It's the rainy season here in Nigeria right now. I enjoy the rain for the most part as it keeps it cooler, but it's really interesting how the Nigerians aren't really fans. They appreciate the rain for the agriculture and for the clean drinking water, but they think it's way too cold! Today I was walking to the Internet Cafe after school when it got really cloudy and I could tell that rain was coming soon. People were packing up their food booths and scurrying around to beat the rain. As I was walking by, normally people just stare, but today I had so many people look at me and say, "Rain! It's going to rain!" (Really, I think they were implying, "Idiot, it's going to rain! Get inside!") I just smiled and felt that I now had a legitimate reason to walk fast. Thankfully, I made it before it poured!!!
I had been told last week by my friend Laura that people had commented to her that her white friend walks too fast. I started noticing that everyone here walks at the pace of a leisurely stroll. I'm used to walking as if I'm on a mission because normally I am! I am now making a conscious effort to slow my pace down in order to better blend in...okay...a girl can hope, right?! :)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Classes!
I officially taught students on Wednesday! It felt like it was a really long time in coming. Monday was essentially just teacher meetings then Tuesday classes began, but since I’m only teaching 2 classes. I have 1 section of SS1 Chemistry (sophomores) that meets twice a week: once for 80 minutes and once for 40 minutes and 1 section of JS3 Integrated Science (freshmen) that meets 3 times a week for 40 minutes each. This is not abnormal. Most teach 1 more section, but it is much less teaching intensive than what teachers do in the US. I’m also going to be in charge of the labs or “practicals” for SS2 and SS3 chemistry. The kids aren’t used to doing many hands-on activities at all. I found a balance in the science room and brought it in for the kids to utilize in making observations of a candle in my chemistry class. These sophomores had never seen a balance before! Overall, the chemistry class went well but there are definitely some students in there who are trying to push me to find my limits and they’re doing it subversively. I think we’ll understand each other better as time goes on. There are some great kids in there!
The JS3 students are adorable and precious! They are so excited to learn and everyone participates and asks questions. I’m really excited about working with them! The challenge with this class will be that the book that it’s based out of is wacky. As one of the other science teachers said, “maybe they didn’t really understand the science and were just money hungry”. This book tries to teach chemical reactions before learning the parts of an atom and Chapter 1 of the book starts out with the nervous system…yeah…not body systems or systems…or living things…the nervous system! What?!? I will clearly not be following the order of the book. They are working on getting me the standards that the students will be tested on from this course.
I forget how much I love teaching by the end of a school year, but at the beginning I remember again! I truly love being with students and doing science. While I’m excited to have a lot more time to plan it really is pretty nice it takes extra long to scrounge up materials to use in activities. I asked to check out the kitchen to see what supplies were available since there is typically lots of good stuff there for chemistry experiments…yeah…when I got to the “kitchen” there was seriously an empty room with a concrete floor and a fire pit off to the side…hmmm…I said, where’s the food? There was a locked little closet with rice, flour, sugar, salt, tea, and not a whole lot else. I was hoping for maybe an orange (they come on Saturday’s and are eaten on Sunday’s) or some aluminum foil…no such luck! I did purchase two candles and four boxes of matches for about 45 cents!
When I initially thought that the lab was fairly well stocked, I clearly hadn’t tried to actually conduct any experiments! J One balance that functions questionably, no magnesium ribbon, zinc powder, calcium carbide, no good alkali metals, and the iodine solution had no lid. There will be some challenges, but I’m excited about the challenge and think that I’m going to learn a lot about actually planning lessons ahead of time and producing presentable lesson plans complete with objectives and everything!
The JS3 students are adorable and precious! They are so excited to learn and everyone participates and asks questions. I’m really excited about working with them! The challenge with this class will be that the book that it’s based out of is wacky. As one of the other science teachers said, “maybe they didn’t really understand the science and were just money hungry”. This book tries to teach chemical reactions before learning the parts of an atom and Chapter 1 of the book starts out with the nervous system…yeah…not body systems or systems…or living things…the nervous system! What?!? I will clearly not be following the order of the book. They are working on getting me the standards that the students will be tested on from this course.
I forget how much I love teaching by the end of a school year, but at the beginning I remember again! I truly love being with students and doing science. While I’m excited to have a lot more time to plan it really is pretty nice it takes extra long to scrounge up materials to use in activities. I asked to check out the kitchen to see what supplies were available since there is typically lots of good stuff there for chemistry experiments…yeah…when I got to the “kitchen” there was seriously an empty room with a concrete floor and a fire pit off to the side…hmmm…I said, where’s the food? There was a locked little closet with rice, flour, sugar, salt, tea, and not a whole lot else. I was hoping for maybe an orange (they come on Saturday’s and are eaten on Sunday’s) or some aluminum foil…no such luck! I did purchase two candles and four boxes of matches for about 45 cents!
