Imposter

There is a certain kind of challenge in teaching people who are smarter and better than you are. I am English teacher primarily because I grew up in an English speaking country and I teach other things. I have had language training, and have studied the subject, but I am no expert. I find myself a world away working with refugees hungry to learn, hungry to improve their lives. I hesitate to ask them their goals or dreams yet, perhaps wary of the weight it will add to my task.
Yet, in a strange way, I like the disadvantage I am coming from as I work through this project - today, for an example, they were so far ahead of the pro from America I had to laugh. Last week we had our first informal lesson and got on the subject of farming. After a lot of exploring, I told them that we would be doing contextualized lessons instead of strict grammar work. I told them little else and we said goodbye for the weekend. They were waiting for me though when I got there this morning.
There was another large crowd assembled for the regular cash disbursement and they whisked me through the throngs out the back of the school building. We started to head out towards the farm fields and I asked where we were going. The short answers was "the source."  I didn't know what to make of it so I followed their lead.

Shortly we arrived at the fields and they began to ask me the names of the various crops and to describe the features and processes involved. I was shocked by the sheer number of things they were growing: corn, sorghum, peanuts, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, eggplant, green onions, papaya, oranges, bananas, jack fruit, parsley, peppers, cassava, etc.

There were nurseries and raised beds as well as traditional furrows. We kept going and passed a well and pump and stopped for a short lesson. We then came across a brick making area and I enjoyed teaching and learning

Eventually we arrived at the source. It was so, a big sign declared it. It must be a French thing, for it was camp's central water source - a pumping station. We learned about valves and spigots, the difference between pipes and hoses, and general irrigation terminology. A few steps away, we drifted down to the fish ponds

Of course this excited me and we dwelled there for some time. After a bit, they began to feel overwhelmed by the sheer vocabulary and sweltering heat, so we retreated to a small hut for a catch up

They got out their exercise books and recorded vocabulary and expressions and we even began to examine the structure itself and ended up laughing at the small epiphany involved in "Margaret Thatcher." After consolidating the mornings adventure and cooling off a bit, we headed back to the classroom to officially sort things out and create a timetable for the near future

We wrote about what we had done, played with a few tenses, laughed at spelling and other things, and slowly started to get some of them to speak. As before, the contingent grew as the day progressed and circled back on the morning's lessons. I gave them some of our MVCC pencils and even showed them my famous California pencil trick. It goes over well here :)  I presented two of our dignitaries, Edridge and Julia (the president of the camp and the vice-president of the English club respectively) MVCC T-Shirts. 

They were very pleased and Madame President shed a bit of her decorum and danced a bit. When the class ended, the officers stayed behind to plan our future timetable and possible projects. I was pleased to hear that there is a current discussion in the camp about allowing more Muslim families in, something the group is keen to help discuss. The English club will meet MWF from 12-3 after I work with some young level one students in the school each day. Saturdays will be reserved for our Teaching and Learning Academy where teachers will participate in a six week workshop and the State Department language program will provide certificates. We will create curriculum and handbooks, and they are very somber and honored at the prospect of sharing the materials with other camps around the world. I've got the tiger by the tail and can't let go :)

Stephen Brookfield, an authority on adult education, once said all teachers know they are imposters deep down inside. Perhaps because the act of teaching is such an audacious activity. Perhaps because the consequences can be so grave it would be simple arrogance to proceed without doubt. In any case, I don't mind the challenge I am facing, the challenge we are facing. We will embrace it

The pencil trick :)