Monday, August 27, 2007

Life as a teacher in a Third World Country

We are now in our second week of school. We never did find a sixth grade teacher or an art teacher so the other high school/middle school teachers are covering these classes. I am teaching 8 classes I have never taught before and am feeling quite overwhelmed. Fortunately the classes are small (8-14 students/class) and the kids are great. They are so excited to learn and full of energy---ok-- sometimes a little bit too much energy. The challenges of teaching here are slightly more than expected. I hope and pray that I can provide these kids the kind of education they deserve without completely exhausting myself. Teaching and living here is a huge challenge on how to do without. I need to quickly learn how to teach science in a creative and interesting way with a cardboard box full of lab equipment, no text books yet for 10th grade since they are stuck in customs, and no resources from prior years. On the one hand this is the chance to let my creativity shine, on the other hand this is just going to be hard. I just have to remind myself that God brought me here for a reason and that I do have the skills and experience to pull this off. I hope you are all well and blessed. If you have any ideas or lesson plans for science and art projects on less than a shoe-string budget I would love to hear about them.

9 comments:

Lindsay said...

do you sleep with a mosquitero? maybe you should :)!

Rachel said...

Your attitude is amazing. I pray that you will find the answers to your questions and be able to accomplish all that you desire. Thinking of you!

Sarah Wisseman said...

way to go, emily! we are so proud of you.
love from mom and dad

SarahC said...

Em, just be glad you don't have a classroom of 120 children! :-) Keep up the great working, I think about you all the time. Hope all is well.
Love you!
Sarah

Lindsay said...

emily...that other comment wasn't supposed to go there, you can delete it.

i'm excited to see how God continues growing you and challenging you...you're doing SO great here, please don't stress yourself out too much :)!

Nic said...

When I was younger, I wrote this line in a song - "The times when you feel weakest are the times that make you strongest. Hold on." It's terrible writing, but I think the message is true. Stay strong friend!
-Nic

Emily Jane said...

Thank you all for your words of support. They are much appreciated!

Patrick said...

Emily,
Keep up the good work. You're doing great, and I know that you'll come up with some great activities, even with the limited resources. If you think about it, we're really blessed, because we are challenged by our lack of resources to become more creative than we have been in the past. And remember, if you have anything gross that you want to share with someone, I'm here.
Patrick

Ame said...

Emily, you're a rockstar! Reading about your situation makes me feel so blessed for the teaching resources I have here. When in doubt about art projects, Eric's mom recommends tracing hands. Its not just for turkeys with her; its for everything.
Love, Ame