Incomparable

Monday I decided it was taking too much energy to compare things here to life in the States. People live full, happy lives here without experiencing the joys of a crisp apple and so I can too. I can’t have a peach, but I can have sumatoo (built like a passion fruit, tastes like a pomegranate. Fantastic.). There isn’t hot water, but honestly, who needs hot water? Cool feels better here anyway. On Wednesday, walking down to Van Fossen’s to help Chrystal tutor 3 neighbor boys, I decided I loved it here. I love setting my own schedule. I like this relaxed pace-no one is ever too busy or to return a smile and say “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!”. I feel like a tight spring inside of me is slowly releasing as I sleep off my sleep debt, walk everywhere and challenge my brain in new ways. Dani and Micah have been on vacation with their parents so I have been doing this by going with Shundel as she checks up on sick people and gives hydrotherapy treatments, reading Bible stories to Mrs. Smith and Sister Iris; who are mostly blind and totally blind, volunteering at the hospital, and helping Chrystal tutor Elden, Alex and Ronny.  

My garden plot. Complete with drainage ditch.

Elden, Alex, and Ronny are in sixth, third, and first standard respectively and they are relearning to read and count. Supposedly the “standards” are equivalent to US grade levels-but not in reality. When the boys first started visiting Chrystal to be taught they knew most of the alphabet but didn't know most of the sounds the letters make. They were trying to sound out words by repeating the names of the letters. Because of this, we are instructing all three at the same basic level. Now they can get the right sound with each letter most of the time. In Math these little guys know how to count to 10 but do not associate the symbols for 7, 8, 9 with the actual quantity. Of course, without a solid understanding of how numbers work addition and subtraction are difficult. When we add one tile to the rest they don’t think of the next number in sequence, they just recount. We are starting at the beginning, trying to help them unlearn old habits and make new building blocks. Working with Elden, Alex, and Ronny is a challenge that I have honestly been enjoying. It is a stretch to explain old things in new ways hoping that they understand.

I have also been trying to learn to cook here. Shundel is a great cook-which is good otherwise we would both be living off passion fruit and potatoes. I managed a passable dry bake (kind of like naan) this morning-with fried potatoes. The beans I tried mid week were a total fail. Breadfruit is good-it tastes like a potato and we have a tree out back that the neighbor says we are welcome to take from. I climbed it this afternoon and picked one. I also tried to plant a garden. As I was starting to dig out my garden plot I was surrounded by 6 boys. They asked what I was doing. When I told them I was planting a garden they laughed my attempts and took the pick ax to show me how gardening is done. Taking turns they dug out a bed, cleaned it, planted my thick leaf callaloo, planted peppers, watered the starts and then Emmanuel (his is the only name I remember) called back me as they walked off “You got to water it each morning Miss!” I continue to be amazed by the kindness of these people.

Schooled. In a good way.

I began teaching Dani and Micah Wednesday morning. They are eight and six respectively. I’m teaching Micah first grade material and Dani is into a mix of third and forth grade work. They come trundling over to Shundel and I’s house each morning usually with Joggy (their dog) in tow. Yesterday they also brought their pet turtle Moses. But I digress. Teaching school well is loads different then doing school well. And while I could tell you lots of qualities that make a good teacher-consistency, knowledge, organizational skills, commitment to planning-knowing these qualities and living them are quite different things. It is Friday now, I’ve finished three days. It’s going relatively well despite my completely forgetting to use one of Micah’s books the first day, my flip flopping instructions, my forgetting that in first and fourth grade school still needs to be fun and listening to an “interesting” textbook is not fun. I’ve adjusted, cut down on the reading of “Streams of Civilization” and ramped up the “lets make an alphabet scroll just like the Egyptians!” I’ve started making a schedule; a “Daily Assignment” list like Mamma made for Zachri and I back when we were in first and fourth grade. I don’t know how my mother did what she did homeschooling us kids. I struggle making one days worth of an assignment sheet-she did it by the week-AND it was clear, challenging but not frustrating, AND we covered the material we needed to. School has always come pretty naturally to me; but I have also had the privilege of having good teachers. Teaching school isn’t coming naturally-but I still have had the privilege of having good teachers. Thank you to my teachers and most especially Mamma. I thank you now for the work it took to make it look seamless. I know now that it was work. I don’t know how you did taught me and made it fun at whatever level I was at.  My hope is that these kids, despite having me, will see glimpses of you my teachers and of the Master Teacher.