Last day of school for me..

Today was my last day at the school.  It is also a Muslim holy day, so we only had about 25 kids.  We did our usual stuff and then we started working on numbers.  The classroom has many different levels in it.  Some can do math problems while others can't wrte there numbers at all.  The group who can do addition were very excited about it.  I walked around and gave them easy addition problems and then either they would come back with there copy books saying "Teacher, Teacher" or I would stop by to see there progress.  Several of them did really well.  It is like they learn to spite the fact that every few weeks they get an inexperienced teacher thrown at them.  Hawa their TZ teacher, has only had 6 months of training and has limited teaching skills, although I do think she has learned from us.  Often CCS will send young 20 somethings or even 18/19 year olds, and from what they have written about the placement are completly over whelmed.  Mama Grace did tell me that I was not a typical volunteer, that many are college kids and inexperienced.  What we really need is a Teach the Teacher program, so that the permanet teacher can gain the skills to handle the classroom and then volunteers are there to help rather than run the class.

When it was time to leave it was sad and I did get misty at La La time and when I said good bye.  I am very proud of all of us, as a group we all learned from each other.  After the children left I gave Hawa the first aid kit I had brought from home.  I showed her the wipes and the bandages, so she would know how to use it.  We also left her with any paper we had, crayons and a few other things.  She started to really cry, and put her head down on the desk, crying.  It was an unusual emotional display and we hugged and said goodbye.

She does not have email or internet access so I guess I will have to  use the mail to stay in touch.  Which they say in Motown (Moshi) is very unreliable....we will have to see what the Universe has in store for us.