When I initially thought that the lab was fairly well stocked, I clearly hadn’t tried to actually conduct any experiments! J One balance that functions questionably, no magnesium ribbon, zinc powder, calcium carbide, no good alkali metals, and the iodine solution had no lid. There will be some challenges, but I’m excited about the challenge and think that I’m going to learn a lot about actually planning lessons ahead of time and producing presentable lesson plans complete with objectives and everything!
JSS vs BHS
I don’t know if it’s possible for teaching at JSS in Jalingo to be more different from teaching in Boerne and to be so similar at the same time! I’ll try to describe this relationship in a sort of Venn Diagram manner for all of you who love graphic organizers! J
Differences
BHS-public day school (though there were occasional prayers, it was still a secular institution) the kids arrive in fancy cars or busses.
JSS-private boarding school the kids are already there and we teachers arrive in a beat-up 15 passenger van (they haven’t been deemed too dangerous here yet! J) because taxis won’t transport down such a bad road.
BHS-A teacher teaches for 22.5 hours in a week
JSS-A teacher teaches for about 6 hours in a week
BHS- about 8 computer labs with about 20 computers a piece
JSS-6 computers…maybe once a monitor gets “fixed”
BHS-A teacher gets paid $40,000+ per year
JSS-A teacher gets paid about $200 per year (fuel prices are exactly the same!) and have gone multiple months without paychecks.
BHS-Teachers groan and complain (me totally included) about going to technology inservice.
JSS-Teachers clapped when it was announced that computer training would be provided and were so excited!
Similarities
*I work(ed) with fabulous teachers totally care about the kids and are doing their best to teach them.
*Some kids want to learn, some kids don’t.
*Teachers at these schools are getting paid less than comparable schools in the area.
*Getting supplies to do labs is challenging…at BHS when I wanted to buy materials to do labs, it took an act of God to get a purchase order, get the credit card with the Tax ID Card, buy the items, and return the card with the receipt…at JSS it takes an act of God to find simple materials like candles and matches at a store and certain chemicals have to be ordered from across the country….but it’s totally worth it to do the experiments!!!
*Chemistry is the same everywhere!!!
Differences
BHS-public day school (though there were occasional prayers, it was still a secular institution) the kids arrive in fancy cars or busses.
JSS-private boarding school the kids are already there and we teachers arrive in a beat-up 15 passenger van (they haven’t been deemed too dangerous here yet! J) because taxis won’t transport down such a bad road.
BHS-A teacher teaches for 22.5 hours in a week
JSS-A teacher teaches for about 6 hours in a week
BHS- about 8 computer labs with about 20 computers a piece
JSS-6 computers…maybe once a monitor gets “fixed”
BHS-A teacher gets paid $40,000+ per year
JSS-A teacher gets paid about $200 per year (fuel prices are exactly the same!) and have gone multiple months without paychecks.
BHS-Teachers groan and complain (me totally included) about going to technology inservice.
JSS-Teachers clapped when it was announced that computer training would be provided and were so excited!
Similarities
*I work(ed) with fabulous teachers totally care about the kids and are doing their best to teach them.
*Some kids want to learn, some kids don’t.
*Teachers at these schools are getting paid less than comparable schools in the area.
*Getting supplies to do labs is challenging…at BHS when I wanted to buy materials to do labs, it took an act of God to get a purchase order, get the credit card with the Tax ID Card, buy the items, and return the card with the receipt…at JSS it takes an act of God to find simple materials like candles and matches at a store and certain chemicals have to be ordered from across the country….but it’s totally worth it to do the experiments!!!
*Chemistry is the same everywhere!!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Internet Cafe Woes
Hey there all! I had typed this whole detailed explanation about my first day of classes and now the internet cafe seems to have put a virus on my jump drive so I can't access any of the files, there's something wrong that won't let me open any of my emails and the photos that I wanted to upload have been corrupted for the second time. Grrrr! So the sparknotes version is that classes are going really well! Some of the kids are great and some are challenging, just like the US! :) Lots of planning time, but very limited supplies!
Monday, September 8, 2008
I'm in the choir?!?!
I went to Bible Study at the church that is within walking distance of my house on Thursday and was excited to go to church there on Sunday because I knew that I would “know” or at least recognize some people there AND there’s an English service! (I hadn’t been to a church service in English in a month!!!) When I got there I realized that the English service is much smaller than the Hausa one, but there were quite a few people I saw from Bible Study and was excited to sit with them. Here in Nigeria, “youth” constitutes people up to age 30; therefore, I am part of the youth group! I sat with them and before I realized it, there was an announcement that the youth group would now be performing a song. Everyone around me stood up and I was faced with the choice of standing up in a group and not knowing the song or remain the only person seated in the entire section. Either way, everyone was going to be looking at me, so I stood up and decided I would try to figure out the song as I went. Everyone was swaying and clapping along with the song…not just clapping a steady beat or even clapping the off-beat…no, clapping in some syncopated rhythm that everyone but me felt quite comfortable with. Let’s just say that I did my best and now realize that choir practice isn’t really an optional activity!
