One of the many things I learned at KIPP was the value of including specific time allotments in a lesson plan and sticking as closely to the numbers as possible during the actual lesson. This not only keeps the teacher on track and organized, but it also allows students to stay focused and pace themselves because they know exactly how much time they have for any given activity. I knew this was a practice I wanted to continue in Rwanda, so I brought a timer. In KIPP classrooms, timers are very commonplace and students know exactly what they are for and how to respond when one goes off. Here in Mukamira, however, teachers and students alike thought my timer was hilarious! My students laugh every time it rings, and when I’m in the teacher room my colleagues love to joke about it and ask me to show it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. They do understand and appreciate its use, though, and with classes of 40 and 50 I’m happy to be able to help students while they’re working instead of constantly looking at my phone for the time.
Many of my students still don’t understand me a lot of the time, but we are all getting better at communicating with each other. One thing I didn’t think about before coming here, although it seems painfully obvious now, was how difficult it is to teach English in a country other than my own. When teaching English in the States, it’s actually valuable for students to learn to pronounce words the way I do. American idioms, which are really fun to teach, are also useful if you actually live there. Here, though, it’s completely different. There is really no reason for my students to try to pronounce words the way I do because I’m the only one that will understand them if they do. Nonetheless, they are forced to learn to understand a pronunciation style that only one person in Mukamira uses (me, of course).
One advantage they do have, though, is that most of them have been using or learning to use more than one language since they were very young. It’s very common in many places outside of the United States, and especially in Africa, for people to be multilingual. In fact, most people here are astonished to learn that I don’t speak French. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “You speak English only?” Sometimes I offer a little Spanish, but unfortunately that is absolutely useless here and certainly doesn’t impress anyone.
Two weeks ago, Christine, a colleague of Penny’s and a friend of both of ours, took us to visit some caves in Musanze. It was rainy and slippery and slightly reminiscent of Bisoke, but the sights were beautiful nonetheless. Christine told us that you can actually begin in one of the caves and make your way through to exit from another across the road, but since we forgot flashlights we chose to save that adventure for another time. Christine also has an adorable 3-year-old nephew named Richie and a baby niece named Bella. Penny gave Richie a harmonica when we arrived, which provided an endless amount of entertainment for all of us. Bella’s mom also taught me how to carry a baby on my back! This is how most women in Africa carry their babies, and I’ve wanted to do it since we arrived. A couple of women here in Mukamira have asked me how we carry babies in the States, but unfortunately with my limited Kinyarwanda I think my description of strollers has led them to believe we just push babies around in chairs. Yikes!
Love and miss you all.
Oh, you wear that baby well!!
ReplyDeleteThat's intriguing about people being multilingual there. Never thought about that. Most people in the U.S. do just speak English. You're a good writer. Sounds like you're doing well.
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