Everything Is Set

Today I returned to my Thursday site and we finally settled the timetable. My weekly schedule now looks like this:

Monday
7-8 Staff English Lessons Zongo
Mole Camp
10-12 English lessons
12-3 English Club

Tuesday
Saint Laurent school, Zongo
9-10 Teaching Academy
10-12 English lessons
3-5 English Lessons

Wednesday
7-8 Staff English Lessons Zongo
Mole Camp
10-12 English lessons
12-3 English Club

Thursday
Nzulu school, Zongo
9-11 Teaching Academy
11-12 English lessons
4-6 English Club

Friday
7-8 Staff English Lessons Zongo
Mole Camp
10-12 English lessons
12-3 English Club

Saturday
Mole Camp
10-1 Teaching Academy

Sunday
 4-6 English Club, Saint Laurent school

*M,W,F,S include three hours commuting time to the camp

I met with more new students today and it was a lot of fun. Their English levels were low, but they were very earnest and respectful. It is a wonderful program, as I work with the teachers first then bring them together in a laboratory setting with the students. This allows me to help shift some of the teachers'  priorities to more engaging activities. I am also amazed that these Congolese teachers can follow the theoretical aspects in their fourth language. Bright people!

A nice look out over the school playground. This area is very large and is swept meticulously everyday

The teachers are practicing a new, friendlier technique

I am a sucker for trees and kids

Popping in on a first grade class feeling like a celebrity :)

Did I say celebrity? I meant rock star!

Stopping in the middle of the street to practice my Lingala - Mbote (hello), Sango nini? (how are you?), Sango te (no new news to report), Nkombo na yo nini? (what is your name?), Nkombo na ngai Michael

Girl Power!

The town flour (cassava) mill

I should have known that if I pressed deeply enough into the market, I would find a tub of snails in this French speaking country

I am truly blessed to be here in so many ways. The people are wonderful, the UNHCR is very supportive, and we are building the infrastructure to provide sustainability for these programs once I leave. I shouldn't be this lucky, but I am :)

A Very Sad Day

I woke up to some sad news, and things did not get better until I reached the camp.  When I opened my email today, I saw a message from a former colleague, Marjorie, that a mutual friend had passed away. Shirley had been the departmental secretary at Akron for many years. She was very kind and patient, and the department sorta flowed around her decency. She never got pulled into things and always spoke well of everyone around her. She was a second mother to many of us, and we knew she was absolutely dedicated to her own family. I understood the term "salt of the earth" when I met Shirley:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ohio/obituary.aspx?pid=174996831

I was thinking about Shirley when I wandered out into the compound drinking my morning tea. I was looking for our driver, Yaya, so we could leave for the camp. I didn't see him so I asked another driver, Julius, if Yaya was around. He said no and that he would be taking me to the camp. I am still not sure of everyone's schedule here, bu there was something in Julius' eyes that made me ask more. When I did, in a mix of English and Swahili, Julius told me that Yaya's infant son had died. I sighed, poured my tea on the ground, and had a very somber ride to the camp.

To be honest, it was a very mixed day. After I had read about Shirley, I went to the conference room early (7am) for my first English lesson with the administrative staff here. It was a fun lesson and we laughed a lot. I was amazed they were willing to come in early to work with me. I will continue with them on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

When I got to the camp, I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were moving our classes and the English Club into the new primary school. 

I was excited to be in the new facility, being christened here by Teddy with the dual American/Central African Republic flags. I couldn't wait to write on the brand new blackboard!

I have reached some good problems here - the lessons are gaining popularity and we are getting more diverse students, particularly younger children who are reluctant to go to the primary school. 

We have gone from seven students to 57 in two weeks. To deal with the numbers and differing skill sets, I start the lesson with everyone and do a basic lesson. Once I have repeated it a few times, these five student leaders then take the younger students out in groups of four or five and continue the lesson giving them more time and individual attention. I stay in the room and expand the lesson for the more advanced students. These bright young people are (from left to right) God Bless, Alban, Michael, Adolphe, and Joseph. Teddy, Saint Fort, and Juliet (the English Club leaders) are helping me train them and others. This is the beginning of the model we hope to build to guarantee sustainability once I depart.

