In no particular order:
1. Getting my first gift from a student
A first grader gave me a handmade bracelet today. Sweet! Another girl in the same class tried to give me her apple, but I told her she should save it for her lunch. I don't know if she understood me, so I hope she didn't think I was unimpressed with her gift!
2. Teaching adult English class
Pastor Petr approached me on Sunday about teaching a class for adults. The class takes place once a week; the first hour is strictly English, and the second hour is a Bible class. Petr strategically placed the Bible class after the English class. Most want to continue practicing their English, so they stay for the Bible class despite their disinterest in religion. Tricky, Petr!
Four adults showed up on Wednesday. (Five to seven typically came last year.) I had several activities planned, but we ended up only getting through a couple in that first hour. One student, Jara, was particularly talkative! "Jara" is the shorted version of his name by the way; after butchering his real name several times in a row, he said I could use a nickname. :) Jara is a professional opera singer and classical pianist. When I teased him that he should perform for us, he jumped up and started pounding on the piano. He played and sang for us, and it sounded amazing! When I told him that I play the piano a bit, he told me (jokingly, I hope) that I have to perform with him next week.
The other students weren't quite as skilled as Jara. One woman, Sonja, had actually never studied English before. She understood a good amount of English, but she lacked speaking skills. Thankfully, Petr was there to act as a translator when we needed him. Overall, everything went really well. I was nervous to teach adults, and I had no idea what to expect with their abilities, but they gave me positive feedback at the end of class.
3. English teacher get-together
We have been trying to get the English teachers together for the past week, and we finally did on Wednesday. My apartment is the biggest, so everyone came there. We talked, snacked, and played Scattergories. (And, ahem, you're talking to the winner. Take that, non-native English speakers!) We had a good time, and I am feeling very blessed for the great group of people I work with.
This week has flown by. I've been bouncing around all of the classrooms from kindergarten through ninth grade.It's not always exciting to simply observe, but I usually get the opportunity to interact and participate in their classes. I have one more week of observations, and then I'll start teaching.
My frustration for the week is, once again, the language. Foolishly, I didn't foresee it being so big a barrier. The younger children (kindergarten through second grade or so) have really limited English. Our conversations are limited to "What's your name?" and "How are you?" It's easier in the upper grades, but it's definitely still a challenge.
Even so, I have had a great week so far. Kids are kids, no matter what their language, culture, or background. The students I've seen and met are wild, funny, moody (I'm talking to you, ninth grade), bright, and talkative. I'm excited and nervous for the quickly approaching day where I'll be teaching them! Thanks for keeping me in your prayers. Love and miss you all!
Unfortunately. pretty accurate.
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