This week I began my work in the local zoo, I mean school. The schooling here is real different than I received at Fairmount Elementary School, and that has become very apparent to me. I am going to be working the the two first grade classrooms, both of them having over 30 children in each. What will I be doing? Right now, I am sitting in the two classes and am identifying the children who need a little extra help. The reason I was asked to work with these kids is because there is a large amount of children who aren't passing the first grade. There could be lots of reasons they aren't passing, they might not be bringing their books to school, don't have a pencil, they are sick, they don't understand some things, they can't see the board, they have issues at home, or they aren't getting enough attention. I will be the white girl who has no teaching experience, sitting in the back of the room, trying to figure out why these children aren't passing and pull some ideas out of my head on how to help them.
The three days that I have had so far, has proven to me that this is going to be no easy task. For starters they are in first grade and have a very small attention span. They are sitting in right next to each other and touching, kicking, punching, slapping, poking, and pinching your neighbor seems like more fun than learning math. Most are probably hungry. The meal of 3 scoops of rice and some sauce, could be the only meal for the day. When it gets close to feeding time, they go crazy. All factors in making my days very interesting.
Recess has also proved to be insane. There are no official teachers on duty, jungle gyms to play on, no balls, they just run around. When recess starts, I would love nothing more than to stay in the room and lock the door, but I feel as if the children would still find me.... The kids in the class I sit in are used to me and go find friends, but there are pre school kids who find me very intriguing. It is as if a small stampede of tiny elephants with runny noses, and dirty hands are all running toward me wanting to hang on every inch of my body. Its the mobile, talking jungle gym they never had. A white girl 4 feet taller than they are. Yesterday I had four or five hanging on each of my arms as I was trying to put my hand over my head in attempt to make them let go. I had two girls wrapped around my legs, and I had a little girl putting her hand down my pants.... not only did I loose all of my personal space, but I was being attacked. Of course they thought it was so fun, but I saw no fun in it, finally I started raising my voice a little and the older kids help remove the children from me.
I think my work here is going to be fun. It seems a little overwhelming right now, but once I figure out my plan of attack I think it will be really beneficial for the kids and the teachers to get a little help.
I don't have any new pictures, for the first few weeks I want to remain as invisible as possible, a strange white girl in class is enough of a distraction.
This weekend is the parish feast, which is a huge deal and people from all over come. People have been staked out on the streets for the past week and they have had a novena going on. There are venders selling goods, people everywhere, and it ends with a big celebration at the church. It is a haitian carnival, without the rides.
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