Practicing her numbers on the school porch!

The children sang their ABC song for me today and I smiled but thought of Yaya's son. Sometimes I wonder why I left the third world several times, because all I can do is think about getting back once I leave. I don't romanticize things and I am more than comfortable in the most modest environments. Maybe it's the children that have been lost in Jamaica, Yemen, Rwanda, Tanzania, and now the DRC. I don't despair their lives,  for their dreams and ambitions are as beautiful as they are large. They love their families and they laugh and sing, and accept me and others unconditionally. It is their loss, so often avoidable, that tears me down I think. I don't fear many things, but I fear seeing Yaya in the next few days. I have no idea what to say or do for him. No idea.

Two For Tuesday

Today was my first day at the local village schools of Saint Laurent and Pere Laurent. I had negotiated this last week and I was a bit nervous to see if things would come through today - given that I just popped in on them and that I do not speak their languages. To my delight, they were waiting for me and the day went very well. I spent the first hour with four teachers who will participate in a Teaching and Learning Academy. We then went into the classroom and practiced some  of the techniques we had discussed. I had to earn my chops today, however, as I was promoting the advantages of student engagement in language learning. When I got to the class, there were maybe forty teenagers eager and happy to be engaged - too happy:

It went well, although they were rambunctious at times. I had to go deep into my tool bag today, but I must say they did a great job and we were able to get to some complex structures at the end of two hours. I did break them into groups and the teachers took them outside to relieve the congestion:

We covered introduction and all sorts of questions. I am starting to key in on their pronunciation issues given they are French speakers and it is helping me anticipate difficulties. After a few hours, I walked back to the UN facility to rest and catch some AC. I returned to the school in the afternoon to work with a different group of students. It was a smaller group and they were even more motivated and somewhat less boisterous. I was very proud of them. At the end of the day, both groups decided we would form an English Club on Sunday afternoons, and I got a thunderous applause. I am looking forward to working with these kids and exploring the craft of teaching with their instructors:

I am walking about more here in Zongo and I am getting more comfortable taking pictures. I have a lot to learn about photography though.

This is the Land of Pals!

On my way to the school in the morning, laborers were digging this ditch by hand. It is vital to have these two trenches on either side of the road for flood control. But before the water could come, these children decided to fill it

A cool little house I pass each day

The street is lined with these little shops selling just about anything you could imagine. Under the boards in front of the building lies the irrigation ditch

Having fun in the front yard after school

As I mentioned, I am working on my camera skills. There is a slight delay between the moment I press the button and when the picture snaps. Add to this to my poor knowledge of the game of soccer (not being able to anticipate things), there is little wonder there is no soccer ball in this picture :)

 

It was another good day because of the spirit of the people here. Lots of laughter and kindness. I move about with bonjour, bonsoir, and merci. I am always surprised and delighted by their reactions - very genuine people!

Monday, Monday

I didn't sleep much last night, probably due to the amount of work I was getting done and dozens of new insect bites I have accumulated somehow. I got up at seven and took a shower (sort of) then had my morning tea and a small loaf of bread, half of which I squirreled away for a midnight snack. At eight, I went out to talk to Michel the director here about some odds and ends before I departed for the camp. To my delight, he had been able to send across river to Bangui for a basketball and an English-French dictionary for the camp. He is also exploring the idea of having me teach English lessons for the staff here in the mornings, a task I would welcome. Eventually, Yaya and I got underway and stopped to have the ball inflated. Our one and one half hour commute was a little more challenging today after a heavy rainfall last night. We made it to the camp without serious incident and I proceeded to have the best day of my trip so far.
Today, my vision for the camp project came to fruition, at least in the minds of the students and teachers. Midway through the lesson, they became aware of the techniques I was using, and how we were incorporating the environment around them for English lessons. Most importantly, we began to shift from safe concepts like gardening and carpentry to their experiences in the camp.  I was so thrilled as the more capable speakers began to understand how they will be able to carry this concept forward after I leave. We learned a new term today, "peel the onion" as we began to go into more depth on small concepts rather than bouncing around from many. As an example, when we got to the activities they participated in the camp, one student told me she went to church. I then responded, "when you go to church, what do you do?" We spent an hour here learning new vocabulary, manipulating tenses, and practicing with each other. The internet discussion was even longer. The teachers recognized the grammar components we were reinforcing and they were quite relieved as they believed they would need to prepare large and intricate grammar lessons for the students once I left.
When I told the students they each would get to create their own story as refugees (before the war, during the conflict and here in the camp, and their future plans) they were visibly excited. We then began to talk about life in the camp and the future transition back to their homes. They loved the fact that we would bring conflict management concepts into the curriculum. It was a great day:

