intended), but frankly, they do all the hard work.  They make my life very easy here, because that laundry would take me about two hours to hand wash alone.  All I can do to show my care is thank them until annoyance and buy them cool drinks.  Reciprocity I guess, but I don’t feel it is all that equal.

            -Every now and then, after, it never seems before, I eat my dinner, tuna, carrots, and an apple, I get a knock on my door.  One of the girls makes me muhangu porridge (a thick jello like cornmeal patty) and a piece of chicken in fattening but mouthwatering grease.  Again, all I can say is thank you, eat it in front of them, and go to bed over-stuffed.

            -I enjoy running and it seems that the community enjoys watching me run.  Shouts and mimicking first came my way.  I now have a team of athletes that trail my footsteps and laugh all the way.

            -Still the bear in the backyard.  Went to a church in the bush this morning and I think more eyes were on me than the pastor. 

            -Taught the entirety of the cold war in less then thirty minutes to a neighboring school Saturday morning.  I had no idea I would be teaching, they asked me to come in and said they needed to learn about the cold war.  Go! I had a learner come up and draw a gun.  I drew a bigger one, then he increased his gun size, and so on.  This went into a brief lecture and using learners as spies, countries, and types of economies and governments. 

            -I never know what the next day will bring, which is exciting, but exhausting. Hope to blog again soon and all is well with everyone!