mwalimu mzungu

Why do African kids adore Mzungus so much??? I can't really fathom why they are so obsessed with me…they could, and do, spend hours just holding my hand, stroking my face, kissing my cheek, fingering my hair, staring and smiling at me…haha I sound like I'm describing a lover.. But loving them fills my often so longing and lonely heart…It is a precious gift from God to have these precious treasures run to me in delight every morning, never running out of love to give and show.

Unfortunately, African men also adore Mzungus…Attention men of Tanzania: You do not love me, I am not your "baby," and if I did not respond to the first 7 times you shouted "Mzungu" or "Hello" at me, I am not going to respond the 8th time. Your failure to get my attention is not due to yelling too quietly. 

Another thing I am being told every time I turn around is "Pole" (poh-lay)--it means like, 'Sorry, my condolences,' specifically when something bad happens to you. But I can't figure out what bad thing they think has happened to me. I have a suspicion it might be the fact that I'm in Africa at all…maybe they assume every day, every movement is extremely strenuous for me to live through. Or maybe fatigue is written on my face? Or maybe I don't realize when people are talking about me--often "Pole" comes when two Tanzanian are chatting next to me at church for instance, and then one turns to me with this phrase…was one relating my personal challenges to the other? I can't figure it out-----[**edit**] Proof: while I was writing this very post in the teacher's lounge, a lady comes over and says 'Pole..' to me. I asked her why, and she said it was because I was doing work…? Then later I arrived at a hotel lounge to get internet, and the bartender says 'Pole..' -- supposedly he knew/thought I was tired. I'm still confused.

remember my friend Douglas? chillin' in the teacher's lounge, showing him my computer in between 

him grilling me about the names of animals or how long it takes an email to get to the US...

my 3rd graders being PhotoBooth crazy...since that first day I spent with them, they kind of 

adopted/kidnapped me as their teacher... they hold a special place in my heart! i love getting 

to know all the different classes, but they were my first :)

school: week 1

I have now started my official teaching schedule. Monday I was thrilled to receive a lucid time table of classes and have all my questions answered by the principal--school supplies available, taking time off, academic calendar, and, most importantly--what in the world they want me to teach. The answer to this is (thankfully): how to read and write music! Praise the Lord, that is pretty straightforward. Although I enjoy coming to classes and teaching random songs and telling stories as I did the first week, I prefer and work better having a specific goal in mind.

mwalimu/teacher lindsay's schedule

Mon
8:05-9:25        Computer - Rose (secretary)

11:20-12:40    Computer - Evetha (finance)

Tues
8:05-9:25        Music - 2nd grade 

11:20-12:40    Music - 3rd grade

Wed
8:05-9:25        Computer - Rose

11:20-12:00    Music - 4th grade

Thurs
8:05-9:25        Music - 1st grade 

11:20-12:40    Music - 5th grade

Fri
9:30-10:40      Computer - Catherine (teacher)

11:20-12:40    All-school games and sports

[From 9:25-11:20 every day is an overly generous breakfast break]

As mentioned before, I have never really taught a classroom or made a lesson plan, I don't know what a lesson plan is supposed to look like...I'm kind of winging it, as you might say. Luckily, I'm a decently intelligent and adaptive person, so I'm breaking up this handicap

1st week lesson plan overview:

1) introduce myself & musical background, show pictures on my laptop of playing music in USA

2) have kids write a song to introduce themselves (give my example first)

3) presentation of songs (videoed, so I can learn their names later)

4) introduction: the Language of Music - reading & writing music

I'm learning as I go…running into various challenges--it's hard to try and guess beforehand what the level of understanding is for each grade, how fast they will be able to learn a concept and to what extent do I need to simplify it. The language barrier is also difficult to navigate…their teachers speak with outrageous accents, so my attempts to speak clearly might actually be making it be harder to understand me! I'm always trying to say things slowly and simply.

Computer lessons have been straightforward -- each of the ladies have different levels of computer knowledge, so last week I tried to figure out what they already know, what they want to learn, and observe them to see where I might be able to help them work more efficiently. 

The limited level of knowledge was really surprising to me...My first tutoring session, Rose's opening question was how to make text bold! She wanted to know how to make a new document, and to use a flash drive. Catherine is already pretty competent at Word, so I showed her how to make a wedding invitation in Microsoft Publisher and then helped her design a birthday card for her husband.

When other teachers in the school hear that I'm teaching computer they get crazy excited and beg me to teach them as well. It's exciting that in such a simple way I can meet a big need for skill development. Secretary work is ridiculously multiplied because of the lack of computer skills -- someone will take an hour and a half to transcribe a test that I could type out in 10 minutes. Because they doesn't know how to draw simple shapes or type mathematical symbols in Word, after printing out the tests they will have to go back and write it in by hand on every single one. Even finger dexterity is an issue...In teaching correct typing posture, one of our biggest challenges is to keep slipping fingers from going ddddddddddddddddddddddddd. Since I don't have any teaching aids or anything, I've been writing out simple typing exercises to bring for them, e.g.:

EXERCISE 1: LEFT-HAND, MIDDLE LINE

******TYPE WITH THE CORRECT FINGERS ONLY******

*****LOOK AT THE SCREEN, NOT AT YOUR HANDS*****

1) On the line underneath, type exactly what is written above:

e.g.  asdf

      asdf

->asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf asdf 

->

->as df as df as df as df as df as df as df as df as df as df

->

Yeah, pretty groundbreaking work, I know.
If you want a copy, I'll send you my PayPal.