I apologize for not writing in a while - school has kept me very busy! Here is a taste of my life at Ribe Primary ...
Scene: School room with dusty, cracked concrete floors. 35 two-seater wooden desks in four rows, each labeled “Supported by World Vision” or “CDC.” A wooden door propped open with a rock, a blackboard with remains of yesterday’s science and last week’s math. Four windows on each wall, sporting bent horizontal bars and broken mesh, the last efforts at security and sanity. Two torn sheets hanging above the openings, one twisted and shoved between the bars, the other flapping in the persistent breeze.
In the four rows, 58 heads with short-cropped black hair rise above 58 short-sleeved, collared, sea-green cotton shirts. Beneath the wooden desks, 32 khaki shorts and 26 khaki skirts have been patched, hemmed, and re-fastened after growth spurts and active childhoods. 116 feet, 32 bare and 84 adorned with plastic flip flops, shuffle around the dust and each other. Outside the windows, 8 more dark heads can be seen hurrying past and shuffling in the open door as a metal bell, hanging from the roof’s awning, is struck twice by their classmate.
Enter the teacher. Arms full of lesson plans, plastic-covered text books, red pens and chalk. A pupil nearest the door leaps up and says, “may I help you madam.” Pupil takes books and writing tools, turning around an empty desk and putting the items atop. 15 pupils jump up as the teacher enters, 30 others stand as usual, 13 take their time and 8 remain standing from their recent arrival.
“Good morning, class,” the teacher greets them.
“Good morning madam,” they say in unison. “How are you madam.”
“I am fine, thank you,” replies the teacher. “And how are you?”
“We are fine madam. Thank you madam.”
“You may be seated,” says the teacher, always to her private amusement that she should receive a standing greeting upon each entrance.
“Thank you madam. Welcome madam,” is the reply, and they shuffle again into their desks.
Thus begin my mornings at Ribe Primary School, where I am teaching Class 7 English and Class 6 mathematics (“maths”). It was a strategic decision to place me in these classes, since the students must have learned enough English to understand me, yet be young enough that they are still learning, not just preparing for the exit exam. We have recently begun Term 3, the last of the school year terms which runs September through November. So far, at six weeks in, I am still adjusting, but time is going so quickly and I am enjoying this great learning opportunity.
For the most part, the students are obedient and hard-working. They struggle because of the large class sizes, lack of educational support material, and life circumstances that make school work difficult. In Class 7 there are up to 72 students, and in Class 6 maths, up to 88. Attendance varies significantly and students may miss school due to illness, caring for family members, traveling to funerals, harvest time, water shortages, and a host of other reasons. Primary education is now free at public schools in Kenya, but there are still times when the students must pay fees, such as to “sit for” exams, which deter them as well.
Though the students may struggle, the teachers work hard to do their best. I have been impressed by the teachers, many of whom are experienced veterans. In the staff room we have enjoyed discussing the differences between Kenyan and American education and helping each other improve our Kiswahili and English. While we disagree about methods of discipline (caning is used frequently here), I have still been brought into the staff “family” as we are all in the same challenging situation together.
Some of my favorite moments at school include getting to know the other staff members and the times when I have an opportunity to present a creative lesson or work with a student one-on-one. Although the students are disciplined, they have a lot of energy and love to burst out into laughter when I’m willing to laugh at myself (which, in a new culture, is a pretty essential skill!). I have actually really enjoyed teaching both English and math because it gives me some variety and because I get to work with different ways of thinking and teaching. The curriculum is very structured but pretty good once I figured out how it works to culminate in the Class 8 exit exam. As a new teacher here, it’s also nice to have something to guide me so I know my teaching isn’t way off track.
Some of the toughest things are when I am dealing with administrative or scheduling procedures that would be forbidden or at least frowned upon in the US, and when I have literally hundreds of assignments to grade. Sometimes teaching English is frustrating because the students are still very much learning it as a foreign language even though it is supposedly the only language allowed on campus. Kiswahili and the local Kiribe can be heard in the assembly, staff room, classrooms, playing field, etc., and even the English exam questions are riddled with grammar and language mistakes. At first getting students to participate was hard, but as our communication increases they feel more comfortable with me and I am learning what teaching methods motivate them to respond.
Overall I am very happy to be able to jump right in and teach this term, though I am not sure how my time will be allotted as I start to do more work on developing the new library. I feel like there are so many things I want to do in the classrooms, with the staff, and with the school as a whole that I could easily get burned out if I don’t take my time. Please keep me, the staff, and students in your prayers as we hope to be planting seeds of knowledge, skills, and faith this term and throughout the year.
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