Teaching a class of 100

Well, before I got here I would have thought it not possible, but it can be done. After seeing Mateos run 3 grades at the Science club, with the help of some brilliant students. The large class sizes don't seem like to big a deal.

And in all honestly, it doesn't look like what I thought 100 kids would look like. I mean, there are 3 to a desk and about 4 rows of 7-8 desks. It's practically impossible to get up and move around, or to reorganise the furniture, but it is possible to learn.

I took a grade 6 class for a couple of hours today. The aim was for them to learn how to make friends. We did a simple dialogue using hand gestures to help understand the meaning of the words and the students practised in groups and presented to the class. They loved presenting!! It was a bit of a cat fight as each group wanted to go next. They were quite clever and involved a group of 6 to go through a 2 person dialogue. Then we read a story about a boy who didn't like his vegetables, or his rice, or his bread. But he loved his Injera! (a local dish). We looked at the varying degrees of liking something (love, like, okay, don't like, hate) and the students came up with things they did and didn't like.

They are a great class and I'm going back tomorrow to do some maths (I can sense your smile from here MR TYAS!) so I will see how they compare with Australian students! Their foreign language skills are a bit better, I can tell you that much.

If there are any Kingsbury kids who want to get in touch with me email me at azpeeters@gmail.com or you can send letters. Mrs Hinsley should have the address. Also, there should be a letter in the mail for you soon!

Cheers,
Aaron

Keeping you all up to date

Work has become easier of late and the “naughty” students seem to be finding a routine, although one boy did deicide to throw his book across the class the other day for whatever reason. I dealt with it accordingly and I think he now realises where the boundaries lie in what he can and cannot do.

As Aaron mentioned in his previous post about internet speeds, theoretically I am on a 2MB ADSL line which is slightly faster than what I had back in Melbourne but it is nothing like the speeds I am used to. In actual fact it is a painfully slow experience using the internet. Some say it’s the overwhelming traffic passing through the lines under the oceans to the US where the majority of websites are hosted; others suggest the Great F!rewall is in action. I did read in the paper today that China plans to rollout superfast broadband with 100MB lines but the way a 2MB line works here, I don’t think it will do much good if you plan on visiting foreign websites.

Hi Aaron. Shanghai is more a developing city but by no means developed. It is the financial hub of China vying for exclusivity with Hong Kong. I think if I was to venture to the rural areas I would be faced with a much different experience to what I get here.

Shanghai so far
- Cheap food
- Luxury goods are astronomically expensive
- Most Chinese wine is awful but a few well priced and drinkable bottles do exist
- Tsing Tao is cheap :D
- Efficient, reliable, prompt and clean public transport system which makes Melbourne’s system look third world (And I am actually understating when I say this)
- Cheap DVD’s
- The concept of putting ones rubbish in a bin hasn’t caught on here yet
- People are generally friendly
- I am a movie star on the street, especially when I wear sunglasses, lol
- Crossing the road is like having a death wish
- Many Chinese yell when they talk
- If you look past the main streets, Shanghai has some wonderful and amazing laneways full of creative and artistic designers selling a range of things from clothes to art.

Hope this gives people a feel of the place.

Waiting game...

Okay, starting to get a bit bored waiting for my permits to come through. It's not like I can't occupy myself. I've been out to schools to visit, to team teach, to chat to people. I've been practising my language skills (Tigrinya and Japanese. Sorry bahasa indonesia) meeting people for coffee, sharing some computer skills, but it would be nice to be able to go and get started.

I was talking to Siobhan today (pronounced shivonne) who is my partner in crime in Barentu (or will be if I ever get there) who is taking my classes until I get there. I've only got three classes of about 70-80 kids each, but as I haven't been there, they have basically been sitting there doing nothing until I arrive. No replacement teachers here if someone's away, they just sit and wait for the next lesson. So, they need a teacher quickly, and i'd really like to get down there to start meeting people and sorting out what kind of project can be set up for next semester.

There is one fancy hotel in Asmara- the Asmara Palace. I have been contemplating to go there for a swim becuase you can pay to use the pool for the day. However, it costs 300nakfa ($30AU) which is about a quater of my monthly pay packet. But, seeing as we have run out of water today at Dave's house (where we are staying until we can go to our placements) and the only water we get will be used for drinking, I think I may just spash out and enjoy it.

So Steve, I guess it's a bit different here from where you are. I don't think i'd be calling China a third world country by the way it's been described so far. Remember, everything i've seen has been in the biggest city where things are generally abundant also. I haven't really had to put up with the absence of internet and dodgy phone communications, or the lack of electricty etc so far either.

What differences have you picked up so far?

Okay,
I have been perservering with the internet. I'm not sure if i've mentioned if the only place I can write on this is from the British Council which purchases extra bandwidth from the countries only service provider, Eritel? Anyway, you have to get here right on opening time because there is no time limit to using them (about 10) and it is only open from 9:30- 12:30 then a long lunch then 2:30-6:30ish. I'm feeling a little guilty because I've been on here for near on 2 hours now.

