A day in the life

Almost everyday I wake up around 6:00 and meet some of the older students down by the gate to go for a run at approximately 6:15.  Of course I will receive many stares while running but nonetheless it is still a nice way to start the day.  After the run, I will heat up some water on the stove for my bucket bath while I cut up some fruit.  Usually I will have a mango or a pineapple.  I’ll also have an avocado over an omelet.  Its pretty tasty.  After eating and taking a bath, I will boil some fresh milk for coffee and catch up on emails and read the latest news about the tanking American economy on my phone.

There is an assembly around the flagpole at 8:00.  This usually involves signing the national anthem and prayers.  I’m not really required to be there and if I am, no one has told me yet.  So instead I use this time to prepare my classroom/lessons.

I try to follow the timetable and start everyday with math.  The children love learning math, especially when I bring out the ‘math blocks’.  They come in different colors and they usually start fighting over the color they want.  I try to be fair, but usually within the first few minutes, Rufus will start crying because he didn’t get black, or Maureen will pout and whine because she didn’t receive white.  Luckily, this usually blows over after a while.  After math, its English.  I’m still not quite sure how to teach English to deaf students.  Sign language is different than English in that there are no linking verbs.  For example, That house is red would be: HOUSE::THERE::RED.  We have additional training in a month in Nairobi, so this will be one of the many questions that I have for the trainers and other volunteers.  So far, I have been sort of combining KSL and English so they can at least learn how to identify and spell different things and for all I know that could be exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

This is just an example of what I attempt to do each do in class.  There are also two tea breaks in the morning and of course a break for lunch.  And oftentimes, things come up that I am never told about such as a parents day in which there is no class and I’m supposed to give a speech.  Or its the day before parents day and the children need to spend the entire afternoon cleaning.  And of course there is Kenyan Time.  The other teachers are almost always late for every class and even end their classes early.  I try to always start on time and lead by example but the children are on Kenyan time too.

When classes are over (around 3), there are games.  I am supposed to “help” with games but this only consists of watching the children play volleyball or soccer.  This is really boring.  So some days, I’ll  keep my classroom open and work with a student one on one.  I really enjoy this as I can give the student my full attention and because there are no other crazy students, I know I mostly have his/her full attention also.  The next term, instead of helping out with games, I want to organize an after school study hall where I can tutor some students that need help and I’m hoping that some of the older students can help tutor the younger ones.

I will head home around 4:30 and play with my neighbor’s kids.  I’m slowly teaching Nestor how to play catch.  Right now its more like a game of fetch, but he freaking loves it.  I have also picked up another word in his vocabulary.  He now says, “Gaa!” to accompany his Ahhhs and Eees.  The funny part is he’ll repeat me whenever I say one of those three.  I’m also trying to teach his sister, Esther some card games, right now we’re working on the speed card game.  Any simple card game suggestions?

At the end of the day I will either go into Maua to eat dinner and buy food or I will head back to my house to prepare dinner and/or read a book.  I have been making some pretty good dinners and I actually enjoy learning different recipes and putting more effort into my meals.  I spend the rest of the night preparing lessons for the next day or I continue reading.  I’m usually in bed by 9:30.

What do you want to read about??  Let me know if there is something specific that you want to hear about and I’ll do my best to write about it.

The view of the Nyambeni Hills on my morning run.