Farewell Friday - 05/08

This morning was a bittersweet one... the children are used to my style of teaching now and they've really made progress with the goal I set of being able to identify and not just recite the numbers through 100.
Unfortunately because it was so cold and overcast there was no assembly this morning, which meant no chance for me to record the children singing the national anthem for you. There was some playtime which was good fun. 
I had a special treat of chocolate pinwheel cookies for the children- they had to answer a question correctly to get them but of course I matched the questions to their abilities so it all worked out.  I was a little sad that Jesca and Julias were still out sick so we didn't get to say goodbye.  I gave Karim a hug when I saw him in the morning but unfortunately I didn't see my little darling Makee.
After lunch Teddy washed my hair for me before we practised baby wearing.  I'm feeling confident about my ability to wrap my future niece or nephew when they arrive (please wait a few more weeks, Baby Oz).
Once I finished packing I took a few more photos of Home Base and then played cards with the boys until dinner...

{{Photo with class to follow}}

The End Approaches - 04/08

Don't be sad that it's over, be happy it happened.  - Tasha, my favourite sister

It's her take on the Dr. Seuss quote "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".
It's starting to sink in that my time at CCS is quickly ending.  Even though I have an awesome follow up vacation planned, I'm still too caught up in this moment.  In actual fact, I'm almost 94% sure that if I wasn't meeting a friend for the next leg of my adventure I'd probably have cancelled it by now and figured out how to stay here in Moshi longer!
Here are a few updates:
* The number lines are being used with success by more students (yayness!)
* The teacher seems to like and have embraced the phonics based method for reading English
* Snapchat filtered selfies make excellent time fillers at the end of lessons but before lunch
* I know most of the words to the National Anthem of Tanzania and thanks to the local volunteers I understand the meaning (Shout out to you guys- Keydo, Nixon, Lordy and Teddy!)
* I have given suggestions on things I would do if I were staying at the school... hopefully some are feasible and practical and can be implemented
* I have once again fallen in love with the children and people I've worked and lived with for the past three weeks...

One Drop - 02/08

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. -Mother Teresa

Today Lewis completed his addition sums using his number line! 

You might be thinking that isn't a blog-worthy post, but it was a huge deal for me. 
It was the only thing I was holding on to about today because as a teacher it can get you down when things don't go as planned- with a little pep talk from my sister friend Jasmine, I was reminded that no matter the outcome in regards to my goals, I'm still doing a great thing by being here.
{{Photo of Lewis to come soon!}}

Amani means Peace - 01/08

Today we visited the Amani Centre for Street Children.  It is very close to our Home Base and can actually be used as a reference point for locals. 
We drive across it often but today was the first time inside for many of us. 
It was an impressive facility once you entered the main building, but it was the programme itself that blew me away.
The goal of the Amani Centre is to reunite children with their families and they have an over 90% success rate. 
Children are expected to follow the rules and schedule of the Centre while there and they have a team of social workers, teachers, staff and volunteers supporting them. Along with their education and basic needs, the children also develop life skills while in the programme.  Families of the children receive support to help achieve the goal of reuniting the children into their families - either immediate or extended.
After our tour we had time to hang out with the children.  There was a football match, some magic tricks and lots of selfie action! 
I am really interested in the 6 month English teacher/librarian position that's available... I'm just going to leave that there and see who actually reads the blog ;)

Day 5 - Bye Bye Baby

Today was my last scheduled day with the babies *cue tears here*... actually not yet!  The school is so small and intimate that I know I'll still see my littlest lovebugs over the next two weeks.  (Only two weeks left?! Anybody else feeling like time is flying by?)
Yesterday evening I went to town in a mission.  My goal was to find toy cars, crayons or markers and tape. I had seen a cute activity on Pinterest where you tape a colouring device to the back of a toy car and let the child "drive" it over paper to make a picture. How cute right? I was thrilled to find everything I needed at Nakumatt (local Walmart-ish type store but on a smaller scale).
I was a bit bummed when I got home and realised the tape was that cheap not-really-sticky tape. My teacher friends will know what I mean, the one school supplies you with as if it's God's gift to your yearly supply stock but it's so worthless you'll give up a week's lunch to buy real Scotch tape to replace it. I tried but I couldn't get the crayons to stick to the cars. Anyway, this morning I came to school with two boxes of crayons and a few sheets of chart paper. Instant success!
There were less than a dozen students in class when I arrived so I gave them each a crayon and sat them on the floor around the chart paper.  They were so cute!  Even Angel got in on the action! I put a few extra crayons in the middle for them to share and change their colours, but we're still working on the sharing aspect. ;)
The teacher wrote a few numbers on the page and pointed them out to some of the students. Inspired by that I quickly did up a chart that said "numbers" in my worse handwriting EVER and the numbers from 1-10. Knowing that I couldn't afford to waste the paper, I tried to ignore the fact that title was below my own standards. The teacher seemed to like it.  She taped it on the wall and one by one I had some of the students come up and review numbers with me. As the class started to fill up I also went over body parts with them on a one by one basis. The crayons were packed away and the balls were brought out for indoor play.
I took a few photos of the students - well, I tried to.  They were all so eager to see themselves I couldn't get any good photos.  They much preferred the front facing camera and they ALL wanted to be in EVERY picture.  I have a few cute (but blurry) ones to share with you.
Soon it was time for porridge. At least I thought it was.  On Fridays the children have tea and scones.  A few of the students still had porridge sent from home.
After snack it was time for me to have tea with Evarist and the volunteers. It was Karen and Maddy's last day so it was a little sad for them.  I remember my last day in Thailand so I completely understand. Today we had samosas with our tea. They had ground beef inside and were served with lemon and lime wedges.  It was a nice mixture.
I had fun playing with the children after tea.  I was finally able to get a group of them  to sit in an almost-circle and throw/roll the ball to each other.  Sweet success!
I tried to take a few more photos but the results were the same.  I'll see if I can go back with my camera during the last week of placement.
I was helping prepare the lunches when Papa John arrived to pick us up.  We were heading back a little early to prepare for safari. The volunteers who were finishing up today were not happy about leaving early and I don't blame them.  I felt we should have left as close to our scheduled time as usual. I had packed my things the night before in anticipation of a short turnover time between arriving home from placement and going out on safari.
It's a shame that some of the volunteers are finishing up this weekend.  They seemed like really cool people and I would have liked to hang out with them a bit more. Since we are on the safari all weekend they'll be gone when we get back. Well... that was the first part of my day. Up next- an evening with the Maasai!

