Team Journal ~ January 31

January 31, 2011

"Charlie Brown may feel sorry for himself, but he gets over it fast. He is ennobled by how he handles being disappointed." ~ David Michaelis, biographer of Charles Schultz.

Written by: Volunteer Don

Weather update: Man, when the rains come, they come hard.

Today saw us returning to school for our second week of work at the secondary and primary schools. I worked with the form three English class, taking over the academic mistress’s classes as she is absent while taking exams for two weeks. We worked with dictation using a Ugandan song, and it was a lesson in how hard it is to understanding American English. But the good news is, these kids don’t get frustrated: they speak up, laugh, and we make sure everyone understands. I was stranded at school when the rains came down, and afterwards ate lunch in the duka with some other teachers. After lunch, I worked for awhile with form two students practicing English, which broke into an impromptu kucheza party when a student started beatboxing a Michael Jackson song and students jumped up to show off their moves. Afterwards, they took me to the Grounds, where we watched the football match until dinner time.

Don the Third continued his musical act today, continuing to entertain teachers and students alike. He worked with form 4 trigonometry, and focused on trignometric function tables. In the afternoon he worked with a group of students, teaching English and harmonica-sizing. After dinner, we heard barking noises and found Don outside exchanging animal noises with village kids.

Don Marshall taught chem classes, sat in on a biology class on genetics, prepped for tomorrow, and wrapped up the day by helping at the primary school teaching English. He calls his teaching style “hunter gatherer”. In other news, on a pun scale, it was a low pun day.

Mickey began the day by drawing a picture of a sewing machine and labeling parts, made a pattern for a bag, and in afternoon taught English at primary school.

Connie lay in bed this morning, attempting to figure out the bird noises coming from outside her room. She learned a little Swahili today, too, coloring the alphabet, and worked at the primary school teaching English.

Carol worked with form 2, reviewed vocabulary for things within one’s house and parts of one’s head. In the afternoon she worked with kids, singing songs and getting to know the kids as a group.

And so our first full week in Pommern continues! Edward leaves tomorrow for Iringa: safari njema!