Day 163 - Getting Ready...

I have been so bad of keeping up my journal in last 3-4 weeks. Between, the changes in our school, getting ready for girls conference, getting pulled into organizing girls soccer games at my college. I was just too lazy to write with a pen. Yes, sometimes I wish I can type up my letters, so I am determined to stay up tonight and write you all as much as I can. And please, please, let the power stay on. 

The first day of girls conference went pretty well and smoothly. Most girls were very eager to participate. We have sessions on relations with men, women's roles, good study habits, to AIDS and HIV, exercision, public speaking, environmental protection and meeting with career women. The girl I brought with me is 8th grader who I see potential and but needs direction. She is also the younger sister of a 9th grader whom I am close to.

So, lots have been going on at my site. 

3 weeks ago we got a new principal who came from a 8000 students college in Conakry to a 400 students college in the Fouta region. Many of my female students were very happy to hear the change. Apparently the old principal likes to insult students, don't care for my village much, since he is from a neighboring village, he never stays in the house in my village much, and not a very devote muslim. Some teachers don't like him because he isn't serious about shaping up the school and didn't work very much. Of course, I hear all these when he is leaving.

The new principal is a Sousou, and we just got another biology prof who is Malinke came out of Conakry, so add me, we are three non puehl people in my college. I like the new principal. He's cleaned up the teachers‚ office which is just a one room building. Although, he's divided up the space and hid himself with his desk behind a partition of bookshelves. I suppose it gives him more privacy and block some noises from the rest of space and command certain authority and power, but lack an open and welcoming atomsphere to the student body in my opinion. He is also made sure that we raise the flag every morning at 7:55am and have students sing the national anthym when we raised the flags. With the old principal, we did for the first week, then just stopped. The kids are getting so relaxed these days. Sometimes, only 20 or so show up for the raising of the flag. I have a feeling that they are waiting by the bushes outside the school yard and come in afterwards. Also, the new principal is pushing the teachers to get to class as soon as the flag is raised which is 8am when first period is suppose to start. I am happy for this change, so I can at least start teaching at 8:15 instead of 8:30 like with the old principal. Yes, I would stand by the door at 8am and wait about 15 min. for some late students drag their feet into the classroom. I have a feeling that the old principal really has relaxed the rules a lot with the students, so to get them back on track will not be a easy task.

We also had to combine the 2-8th grade classes into one because of lack of teachers. The chemistry teacher is taking on math for 7th grade since students only has chemistry for 2 hours a week. And the only math teacher is teaching 8th grade in addition to 9th and 10th grade. It has already been a pain to teach 8th grade sometimes, now just one big class, there isn't enough room for students to get up and come to board to answer questions. I finally warned them the other day that if they don't change their behavior I will just abandon 8th grade physics, which I can do, since I don't get paid. The 8th graders are lucky to have me. All the other grades are fine, of course there is always small problems, but 8th grades for some reason always such a difficult age. It was like this in practice school.

I took me so much energy to think every scenario possible and combat cheating for a test for 8th grade. I wish I could've spent these energy on something more worthwhile, but with the large class size and students used to cheat, I don't have any other choice. I am successful though to get them to understand multiple choice questions because the material we have been covering in 8th grade is more qualitative, except density. I also made it open book, because from an engineering background, I am more focused on application rather than memorizing theories. Besides, some students probably cracked open their notebook at home. They probably didn't even know where to look for things in the notebook. I made 2 sets of test, so 2 students sitting in the same desk can't copy off each other. 

So, I don‚t know how well my 10th graders are understanding the conservation of energy, or just potential vs. kinetic energy, concepts I absolutely love, yes, yes, you are laughing at me now because I sound like a geek. But really, it is fun. I used a lot of sports exemple to demonstrate kinetic energy even including running before kicking a soccer ball in the classroom. I think I might get so caught up sometimes though of the hardcore science teaching, again because of my engineering background, forgeting that these are just middle school students. I really should just try to perk their interests. They can get more into physics in high school. The problem is the age of my middle school students can be older than the high school students of the US, so they look like they belong to high school, but they are not.

I stumbled a bit at starting one of my secondary projects. I knew it was too early to take on organizing girls soccer matches in the college, but I didn't listen to my instinct. I figured it was no big deal that I will just let my student to do most of the leg work since I was busy getting ready for girls conference, but he didn't follow the proper procedure of inform all the authorities (eventhough I have urged him to do so over and over) before posting flyers with my names (only) on it. Of course the authorities weren't too happy, but I was able to explain the situation and given that I am new and I have been intergrating fairly well in the community, I have rectified the situation and we can continue without too much problem. I am only just going to do a small scale soccer match between the different grades in my college this year. Next year I will try to set up matches to compete with females students of neighboring college or lycee. I am also hoping to set up academic competition with gifts to attract students to participate, and hoping through doing so will boost students‚ interest in learning and school. I am also hoping to work with other female teachers from elementary schools to speak in group mom meetings, to get the parents to push students to study and do their homework at home. Instead of some students copy off each other at school 10-15 minutes before the homework is due. It seems very few students really open their notebook once they get home.

I am sad that my counterpart (the vice principal of my college) has been moved to a far off village to be the principal there. I've pleaded to keep him here. He also doesn't want to go because he has a lot of young children here and the road between his new post and my village is very bad. I know it because it's on my way to Labe. Not easily accessible by vehicle. I have found him to be a such kind man and good mentor for me, but right now I have to look for others for guidence, and to help me to develop secondary projects in my village.

I am sad and frustrated that on one end that I want to push my kids to study hard to have a better future, but on the other end faced with the harsh reality that last year, government can only afford for less than 50% of students who passed university entrance exam to attend univerity. And then there is lack of jobs after university. *sigh*

Someone asked me if we will have an actual physical facility for the library. No, we don't even have bathrooms at the college and some classrooms are in the desperate needs of repair. So, I will be operating a library out of my hut probably. I just want to get some brain foods to some of my kids somehow. I don't care how I do it.

I finally made it back to the sous-prefect's home to eat on a Sunday afternoon. Of course communication with the family member other than the sous-prefect is a problem, but I always find some housework to do to pass the time while waiting for the meal to cook. This time is pounding rice with a long thick stick with a circular cross section into a wooden container. Each time the wooden stick pound the rice remove the skin a little bit. It is not a easy work but good training for upper back muscle and the triceps. The rice skins also make your skin very itchy. I am again at awe of amount of work one must do just to eat here.

So, I am looking forward to spend the week off b/w Christmas and New Years at my site, visiting more of the smaller villages and reach out to more of my students and families. And maybe I can try my luck at some baking and share them with my friends. Yes , I am getting rather attached to my friends and my kids in the village. Already, I am sad at thinking that after a year, I won't be able to see my 10th graders as they will move into cities to attend high schools. The kids can be impossible one day and so darling the next. Seeing them getting what I am talking about sometimes is a feeling so precious. Just thinking now, leaving the kids in my family after 2 years will be so difficult for me. Working and living in the US seems so foreign to me right now, eventhough I have only been away for less than 6 months. Life is so strange sometimes. 

It's strange to think it is Christmas without the constant reminder of retail stores. Not to mention it is hot and there is no snow.

Thank you everyone for your letters and packages. Well, only Fen yee and Adrienne's letters have been getting through, and of course the letters in the packages. I am glad all the packages have safely made through and got into my hands. Thank you and thank you. I miss you all but not so much that I want to go back to the US. Take it as a good thing that I am loving my life here and the people here. I wonder why not more people try it out, but then again it is such an individual thing.