虽然我在读书时曾经有做过part time dance instructor但从没有在学校里教过课程, 也没有teaching license. 出发前, 我就跑到local public elementary and middle school找几个教课老师问教课经验, 最后总结就是3个字--encouragement, patience and love.
My students r obviously the most positive, sweet, nice and friendly kids I've ever met. I enjoyed everything about teaching especially some creative projects that would make my students think and even enjoy learning. I called my students my baby or my angel and really love spending time with them in that beautiful village. It’s definitely the most wonderful thing that happened to me and absolutely changed my life…
I told my students the first day that I only have 2 rules for my class--Respect and Cooperation. The respect is for all the teachers, their classmates, school property, personal and others property. The Cooperation helps cover their attitude, I taught them to believe and trust in themselves and being kind to others, cuz everything is actually a process in working their way up the ladder each day. I also spend some time talking about the basis of good manners, then go back to the 2 basic words whenever situations arise.
I believe the love of learning and curiosity in general is innate in most children, but there must be someone to find a connection between learning and what means something to them personally. I tried tapping into the inner desire to learn and grow that will last long after they have left my class, inspiring creativity and helping my students find out what they r truly passionate about. Most importantly, it's helping them to believe that no matter where and who they r now, they still have a chance for their dreams to come true in the future.
我说想笑就笑, 想说话就举手,心里有想法就和全世界分享,不要shy也不要害怕,我不介意上课时任何时候的插话和提问, relax, have fun and enjoy the class! 学生们表现都很好而我却经常出状况. 有次我被自己的logic卡住就忍不住大笑, 可怜的学生被我搞的莫名其妙, 我对着黑板狂笑完后跟学生们说刚才思绪有点乱, 午休我来跳舞道歉. 这是部落风俗,什么都要用跳舞表达.
因为Tahitian dance和部落舞很像都是用鼓伴乐的, 我就教学生们跳Tahitian dance. African people天生都很有音感, 超会跳舞, 教了几次就跳的很有味道, 让我很有成就感. Btw,Boom tunes真的很好用, 经常让我把学校直接变成party.
有次英语课,local staff到教室拍录volunteer上课的情节,准备拿到总部汇合其他group的片子制成charity film到世界各地的charity fundraising event放. 没想到我讲着讲着就忍不住大笑还停不下来, 学生们也跟着我开心大笑. 录了好几次我都忍不住笑场, 也不知道当时在笑什么, 就是觉的那样拍好像在演戏,让我感觉很不自然. 最后local staff只好把大家笑场的样子都录下来,还安慰我说people will be touched by the happiest heart in the world!
有次初中数学课, 我被silky ant攻击吓的尖叫乱跳, Shawn看到后竟然很搞笑的给他的学生分配homework---描写我被silky ant攻击的情节. 后来他给我看学生们的作业让我哈哈大笑,很喜欢1个女生写的“Mrs. xxx were screaming out of fear with a panic stricken face and trembling voice, jumping around with her both hands and just like desperately trying to get rid of a cockroach …..”初中的学生, 很有未来作家的气势吧? 哈哈哈……
虽然在Ghana生活了1些时间, 但我还是不喜欢吃Ghanaian diet. 在学校里我只吃自已带的bar和当地水果, 学生们对我的表现非常的失望, 因为他们最爱吃的东西就是banku & fufu啦, 他们还跟我说将来到US来看我的时候, 每天就只想吃banku & fufu. Huh? 那我要到哪里去找啦? 竟然给田鼠老师出难题, 难道不怕我给C? 哈哈哈…
最伤心的学校回忆是Kwabena. 他是我英语2班学生. 生malaria送进service center时已经晕迷, 虽然我的医生队友们尽力抢救但因为送晚了, 最后走了. Kwabena只有11岁很可爱, 午休时, 他会坐在我旁边问我很多超可爱的问题, 经常跟我showoff他自编的舞步, 当我跟学生玩游戏时他就坐在我背包旁边要帮我看包, 有时在上学路上他还会采花送给我. 当我拥抱亲吻学生作为赞扬时, Kwabena会把另1边的脸也开心转过来…..
4个教课工去参加了他的funeral.仪式很简单,就是在山里挖1个洞, 大家围着洞微笑的边唱边跳, 可我怎么努力都笑不出来也不想跳舞, 封土时, 我放上写给他的信. 回家路上, 想着Kwabena可爱的小脸, 突然我就像被刀刺到, 就忍不住跑到路边抱着大树伤心大哭. 哭了很久, 突然发现Shawn表情悲伤的站在旁边, 默默的等我哭完, 也不安慰我1下……
因为Erica提前离开,orphanage的volunteer不够了, 队友们纷纷主动去代班, 我选了第5周周6. Orphanage在downtown是govt. run, 小朋友们有爸妈因为AIDS死了的, 有感染AIDS后被家人丢掉的, 有妈妈难产死了爸爸没办法养的, 有生下来就丢在门口的. Orphanage有2个当地员工和3个volunteer照看80个小孩, each volunteer assigned to a particular house.
被15+小baby哭着包住的感觉真的超可怕! 从刚出生到3岁都有, 我的工作就是不让baby哭, 防止相互抓咬, 洗澡, 逗笑, 哄睡, 用干净的布檫手和嘴. 没想到nappies竟然是条布, 用完后还要放到蓝里回收, 幸好没有叫我洗, 不然我也要哭啦! 2hrs后我就累的坐在地上, 手里抱着1个哭的, 背上贴着1个, 旁边有3-4个靠在我腿上和身上, 还不停的狂流口水到我身上. 突然我就觉的Erica超伟大, 竟然在这种环境中撑了1个月, 我呆了2hrs就累晕了.
按照规定, 下午我给7~9岁的小朋友上课, 教他们最简单的1个数的加减法. 中间休息, 小朋友们就非常可爱的围着我用族语不停的叫Yevo (white people/foreigner). 我就教他们叫我名字,大家就开始大声叫我的名字, 1声比1声响, 我就开玩笑说谁最乖我就带回美国作我的小孩, 马上所有小朋友都争着挤到我面前拼命的吵着叫着要跟我回家啦!
有个小女生贴在我耳边说mommy, I'm the best, pls pick me. 我下班走了, 她还追出来站在门口边哭边大叫mommy. 我只好又跑回来跟她说我要跟爸爸商量先, 我不在的时候你要好好吃饭睡觉, 快乐的玩, 好吗? 她却好像听不懂, 紧抓住我的衣服, 边哭边重复的说I'm the best, pick me! 最后我也很难过的抱着她哭了. 永远都不会忘记有个叫Akasua 的小女生叫我mommy!
待续
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