Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Salone Update :)


Hello again! Since my last post, things have been going smoothly. Training is going well, lots of sessions on technical aspects of teaching and cultural differences, fun fun. Last week I taught for the first time to a group of other PCTs during our first Peer Teach. It was a 25 minute lesson and the topic I taught on was parts of the cell, so surprising right? After we received feedback from our peers and tech trainers we took that same lesson to an actual school for our first micro teach. I taught at a junior secondary school (middle school equivalent in the U.S.) to a class of about 20 students. We were supposed to have three PCTs in our group of teachers, one for each subject (math, science and English). Unfortunately one of the girls in my group was sick that day so Michele and I taught an impromptu English lesson on writing directions. Flexibility, one of the PC core qualities at work my friends. Teaching was really fun and I’m excited to write lesson plans and get ready for our next peer teach this week and upcoming summer school later on in training. It’s really nice to be excited about teaching, it was one of the things that I was most nervous about. Not that I’m not still apprehensive about teaching on my own, but I definitely think that I will be able to handle it, and that is reassuring.

The host family situation is great. I found out after two weeks that my little sister’s name is not Junior two as I had thought, but Jeyatu which makes a whole lot more sense. Don’t judge me, it sounds really similar and when I repeated it after they told me initially, my family did not correct me. My Krio is coming along slowly but surely, we’ve finished all of our language sessions in Krio so hopefully I will continue to get better through practice with my family and when I’m out in Makeni.  I’m already using it when I’m in the market which is really fun. On Sunday a group of us went to buy some lapas to be made into clothes. A lapa is just 2 yards of fabric that you can either wrap around you as a make shift skirt or take to a tailor to have something made out 0f it. Shopping in the market is fun and I’m getting good at bargaining. Because I’m an ‘opoto’ I’m consistently overcharged and so I have to talk them down. It involves a lot of loud exclamations and explanations that “mi na pisco ticha, mi no get boco moni dem.” I’m not to the point where I get the local price, but I’m not being ridiculously overcharged, so I’m making progress.  

We get to find out our sites this week so that suspense has been driving us all crazy. I’m really looking forward to knowing what subject I’m going to be teaching, what part of the country I’ll be in, what new local language I’ll be learning and what other PCVs I’ll be by. Hopefully we find out tomorrow, that would be amazing.

To summarize the last few weeks, I’ve developed a crap ton more freckles (but just on my arms and face, my legs are severely white due to the dress code here) I’ve been able to start eating more local food without fear of deathly sickness, and I’ve accepted the fact that I will go through daily mood swings about being here.  Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, they’ve been much appreciated. Love and miss you all!  

1 comment:

  1. Oh Consaqueo! I loved reading this and learning about the new part of your life you are embarking on. I am so happy for and proud of you for doing this. I randomly send good thoughts your way (hope you've gotten some of them). I love you! Keep being amazing!

    Faquanda

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