Saturday...a day in Jalingo!
Saturday
Saturday was the first time that I felt like a resident of Jalingo as opposed to a vacationing person. It was fabulous! My new friend Laura (I think it’s a rule when I move to a new place that I find a friend named Laura!) walked over to my compound to pick me up and took me to her compound, introduced me to a bunch of her friends and gave me some great experiences! We went to the market and picked out a live chicken, it was partially killed and handed to us with tied legs to be brought 10 steps over to be fully butchered. I watched it be de-feathered and cut up placed in a plastic bag and handed over to us. We promptly brought it home and cooked it up! I felt so sheltered that I had never experienced that before.
Then, Laura was cutting it up further and I was embarrassed to say that I had only ever purchased frozen breasts of meat before and definitely had never seen the head put in which I simply decided to not let bother me. When we were eating the fabulous lunch that Laura had prepared (I did help peel some potatoes with a ginormous knife without cutting myself!) on a single burner kerosene stove and no running water, I was asked is life easier here or in the US? Alright, now the obvious response is that it’s easier in the US. There are many more conveniences there to make many tasks like laundry and cooking less work intensive. However, I feel that in a certain way, life is “easier” here in Nigeria...but when I tried to explain myself I was at a loss. I’m still reflecting on that question and I told him I’d get back to him on that question.
After lunch, we went to the gym where Laura’s boyfriend works. I was unsure about what to expect from a gym here in Jalingo and was completely impressed. It’s housed at a hotel and had multiple tread mills, bike machines, ellipticals, weight machines. It was definitely superior to the facility I had at my apartment complex in San Antonio! There was even a machine I had never seen before called a massager machine. You stand on a platform and then it vibrates and shakes out your muscles after a tough workout! It was crazy!
Then, I went to my first restaurant in Jalingo with some of Laura’s friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and I had a great time!
Saturday was the first time that I felt like a resident of Jalingo as opposed to a vacationing person. It was fabulous! My new friend Laura (I think it’s a rule when I move to a new place that I find a friend named Laura!) walked over to my compound to pick me up and took me to her compound, introduced me to a bunch of her friends and gave me some great experiences! We went to the market and picked out a live chicken, it was partially killed and handed to us with tied legs to be brought 10 steps over to be fully butchered. I watched it be de-feathered and cut up placed in a plastic bag and handed over to us. We promptly brought it home and cooked it up! I felt so sheltered that I had never experienced that before.
Then, Laura was cutting it up further and I was embarrassed to say that I had only ever purchased frozen breasts of meat before and definitely had never seen the head put in which I simply decided to not let bother me. When we were eating the fabulous lunch that Laura had prepared (I did help peel some potatoes with a ginormous knife without cutting myself!) on a single burner kerosene stove and no running water, I was asked is life easier here or in the US? Alright, now the obvious response is that it’s easier in the US. There are many more conveniences there to make many tasks like laundry and cooking less work intensive. However, I feel that in a certain way, life is “easier” here in Nigeria...but when I tried to explain myself I was at a loss. I’m still reflecting on that question and I told him I’d get back to him on that question.
After lunch, we went to the gym where Laura’s boyfriend works. I was unsure about what to expect from a gym here in Jalingo and was completely impressed. It’s housed at a hotel and had multiple tread mills, bike machines, ellipticals, weight machines. It was definitely superior to the facility I had at my apartment complex in San Antonio! There was even a machine I had never seen before called a massager machine. You stand on a platform and then it vibrates and shakes out your muscles after a tough workout! It was crazy!
Then, I went to my first restaurant in Jalingo with some of Laura’s friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and I had a great time!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Motorcycle Ride
I officially had my first ride on a motorbike! It was a little scary! However, luckily my friend Magdiel was here and so I knew the person I was riding with and I made him promise to drive very carefully! :) I was extra safe...don't worry!! (I wish I could say that I wore a helmet..but I haven't seen one of those here in Nigeria yet.)
Here is a link to some new pictures. I feel that once school starts the amount of pictures will decrease signficantly, but for now, I have fun with them! :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32625&l=ae61a&id=501312909
Thanks for the fun comments!!!
Here is a link to some new pictures. I feel that once school starts the amount of pictures will decrease signficantly, but for now, I have fun with them! :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32625&l=ae61a&id=501312909
Thanks for the fun comments!!!
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