The "mall" in Zongo - I am not exactly certain what they sell in there though 

A couple of pals who escorted me from the road down to the classroom

Recess is recess!

Practicing rapid fire introductions - I later told them I would introduce them to speed dating. No one got the joke, but William laughed

Two weeks ago, this English Club had seven members, now we are looking for a bigger room

I love how the camp rolls with the landscape

Teddy got a basketball like he wanted, but maybe not the right team for this Lebron James fan. I am teaching him the psychology of the game and last week we learned smack!

Back home for some beef and bananas

As I said, it was a great day. Now I have some more writing to do, and tomorrow is my first 12 hour day in the local schools. I thank God for the energy he gives me and the trusting souls that have adopted me.

Teaching English As A Second, Third, or Fourth Language

A warning, I have been writing for a few hours (teacher training stuff) and I have been listening to Charlton Heston narrating Nietzsche on the Internet. Taking a break to write on my blog might be mistimed, but I am in the mood...........
I have been thinking about my work lately - Teaching English to non-native speakers. I have always had a creeping feeling that when I teach others this language, that I am really teaching for the first time in my life, or that I am merely a pedantic beneficiary of a very beneficial and serendipitous birth. My expertise and perhaps, leverage, lie in the fact that I have something others don't. This is more than a subtle distinction between the other subjects I sometimes teach (philosophy, psychology, math) where I have emerged from my peers and excelled earning the right to then return and teach. I have had a massive head start here in English instruction that I did not enjoy in my other subjects. It is not that I know it better or that I learned it quicker or more thoroughly as with my traditional areas of expertise. In fact, with those disciplines, I overcame decades of intellectual and motivation retardation to catch and eclipse others to be honored to teach them at post graduate levels. If not careful, one might attribute intellectual differences, even superiority in such a journey. I don't however; just hard work and stubbornness. But in teaching English, I feel like a silver spooned heir haughtily flaunting my wealth to those of less privileged circumstance. And if I was less than honest a minute ago about not feeling superior at times, there is no such notion when I stand in front of these speakers of other languages! It emerges that the relative distance in our ability lies not in intelligence, motivation, work ethic, or skill. It is simply that I have had fifty plus years running start; that is all. To take this examination further, I am not particularly adept at second language acquisition myself. Sure, I dabble in a few, but I am nowhere near fluent in them. As a matter of truth, my Arabic, Swahili, and Afar don't even reach childish status. My students are on their third, fourth, or even fifth language! So here I am teaching a subject (second language acquisition rather than English per se) and all most all of my students are my superiors. It strikes me often that most of them are quickly passing my comparative capabilities. I smile as I think about this though, and that brings me full circle back to the beginning of this short tirade. Maybe I am teaching for the first time in my life. Maybe I am sharing wholesomely a gift I did not earn. Maybe the fact that I feel no particular distance in our expertise (once again, second language acquisition vs. a specific language) frees me to blossom as a "more capable peer" something Vygotsky wrote about a hundred years ago and I have extolled incompletely for nearly thirty. Maybe I can take this new phenomenological stance back to philosophy, psychology, and math. Maybe I am teaching for the fist time in my life. If so, about time :)

