In My Element

Today was incredible, exhausting, and eye opening. I had my first full day of service working as a Literacy teacher at two different elementary schools. I started out this morning at St. Mary’s school, where I first worked with fifth graders on improving their literacy. All of them can read and write in their first language, Xhosa, and although most can speak English well, it is still difficult for them to read and write it. It is especially important that struggling students attend our small literacy classes because in Grade 6 they will have to take an exam, in English, that determines whether or not they can move on in school.

All we really had time for today in the first class I taught was for each student to read a page or two of a book aloud. It helped me to assess their reading level. Fortunately I do have a literacy teacher there with me to help me get oriented, but from now on she is depending on me to write the lesson plans and lead the class, and it is likely that I will be teaching the class on my own soon. So come Tuesday I am responsible for leading the class and helping these children improve their reading and writing skills. Unfortunately I have absolutely no supplies, and they have very little there as well. I am planning on doing some major shopping this weekend, for books, pens, pencils, erasers, paper, and some supplies. I am also in search of a dry erase board because I don’t have anything to write on as the teacher. I really wish I had known beforehand what I would be doing and what I would need, because I know how easily I can get so many of these things in the states, in addition to fun reading games and activities to do with them, which I have to locate by next week as well. I have already started brainstorming though and I have some ideas, but any input is welcome!!

Anyway, after the literacy class I was invited into some sixth grade classrooms, which already had teachers and books and curriculums, so I figured I wouldn’t do much. Well…the teachers disappeared for three hours and I got to stay with the 50 students in each class. It was awesome. I talked to the students for about an hour, asking them questions and letting them ask me. They were most surprised by my age (someone guessed 35) and appalled when one boy asked if I had a boyfriend. They’re hilarious. At noon there was a knock on our door, and someone announced it was “break time”. I looked outside, and seeing the hundreds of kids running around in the schoolyard, I realized this meant recess. I told them they could go outside and assumed they would join the other kids. I got a unanimous “NOOOO!” from all of them. I seriously thought I had done something terribly wrong, until I realized that they didn’t want to go to break time and have me go to lunch, they wanted to keep talking. They were going to give up their recess to spend with me in a classroom. I touched and confused as I was, I really wanted to get outside, so I joined them on the playground. That is when I felt like a celebrity. In minutes of being outside I was swarmed and surrounded by at least a hundred African children, from little ones that looked about four years old to teenagers. They were all so smiley and excited to speak to and touch and watch and follow me. It was unreal and uplifting and really really loud. 

I tried to organize a circle where I could teach the kids hand games from the states like “Down by the bank” and it kind or worked but then there were just way too many children to hear me, so I asked them to show me a game of theirs. I wish I had it on video. They all started clapping and chanting, forming this African beat, and one at a time someone would go into the middle, dancing or clapping or stomping to the beat and run around and pick the next person to come into the middle. Of course they all erupted with laughter when I went in the middle. It was so much fun. These kids are so lively and upbeat, with so much energy and exuberance, you would never guess that they all come from one of the poorest and most dangerous townships in Cape Town.

After recess I went into another 6^th grade classroom and had pretty much the same experience as in the first, but I also was able to get them to sing for me! They can all sing so well, and together, as a class, when they harmonize, they are AMAZING. These kids make such incredible music. One kid drums on his desk and another girl stomps on the ground and they each do their own thing, I don’t think they have ever even rehearsed, they just all knew the song. I made them sing it for so long that I learned it too, both English songs and Xhosa ones…although I already forget those!

The rest of the day at St. Mary’s was spent chatting with the kids and answering all of their questions about America and about my life while they huddled around me at the teacher’s desk. I did not attempt to teach, thinking that their real teacher would walk in any moment and perhaps be offended if I began her lesson, but I have decided that next time I am going to take my own lesson with me. I want them to have fun with me and learn something useful at the same time, and any little bit helps. I told them when I first got there that I was there not only to help teach them, but to have them teach me. They were all up for the challenge, and boy did they teach me today…the few Xhosa words I learned don’t begin to describe the learning experience that took place.

Finally, I left St. Mary’s and went to another school (which I don’t know how to spell) to run an after school literacy class. This class proved to be a bit more challenging because I am working with 7 and 8 year olds, mostly girls (and adorable), but they don’t really speak much English. So not only do I have to teach them to read and write, but also to speak it. Fortunately they can write the alphabet and have already started spelling in the few weeks before I was there. So today we worked on spelling and pronouncing the numbers. It went well, but I have lots of shopping to do for this class as well. I feel like I am starting a class from scratch, and while it is very encouraging that I can take it and make it my own, it is also quite intimidating. It will be a challenge, but I’m up for it. I’m so excited to actually feel like I have done something with them and made a difference, I really hope I do.

Today I was seriously in my element, especially when just talking to the kids about their lives.  I have always thought I wanted to be a Clinical Psychologist working with children, especially because I can talk to and relate to them so easily. While I have questioned that calling in recent times, wondering if that is really where my skills and passion can be put to best use, this site placement really is perfect for me, allowing me to interact with children and make a positive difference in their lives.

Honestly, the hardest part of the day was getting into the van when Pearnel (our driver) picked me up, not because I had to leave the kids (I’ll see them Tuesday!) but because it was so hard to see the looks on some of my roommate’s faces. I had just come from one of the greatest days of my life, and they had just come from one of their hardest.  A few other students in my program are working at sites even poorer than my own, even poorer than you could ever imagine…with 100 infants, without running water or bathroom facilities. I was devastated by their stories, I can’t imagine how much they were affected by the experience, and it was just one day. Though we are all seeing and experiencing different things, and while some of it is depressing and some of it uplifting, we are all being emotionally and mentally challenged and changed in so many ways. I know we are all more grateful than ever for the people and the things we have been blessed with in our lives, and I just ask for thoughts and prayers for all of the students in my group and especially for the children at the sites at which we work.