Day 3- 20/7

This morning the children played with blocks again; however, today they had duplo-style blocks.  So even though there aren't any supplies in the class there's obviously some storage place somewhere!
The babies are so welcoming and loving! I adore them already and I think it's going both ways. Today Karim insisted on giving me kisses! I let him do both cheeks but had to stop him there- such a ladies' man that one will be! I got a few kisses from some of the others as well as lots of hugs.
Today at snack I fed Angel her porridge. She is so easy going. She sat there and ate it all with no fussing... But apparently she wasn't feeling well. I had no idea until the entire bowl of porridge came flying back up!  The poor little love bug!  I was worried about her and the teachers were apologising profusely to me!  We finally got it all cleaned up before I headed over to tea.
Our treat today was a sort of lentil pastry, reminded me of Indian food.  I'll need to find out the name. It was yummy.
After snack the babies had play time with the balls.  We couldn't go outside because Karen and Maddy were working on a mural on the playground before they leave.
I copied down the names of all the students in the room.  I have a thing about making sure I call people by the correct name and seeing spelling sometimes helps.  I also have noticed that every day before snack they have to count how many students are present.  I have an idea to help with that but I'll need some supplies to make it work.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Day 2 - 19/07

I was a little nervous about day 2. More so than day 1! Thanks to my amazing nap, I didn't sleep much last night.  The benefit of this was that I was able to get on Pinterest which I haven't been able to do because of the internet connection.  I saved some ideas for a Montessori inspired infant /toddler space with hopes of sharing them with Evarist. I had checked the supplies earlier in the evening and didn't see anything I wanted for the babies.
7:00am (1 o'clock Swahili time) came before I knew it.  After some eggs, chapati, banana and mango juice it was time to hit the road.
When I arrived there were only a few students in class. I brought out my number cards I had brought with me so the children could practise their numbers using something other than their fingers.  It was fine until more children arrived. One of my little loves, we'll call him Kee, was hoarding a bunch of the cards and ended up ripping one.
The teacher brought some lego-style building blocks which got the children's attention.  They also had some balls to play with and the teacher wowed us (okay, me) with her juggling skills. The introduction of the toys made the morning more productive and manageable in my opinion. The first part of the morning really sped by and before I knew it, it was snack time.  We headed down to the dining room for porridge. After snack it was time for our volunteer tea break with Evarist. Today we had chai, chapati and a donut. It was like a full size donut ball without the sugar coating; I enjoyed it!
After tea I showed Evarist some of the ideas for a more hands-on classroom for the babies. He wasn't sure what he would be able to get in terms of supplies but he said to give him two days to do some homework for it. Hopefully we can make at least one activity for the babies before I leave. That'll make my whole trip worth it to me.
The weather was considerably warmer today so we took the babies out to the playground.  They had a blast!
When we went back inside they all wanted help taking off their sweaters and jackets. I started with two little ones and then others were circling around calling out "Mimi" which means I or in this case, me indicating their desire to be next... they haven't quite gotten down the idea of a line.
A teacher came to give them water before singing and dancing with the class. Our van was a little later than yesterday so I was able to help set up the mattresses for sleeping before the children went to lunch.  There were about 5 single size mattresses and the one from yesterday which is a little bigger but not a double size. 
After that playtime this morning I'm sure they slept well!  I know I should tonight!