Why African Children Don't Climb Trees And Other Commute Musings

As I have mentioned, I go to the Mole refugee camp four times a week, and each day I have a three hour commute (90 minutes each way) over some tough roads. There is so much to see, so much to take in that I will not tire of this routine as long as I am here. I ride, I think, I give small English lessons to Yaya my driver, and I wave a lot. This morning, I was wondering why it was that I never saw children in trees around their houses. I saw them everywhere else, but not in the trees. I thought maybe, as with my Jamaican friends, they didn't want to meet face-to-face with other tree dwellers. I was curious though, as it would have been nigh on impossible to keep me out of a tree as a little boy. Yaya and I chatted about vocabulary as we made our way to the camp. I am learning a lot about agriculture. I ask about curious looking things, then we spend ten minutes trying to find the right words in the right language to clarify things. Today was the first day of the Teaching and Learning Academy at the camp. It is for teachers and administrators who want to learn to create a more consistent learning environment. We had twenty takers, and things went very well. Unlike some of my American graduate students, the refugees love theory and philosophy. They are allowed to discuss in English, French, or Sango (their language in the Central African Republic), then we work things back into a classroom discussion. We talked about their philosophy of teaching today and I learned a lot about them. At one point, while talking about how unnatural classroom settings are, I asked them to tell me the things their mothers had taught them. I got many good responses, including the following, "my mother told me never to climb trees because if you do, you can fall and break your leg and die!"  It was quite coincidental and he asked why I was smiling so much as he said it. I explained and we all had a good laugh. At this point I should mention that I do not know how many African children do or do not climb trees :)  I do not want to start a stereotype.
A few pictures from today's commute:

Everyday we dodge ducks, goats, kids, bicycles, motorcycles, lorries, and assorted other obstacles. It took Yaya a little while to master this bit of English though, "Pigs in Puddles"

An average stretch of road. I cannot get over how  simple and beautiful things are here: The sky, the trees, the people, their small houses and villages. God smiles on this place.

"Mti Twiga" as I like to call this tree - The Giraffe Tree. It towers over the others and marks the 2/3 point in my journey to the camp. I could never see things in clouds, nor could I see figures in the stars. But I see things in trees :)

On the way back, from a distance......

Interrupting chores - I have not yet mastered the intonation of the Lingalan word for smile, "Ngia."  When I hold up the camera and say it they just look at me. When the driver leans out the window and says it (exactly as I did it, or so it seems), they burst out in laughter. I will work on it.

Philosophy - are humans basically good or bad? Do they want to be challenged, or are they lazy? The teachers sort these and larger issues out.

I guessed this one - it is a charcoal production facility. They start a fire, let it get very hot, cover it with wood then mud and clay and let it bake hard. 

Once back in Zongo, we stopped in the shade and got a cold orange drink. This is a luxury I allow myself once a week. Normally, I drink bottled water at room temperature. While waiting for the drink, I negotiated with this young woman for some onions. I do not understand French or the complex relationship between the US dollar and the Congolese Franc. Maybe it is a good thing I am only here two months :)

Just some children playing off of the main road (really the only road). Imagine miles and miles of trees, small clearings, immaculate huts, and children running and laughing everywhere. Yes, God smiles on this place.

Fufu

It was a good Friday, despite a few more communication issues at the camp. We are still fine tuning our timetable and one group waited for me for four hours today (should've been two because they went to a different location two hours early). I smoothed things over, however, and we now have a set schedule to follow. The students range from six to sixty something, and they are all very eager to learn English. We have a lot of fun

Walking through the camp in between the refugees houses. They keep them very clean and do a wonderful job of gardening

Today's contextualized lesson ended up at Teddy's (the English Club President) porch. We eventually had 25 souls packed in there talking about household and garden words.

I finally caught up with my lost group, a very mixed crowd of singers, businessmen, policemen, students, farmers, lawyers, teachers, and other professionals. They ended up forgiving me and we rocked out for two hours :)

We pack 'em in and out of the arenas as well!

Teddy, my chief basketball nemesis! I think I got the better of him today, but it was close. I don't feel like I am older or heavier, it's just that gravity seems to pay a lot more attention to me these days.....

This is William - William doesn't speak a lot of English, he does however, have the innate ability to know when to laugh at my jokes. William sits up front :)

Finally, fufu. Fufu is an African staple that is made of cassava root (or cornmeal or other grains) that is boiled like mashed potatoes. You pinch off a bit roll it up and dip in vegetables (in this case, cassava leaves) or meat and sauce. It is very filling, and I had requested it for tonight after a great week on the job. In East Africa, this is called Ugali.  I have a light weekend coming up, three hours in the camp tomorrow then Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday are mine. Maybe time to go look for presents for my friends back home.............