Kids (17 February 2010)

(Thanks to James for the photo.)

After three weeks of teaching I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.  I would not say that I’ve missed my calling, but there definitely is something enjoyable about a child finally figuring something out as a result of my patient instruction.  The days go by quickly, and although the children are not always the well disciplined, serious academics that I would wish for, they’re basically a pretty pleasant group.  Having taught for a brief stint in The States, it was nice to realize that some things are universal.  It was still easy to identify the geniuses, the troublemakers, and the lost causes.  Kids still test to see if I will let them run wild on me – a problem I struggled with, given the lack of any formal discipline structure, until I observed other teachers striking the students vigorously over their heads with a rolled up notebook (one of the notable differences from The States) and I quickly adopted the technique.   Each day, as I raise my weapon and prepare to deliver another dose of swift, firm justice, I pause and smile, amused to think that I would certainly be fired and possibly arrested for doing the same thing in “The Developed World”.   

     

Six days a week, excluding the numerous holidays, I teach from 10am to 3pm.  I move from class to class, teaching spoken and written English to groups of 6 to 30 students, ages 8 to 14.  The lesson plans are intended to come from a text book, but two of my six classes have now finished their books and two of the others have received or been told to purchase a book that I do not currently have a copy of.  This means that two of my lessons are straightforward and the other four require some improvisation.   I write lessons of my own where I can, but I’m not always sure what’s too easy or what’s way beyond them.  I also try to remember simple English songs or come up with games that have an applicable skill to teach in order to fill in the gaps.  Sometimes it goes smoothly.  Sometimes it’s a mess. 

Overall, I cannot help but notice that the local educational system is occasionally fucked up beyond all recognition, notwithstanding the caring teachers, of whom Mem is the diligent and visionary leader.  Today I sat with sweet, gorgeous, 10 year-old, Vishnu Maya at the dinner table while she tried in vain to figure out what the hell kinetic and potential energy are from a science textbook written in English.   How do you identify what type of energy is in a stretched spring if you don’t know the word “stretched” or “spring” (or “potential” or “energy” for that matter)?   But whenever I get frustrated with the insanity of certain institutional practices, I fall back on relativism and try my best to relax a little.  To paraphrase the wisdom of a coffee mug an employee of mine once used, the education professionals here are doing the best they can, with what they have, where they’re at, which is really the most any of us can do.   For those of us who would like to see things get better, progress is never fast enough and it never will be, but it’s worth remembering how far things have come.  Chandra, my local Pahar Trust contact, grew up in this area and went to school under a tree, writing his exercises in the dirt, and he turned out all right.  I’d like to hope that Vishnu Maya will too.