Saturday, January 19, 2008
Teaching at last
I started teaching this week. So much has happened in one week that I can't possibly fit it all here, but I'll try to include some good stories.
Overall impression: exhausting but exhilarating, and most of the time I enjoy it. My classes have around 40 students, who are amazingly well-behaved, possibly because they're still afraid of me. Hopefully this good behavior lasts for a while . . .
Some stories:
-Form III biology is learning about conifers and flowering plants. I found the only pine tree in the village at the catholic mission, and got some rather dried-up needles to bring to class. The students ID'ed them as monocots in one class, and as mosses in another. Not so many conifers in Africa.
-Form II chemistry is learning that matter is made up of particles, and also about mixtures vs. compounds vs. elements. It's rather hard to explain how we know a stone is a mixture. I also explained that milk is a mixture, and then got asked how to separate it into its components (er . . . start by boiling it to remove water? Precipitate the proteins?)
-spent some time in the school lab trying to see Brownian motion. The labs are dusty but reasonably well-supplied. And I find the smell of the chemical storage room strangely comforting. All those solvent fumes bring back good memories of Reed :-).
-I've been appointed the teacher in charge of the school gardens, despite protesting my general lack of knowledge of gardening. This appointment may have something to do with the large garden-in-progress behind my house (which I've had a lot of help on). Actually, I'm fairly happy to be teacher in charge of gardening rather than, say, teacher in charge of sports and games. Once I actually learn what I'm doing, it will be a good opportunity to test out some of the permaculture techniques the peace corps taught us.
-How a typical class starts:
I walk in. Students stand. "Good morning teacher!" Me: "Good morning class! How are you?" Class: "We are fine." Me: "You may sit"
-And, I continue to have an amazing talent for getting chalk all over my clothes.
Overall impression: exhausting but exhilarating, and most of the time I enjoy it. My classes have around 40 students, who are amazingly well-behaved, possibly because they're still afraid of me. Hopefully this good behavior lasts for a while . . .
Some stories:
-Form III biology is learning about conifers and flowering plants. I found the only pine tree in the village at the catholic mission, and got some rather dried-up needles to bring to class. The students ID'ed them as monocots in one class, and as mosses in another. Not so many conifers in Africa.
-Form II chemistry is learning that matter is made up of particles, and also about mixtures vs. compounds vs. elements. It's rather hard to explain how we know a stone is a mixture. I also explained that milk is a mixture, and then got asked how to separate it into its components (er . . . start by boiling it to remove water? Precipitate the proteins?)
-spent some time in the school lab trying to see Brownian motion. The labs are dusty but reasonably well-supplied. And I find the smell of the chemical storage room strangely comforting. All those solvent fumes bring back good memories of Reed :-).
-I've been appointed the teacher in charge of the school gardens, despite protesting my general lack of knowledge of gardening. This appointment may have something to do with the large garden-in-progress behind my house (which I've had a lot of help on). Actually, I'm fairly happy to be teacher in charge of gardening rather than, say, teacher in charge of sports and games. Once I actually learn what I'm doing, it will be a good opportunity to test out some of the permaculture techniques the peace corps taught us.
-How a typical class starts:
I walk in. Students stand. "Good morning teacher!" Me: "Good morning class! How are you?" Class: "We are fine." Me: "You may sit"
-And, I continue to have an amazing talent for getting chalk all over my clothes.
# posted by Kristen @ 2:29 AM 
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