May 28, 09

Teaching is getting better but it is still super difficult. I am saying that on a good day, meaning that I felt good about what I did today, but it just depends on the day. I just feel like even if I had perfect ASL I wouldn't be able to explain some of these concepts to the kids because they just don't have a solid language foundation. So it requires being creative... and good artistic skills :) The teachers are pretty negative and always say that the kids just don't want to learn, all they do is play and eat all day. I wish they were more encouraging for the kids.

The girls are getting along really well considering 9 girls all in one house. We really haven't had any issues. We told the teachers that we didn't want to take over a subject, but that we were there to just assist in teaching and work one on one with the students. Let me just tell you my day so you get an idea of what it is typically like.

Usually we go to the school at 8:00, but this morning everyone had worship together so we decided to go when they would be finished with breakfast, which is 9:50. When I got there I went into my classroom, JSS Prep, and the teacher was sitting in the corner with "Integrated Science Test" written on the board followed by 10 questions. The kids all had their notebooks out copying the questions and trying to answer, sneaking their books out when the teacher wasn't looking to copy down any word from that chapter - which made no sense because they didn't really even understand what the question was asking. It was all about hazards, including signs like Danger, and a skull with cross bones = Toxic. So I asked the teacher if I could explain the questions to the students and she told me no, she wanted the students to try first.As I sat there, another teacher came in to talk to mine in another language - who knows what they were saying. They often answer their phones while their are teaching. She (my teacher) then told me about her life and where she was going to school herself etc. while the kids were all copying each other's papers. Then a woman selling peanuts on her head came up to the window (4 big open spaces with nothing blocking it) and that was quite the distraction as a few kids got some, even the teacher told one of the students to get her some because she was too lazy to get up and walk over there. When they finish they hand the books to me and the teacher (Mary) wanted me to make corrections, so I did with a red pen and handed it back. It was then time for Social Studies - but that teacher had come and left to a teacher's meeting - which they always for some reason hold during school hours - so I continued with Science trying to explain what Hazards were.

I found that the biggest problem is English vocabulary so I taught some words using drawings on the board for helmet, glove, goggles, earmuffs, and nose mask. During this whole time kids are up and down, in and out of the room - some watching and some not while I struggled to act out and explain the reasoning behind everything. When that finished they were supposed to have P.E. and then a free period and then I.C.T which is some computer class - which none of those ever really happen, that is just what is on the schedule.

The problem this week is that the water wells are broken so they call kids out of school to go and fetch water, so by about 1:00 in the afternoon the whole class is about empty. We then played an art game where they drew pictures that I signed. Then I had 3 girls who were really intrigued in learning names for the parts of the body. I felt really accomplished after that so it was a great day. I went into another JSS class at about 1:30 and helped 2 boys with some math, linear equations, which is fun to help with but really difficult to explain in sign language without a solid language foundation. My day is filled with many ups and downs as you can see :)


Yes all the kids that are at the school are deaf, but they have various degrees. I had the most amazing experience today meeting a girl named Sylvia who is deaf and blind. She is incredible, when you sign to her she holds your hands and can tell what you are saying. She had a book from a previous volunteer that was the Book of Mormon stories in Braille, and she was telling us about some of the characters in there. She is really sweet and can tell who you are so easily after the first time you meet her. Very smart, it blows me away.

We don't see their families because during the school termsl they actually live there in dorms but they are very open about describing their families and like when you ask them. I think the way it works is they have 3 terms, each 14 weeks. They first start in October, but then after that I don't know the time they have for each break. Right now the oldest kids at the junior high are not here because they took their final test at the beginning of this term and are waiting for the results to see if they can move on so they are living at home. The hardest thing about this culture is how rough the kids can be. The girls are having a really difficult time at the primary because the kids literally BEAT each other, they are cruel and it is so difficult for them to control. The real problem is that when deaf kids are born they are left to just wonder basically as they are raised without anyone giving them orders for what to do. So when they are finally brought to school, sometimes not until the age of 8, they don't know how to follow directions, don't have a language foundation, and are used to doing whatever they want. It is very hard for these teachers, and I can see why they would get so frustrated. But I also don't agree when they use a cane or beating to punish the kids.

Also, in class if a student answers a question wrong the teacher outright will call them stupid and lazy and tell them they can't learn. It's a tough cycle, and one we can't break on our own, But I'm also coming to realize that even helping one student understand a concept that they can build on then that can make a difference. The great thing is that they love you from the first second just because of your skin. I am having a great time here but there are a lot of hard things. I am going to have to be creative, and take one day at a time :)