The Cuteness in Kindergarten

Today was fellow volunteer Rachel's last day at school.  We headed in early to teach  a kindergarten class before our regularly scheduled classes.  We always see the little ones around campus but the youngest grade I've had so far is grade/pratom 1.
Since the kindergarten class doesn't usually get volunteers we were a new novelty item in the classroom. The children were full of giggles at the "farang" which is Thai for foreigners. Pitsuda introduced us as Teacher Nadia and Teacher Rachel then we got to it. We sang the alphabet song and counted from one to ten. We used coloured balls found in the classroom to review colours. The children were very good with their colour names.  After our review, Rachel and I handed out 3 Uno cards to each student. We played a few rounds of my go - to colour/number game. The children seemed to enjoy it immensely. We also introduced them to the 'Hokey Pokey'. Left and right were trickier than the previously covered topics but still good fun. Pitsuda sang the elephant song which reviews the concept of big and small.  Class ended with a few group photos.
Fun fact: The children are told to say "Pepsi" to smile rather than cheese. This makes sense as cheese is not something often included in Thai meals.  In fact, I can't think of a time that I've had cheese since I've arrived! 

Days of the Week * snap, snap*

Today the students worked on the Days of the Week.  In Thailand each day is assigned a specific colour.  This is helpful for the students because they can relate the colours to the name of the day in Thai.
I wish I had my laminator so I could make a material for this.  I've asked if I can go to the teachers' store or if it is only for Thai teachers, hopefully I'll find out soon.
The Thai education system is based on a lot of rote learning. I've slowly been adding a few of my preferred methods during my teaching, including asking the children "what is this?" after we've reviewed the names of a topic in English.  It's part of the Montessori three-part lesson.
Joy knew the Days of the Week song to the tune of the Addams Family so we taught the children how it goes.  Music is so universal.  It was great to hear the children humming and singing quietly to themselves as they worked on writing the names of the days in English.
I had noticed that the children enjoy singing and the teachers encourage English songs.  I explained to Joy that my sister's birthday was the next day and asked if the children knew the birthday song, which they do. When the children had finished their work I asked them to sing the birthday song so I could record them.  They love a camera (my spirit children). The students were happy to fulfil my request and I knew my sister would appreciate the birthday wishes.
You can add this to my tally of successful days.

The next class

After lunch I had another class with Joy. This time it was English for Pratom 5. They were also working on colours but in more variety including gold, bronze and sky blue - not to be confused with blue!
Joy said the students were having a hard time getting "sky blue" because they were pronouncing it sa-ky blue. For that I had a quick fix, ready to go! I freed my hands and had them clap with me as I said "Sky Blue". The students have previously covered syllables because Joy then made mention of sky being one syllable not two.  We practised that for a bit before moving on to our next activity. 
Joy had liked the cootie catchers so much that she wanted the older students to make them as well.  My dear Reader, I'll tell you right now that you cannot have an ounce of doubt in your teaching ability if you are about to instruct the largest class size you've ever had in a step by step activity without being sure that they understand what you are going to be saying.  No worries, I am a pro! 
I'm pleased to report that all students were able to follow along well enough to leave class with their own colour cootie catcher.  I was even able to get two students who finished to assist their peers as I continued to float around the group. 
Yes, the sweetness of success was in the air.  No need for any apples for this teacher, smiling students leaving a class is perfect for me.

Teacher Nahdeeahhh

Today was my first day of teaching at Wat Wetawan.  Respect is an important part of the Thai culture. As Pitsuda and I walked through the hallways the students smile and politely bowed as they passed us. 
I was introduced as Teacher Nadia which when spoken by a group of Thai students sounds a lot more like Teachah Nahdeeahhh. I'll take it.  My first class was a group of ridiculously cute grade ones.  In Thai grade is Pratom, so the class was Pratom 1/2 with Khun Joy.  The children were full of smiles and giggles.  I should note that attendance usually increases during periods of known English volunteers. Having a native speaking English teacher in your class is a big deal! 
The children were reviewing colours with Khun Joy when I arrived (note about Thai time later).  I jumped right in, showing the colours and saying the English name with the children repeating after me. I realised right away that there will be a group of Thai children speaking English with a hint of Bermudian accent by the time I'm finished out here!
After our review, Joy and I handed out the worksheets she had prepared.  The children had to colour in a box and trace the word for each colour. I walked around providing assistance and attempting to learn the children's names - a lot of work to do in that department!
When the children finished their sheets they read their answers to me and I provided the much coveted star sticker {insert gasp from all my Montessorian friends here}. A group of particularly giggly girls finished before the other students.  Having prepared the night before, I whipped out what my students at home call a "cootie catcher". If you're an 80s baby like me you probably will recognise it as a fortune teller.  Thanks to Pinterest  and Teachers Pay Teachers I had found the perfect one already created and ready to fold. 
I showed the girls how to play. It involved a minor review of numbers, letters and then naming the colour they revealed in the cootie catcher, finishing with a high 5 from Teacher Nahdeeahhh. Overall, it was a great start to my first day.