I'm off to an elementary school today. It seems that our paperwork is taking longer than anticipated so I have arranged to get some teaching experience in Tsada Christian Elementary School. I was in a classroom yesterday too out at a small village called Adi Teklai. It seems like a hard job when you think about it (60-80 students in a class) but they are quite receptive to a good lesson, as opposed to copying off the board as so many have to do.

Steve, you have been a little slack. I bet you even have fast internet connection! Come on!!

Hmmm, culturally it hasn't been too hard to integrate. People here are very friendly and hospitality is ingrained in their day to day life. It reminds me of my Mum and Nan always fighting over who gets to pay! It has a nice feel here. Very safe, kinda like Australia 20 odd years ago before we all got so caught up in our own lives.

I'm thinking of doing a trip down to Cape Town when I finish. The ultimate African Safari. Tossing up whether to leave from Cairo, or Nairobi. Depends on the dollars of course.

Will hopefully be out in Barentu teaching (only 2 1/2 months until exams and holidays! and getting less by the minute) before too long. Only then will I have a true understanding of life in Eritrea and what school is really like, so I will write when I know more.

I am still here!

I suppose I have been a complete slacker of late, or, I have been busy! I’ll take both I think.

I’ll pass on a brief rundown of what has been happening lately.

I spent Chinese New Year in Singapore with April’s family which was a nice experience. We travelled to and from her relative’s homes and received the traditional red packets (hong bao) with money in them. As April and I are not yet married, we received but were not required to give so that worked out well ;) Heheh! Many other relatives visited us as well and food and drink was consumed. All in all it was a fun time back in Singapore.

I also started my job this week. There have been various contrasting experiences to take away from the first week.
I started work on Tuesday at a middle school (Junior High) teaching 12 to 15 year olds. The experiences so far have been great although the commute is quite long. The students are grouped in classes according to their ability, being much different from the western approach which is to ensure mixed ability classes are made to avoid “labeling” etc. The kids have responded well to me and I have become even more energetic and animated than ever before. I think I should have been an actor sometimes!
The primary school I work at has been “ok” to say the least. I found out from some other laowai (foreign) teachers at the school that I have replaced the classes that were run unprofessionally by a previous employee. It was total CHAOS! Dealing with year 1 and year 3 students who speak limited English and think they can behave in any way they want and a teacher who is unable to discipline due to the language barrier amounts to a disaster! Never before have I been faced with such a classroom crisis! I went home that night and thought the sky was going to fall in, especially after I had such a great time with the high school kids. Well as you probably guessed, the sky didn’t fall in and I picked myself up stormed back in there and laid down the law, Steve style! It worked a treat and the kids are already on the up. The six months prior to my start date, run by the previous guy may take some time to turn around but I think things are looking good! I almost made the year 1’s cry when I told them I went home and cried after their behavior in the previous lesson. Guilt always works. :P

Working in the government school sector has shown me a polar opposite educational setting to that of Australia and even somewhat different to Japan where I have previously also taught a number of years ago. I’ll continue to post observations in up and coming blogs but one curious practice I have noticed in the school has been the Chinese twice a day eye exercises. The students go through a number of motions where they rub their eyes and around them in various motions. A friendly recorded female voice provides instructions with pleasant music to stimulate the senses I imagine. I haven’t yet asked what the purpose is but my guess is to keep the students awake and to preserve their eyes as they spend almost the entire day studying to some degree. If anyone in Australia ever thought they had it tough as a student come and visit Asia and you will see what the word “tough” really means. These little guys work their butts off and at least 30 to 40% of the class wears glasses!
–Opinion Based Comment, BEWARE- All those hours heads over books at such a young age may have something to do with their terrible eyes!

This pretty much sums up the last few weeks. I am really starting to feel at home here now and am looking forward to staying put for a number of years.

Steve

Undergoing In Country Training

Well, i've been in training for a couple of days so far and I can manage a couple of things in Tigrinya, the local language. Yekanyelay- thankyou, aythazelay- sorry, kemay hadirka?- how'd you sleep, but I still haven't learnt 'Can you keep an eye on my camel while I drop in to pick up some bannanas?' I'm hoping it will be covered in subsequent lessons.

Training has held some interesting information. Considering what the teachers can go through here, they are basically national heroes. Some of them get paid as little as 125 Nakfa a month (this is the equivalent of about 12 Aus $). Unfortunately, this isn't enough to even cover rent, let alone food, and most rely on family members or the community to help support them. Nobody seems to be starving though, so I guess the community really helps each other out. In addition to this, most teachers are working far from their home towns, away from their family. Basically, they don't have a choice. For most, if not all, their career is dependent on how well they do at College, which they attend after a compulsory stint in military training. The lowest achieving pupils become soldiers, the next lowest teachers...

So, it will be interesting to say the least when I begin working in an Eritrean school with the view to help develop the skills of the teachers to provide an education for the Eritrean students. With minimal training, it seems that some of these teachers are already doing some amazing stuff! Others, of course, resent even being there. Basically, life is fairly tough, but we've got to make the most of it.

Hope all are well, I look forward to the day I can make it to the British council to post some pictures for you all to see.