August 31, 2006

I am exhausted.

Teaching 2 hour classes straight is incredible! The 2 hours need to be broken up with exercises, activities, games, and experiments. Sometimes the subject is so dry it is hard to find other things to do than straight lecture. For example, I am teaching oxidation and reduction to 10 th graders. We played one came using a ball to demonstrate the loss and gain of oxygen; however, I am straight out of ideas. So tomorrow it is basically straight, boring 2 hour copy from the board lecture.

With my 9th grade class today, we learned about the periodic table, so we re-enacted why atoms are different for various elements. We used flashcards to memorize the elements and then played a game of who can identify the element the fastest. That class felt like it took forever, even though I had several activities planned.

And on top of that, I had to observe a two hour class and then had a 1 hr and 30 minute session on nutrition and dental health in Guinea and then a 1 hour 15 minute class on the local language of Pular.

I went home, took a 20 minute nap, ate rice and cassava leaf sauce then then worked 2 hours on my lesson on moles. Afterwards, I ate some boiled peanuts and had dinner, black eye peas with bread.

I am not exactly stressed. I am just overworked. I have 1 week left of practice school.

What are some of my challenges?

1. Lesson planning and teaching for 2 straight hours
2. Working under headlamp conditions is pretty draining.
3. Buying things in the market is extremely draining: the heat, bargaining, and the constant attention because I am a foreigner.
4. Mosquitoes are eating my feet and ankles up and I might have bedbugs.
5. The mail system is extremely frustrating. I have not received 13 letters, but I did receive 2 packages which cost 30 dollars a piece. I find it ridiculous. Even though I appreciate the sent packages, it is ridiculous that it takes such an enormous amount of money for me to get some words of love from my friends and family. If you wish to send some words, try to send a 5 dollar letter, making it look very official, with religious symbols or write in red. It might get through.

What are some of my joys?

1. Being in a place of beauty
2. My host family especially the two girls, the 9 year old and the 19 year old
3. Soccer, running, and biking
4. Fixing my hair
5. Candles