This was my first five-day week teaching! I'm only at school from 7:30-11:30am, which would be any teacher's dream. It really is great, so I'm definitely not taking that for granted, but it can be hard teaching kids who just respond so much better to Tagalog, and it can also be hard when I don't have a printer at my disposal! If I want to print any worksheets or anything, I do it at a print place. It's cheap, but it's still money, so I try to figure out ways to get around printing. I really don't mind, but that's just a fun fact. The life at a low-budget school!
Overall, this week has gone well. In CVF, we have practiced Psalm 119:11: "I treasure Your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning against you." Day 1, they spent pretty much the entire thirty minutes of CVF writing the verse in their workbooks because that's really how long it takes them. We also practiced it and I explained it. Our lesson may not specifically go with the verse every day, but we do practice it every day. Tuesday, I read them a story out of their workbook about King Josiah and they colored a picture I had printed. Wednesday, after we practiced the verse, I gave them the project of drawing a heart with a picture of the Bible in it, and then drawing anything else in their life outside of their heart. I'm pretty proud of my creativity on that one ;) The point was that God comes first in our heart. Yesterday, Thursday, I read them a David and Goliath story from a book and they drew and colored David and Goliath to the best of their ability. Today, we had chapel so I didn't do a specific CVF lesson.
In English, I've been teaching adjectives and verbs. It honestly can be pretty frustrating! We can review and review and review the DESCRIBING words (I always have them say "adjective" together, and then "describe" together, and then I ask again, "What does an adjective do?" If I'm lucky, they'll answer, "Describes!"), and they still all shout the completely wrong answer together when they're supposed to choose the adjective from a sentence I read. I give examples, I do anything I can think of! If it's something simple like, "a green frog," most will get it right, but if I give them a sentence, we're doomed. Even when most of them get it right on the small phrases, that's a small majority. That's really how it is for any subject, though, taught by Jhing or myself. About half the class totally gets what's going on, and the other half is totally confused. Yeesh.
In math I've been teaching adding two digit numbers. I'll probably be ready to move on to adding two digit numbers where you have to carry a number next week, but it'll be emotionally hard (ha) for me to do that because I just so badly want every kid to get it! However, I have the same problem as English: some of the kids can do their two digit addition problems so easily and will be done in no time, while others still struggle with single-digit addition. There's hardly any grey area; some kids get it, others don't.
There are so many things I'm learning about this school's system. School gets let out at 1:30, so the Filipino teachers basically assist us most of the mornings, and we assist them for maybe thirty minutes of class in the morning. They have an hour alone in the afternoon for their Filipino class. The volunteers, such as myself, actually teach more than they do. This is why we all came here and we are happy to do it, but it's frustrating because some of the Filipino teachers think they're over-burdened. I have 15 kids in my class. In a U.S. classroom that would be small. School ends at 1:30, which is normal here but is pretty early compared to what I'm used to. The Filipino teachers at this school plan for their Filipino lesson and a short lesson for music or something like that, while we do CVF (only thirty minutes), English, and Math. It's also a privilege that there are two teachers in a classroom. Pretty good ration! The Filipino teachers do have to stay at school until 3:30...which gives them two hours a day to plan for their hour and a half of teaching. Again, this is all fantastic, and I love teaching the classes we teach, but one of the things our new Canadian missionary principal brought up in a staff meeting Wednesday was keeping some kids after school sometimes for tutorials since the Filipino teachers are there anyway. Some of the volunteer teachers offered to help a couple of hours a week, but the Filipino teachers didn't like the idea because they feel they are too busy. Fifteen kids in a classroom is fantastic, as is English integration. There's also nothing wrong with ending school at 1:30. It makes sense considering they don't get much of a recess or PE. The frustration is that it should be about the kids, and we would hope that the paid teachers would be fine with helping in tutorials when they will be at the school anyway.
Okay, I vented a little bit. In every school in the entire world, I know there are things that need to be worked on. Shannon, the principal, is communicating with Dan and Tori (missionary overseers of the school) on how to work everything out. She sees ways that the school could be improved, and that's why she's here and we're all here! To help! I also pray that the Filipino teachers don't see us as trying to come in and take over everything, because we ALL have our faults and need Christ to break us and mold us. I also know that it's probably unfair to compare things to the U.S., because U.S. teachers are over-burdened. Therefore, if I indicated that teachers here, particularly at this school, have it easy, maybe I shouldn't have. It's just hard to see kids struggle who could be helped so much, and then not having willing people to help them.
Also, I do love the teachers here. Really! They are the nicest, sweetest, funniest people ever!
Now, outside of school!
After playing volleyball Monday afternoon, I went back and played again Tuesday. It was so fun! Wednesday, I helped at the feeding site I've been to the past two weeks. Thursday I went to a feeding site I hadn't been to before and helped lead the story-telling and took coloring sheets that I had printed for the kids. It didn't really register with me that there were sites where the pastor's wife, Teresa, is the only leader and organizer. I kind of figured it out on my own somehow. Hopefully I'll be able to help out just a little bit, even if it's only one site, and take some burden off her shoulders. And it's fun for me!
By the way, the sites on Boracay are funded by the church I attend here. Teresa is the pastor's wife. The budget has been very low for the feeding sites, so they've had to cut back on how many they do. Teresa talked to me after the feeding site Thursday and I could just see her heart and passion for the ministry. She never ever asked me for money or for me to ask anyone else for money, but if you read this and feel like you have something you could give, I'm sure I could find out how that would work! I wish I could have recorded her talking to me. She is on fire about sharing God with these kids and providing a meal and some fun for them! I don't think coloring sheets are in her budget, so I'm hoping I can at least help provide that small luxury for the kids when I help (because it is considered a luxury to them!).
So, that was my week, and I feel like it was my first full, "real" week. Five days of school, two feeding sites, and of course our weekly Bible study on Thursday and I will have my volleyball clinic tomorrow!
Boracay is amazing!
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| Yummy food being prepared at the feeding site |
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