Student Teacher

Photo 1: No one ever said I was an artist.

Photo 2: A rowdy bunch of 2nd graders. The school is made out of cinder blocks, but there are 4 modular classrooms with palm walls and dirt floor, constructed by the PTA. Every parent had to contribute trees and palm leaves.

I was having a slow month, so I decided to go teach in the elementary school. I met with the principal, told her I wanted to teach a 1 hour health class, and we picked a week. The general idea is that I would teach for 1 hour to each of the ten 1st through 6th grade classrooms in the school.

I showed up on Monday quite nervous with my prepared posters and interactive felt board in hand. None of the teachers knew that I was coming, but they were happy to drop whatever they were teaching when I showed up. I was hoping that at least one of them would be slightly annoyed that I was messing up his or her lesson plan, but alas.

I know about half of the students in the school. One of my objectives for deciding to teach in the school was so that the other half would stop calling me Gringa. It was successful.

In each classroom we started off making a list of which sicknesses affect the students most. I used another volunteer's felt board, which includes cut outs of familiar scenes such as a river, a mango tree, a latrine, a house, and a water spicket. Then I made up stories about a little boy and girl who were always getting sick with diarrhea, and we figured out as a class why it happened and how the boy and girl could prevent it.

After living with host families for so many months I could make up some pretty realistic stories - boy eating mango off the ground, sick dog pooping (I don't know what word is PC these days- I used poo poo with the students and they liked it) near water source, leaving drinking water uncovered, animal/baby poop in the house, family handling sick baby and not washing hands, etc. The students liked it.

After that we talked about covering our mouths, not with the hands, when coughing, sneezing, and yawning. By that time everyone was ready for a break, so we went outside and played a few games. I taught 3 classes a day, as school here really only lasts 3 1/2 hours. At that point I was physically and mentally exhausted.

The students and teachers have been asking me when I am going to come back. I say that I will come back once I create another lesson plan.

To all of you teachers and professors and child care providers out there reading this, I give you all credit for doing this teaching business every day!