My First Day at School!

So I woke up with jitters, nerves, and uncertainty, not knowing what to expect in my first day at the school.  I think once I sat down to observe my first class, I felt a little better.  However, the process leading up to that point was full of silence, the perception that I was shy, and, I'm sure, a little discontent amongst teachers that don't want to change their very easy routine.  When I met the headmaster, a.k.a. head principal, he wouldn't even look at me.  In fact, he kept his back to me during introductions.  He spoke only to Ganga, and after speaking with my roommate, Heather, we both gathered he is not very fond of women as equal status.  

In the planning room, I asked an English teacher if there was Internet, as this was what I was told, and, without looking at me, she responded with "In Nepal, we speak up.  Now please repeat your question."  I know that was a hierarchy pecking order response, letting me know where I stand, but, again, as Ganga told us to always remember, we are here for the students, not to impress the teachers.  If they climb aboard, then great!  If not, it's the students that will benefit from us.  He used the infamous story of the starfish.  

I met the assistant headmaster, who is pretty fluent in English, and I was told he is like the "Don" of this community and school, for those of you who are familiar with 'The Godfather'.  He carries himself in such a way, but, again, he has been helpful, which is all that matters.  

I was given 4 classes to teach: my first class is reading, writing, and speaking with 12th graders, who have no set curriculum or book, so I'm under the impression that you bring any topic to the table.

In the later morning, early afternoon, I teach grades 3, 4, and 2, respectively, which is a big change from the young adults I'm used to working with, but it seems all exciting as they exhibit high energy and a value in learning.  Then, on Fridays, I will be running a workshop in the morning, before my classes, to teach young adults, current teachers, and teachers-in-the-making teaching strategies and management.  I'm not sure what to use for this workshop, so I figured I would start off as an open forum and go from there.

When I sat in on the classes, which are English classes, only one teacher actually spoke in English while the other spoke in Nepali and expected the students to respond in English.  They have very basic government-administered lesson books, which are about huge size of a small composition book in the states, and teachers show up, use the book for a very basic lesson, spend about 15 minutes, or so, checking a few lines students have written in their books and then it's the end of the period.

The most upsetting observation is that there are very bright students, but since teachers don't plan, nor are they expected to, what you give is what you get.  I sat in the planning room to plan, and teachers sat in the planning room to chat and carry nothing on them except a correcting pen and a white board marker.  

I went to observe my last class and when I arrived, she was finished with her lesson, but gave me the lesson book and told me I need to teach chapter 4 tomorrow.  There was a miscommunication regarding time; in addition, this program is designed to co-teach and work side by side with Nepalese English teachers, however, I already have the feeling that they are going to disappear and use the next six weeks as time off from their English classes.  

I already have one of my lessons planned for tomorrow, however, it's grades 2 and 3 I really need to look at much further and generate some activities.  It's more difficult when you have nothing to work with, unless you buy it at the stationary store, which is along my walk to school.  I will need to figure out what I need and purchase it sometime this week.

Anyway, I'm off to plan.  It should be an interesting first week of school!