We like school
Today’s Wednesday, so it’s back to school again. My pattern has been each Wednesday to accompany Akilah to school. This way, the “terminale” students participating in the english club get to dialog with me. For one guy in particular, he get’s have the benefit of someone who can translate lyrics so that he understands any of the slang or colloquial phrases.
I actually like going to the school and will probably add an extra day to the schedule. Akilah would like for me to have some interaction with her 2nde (pronounced sec-ound) students in order to give them more opportunity for dialog. Naturally I’m game.
As always, this day begins with two periods of 6eM, and for some reason I like this class the best. Yeah, so what there’s about 104 of them, they’ve got an energy and eagerness that you don’t find too often here. So I guess it’s natural that I’ve taken to them; and from what I can tell they’ve also taken to me.
Last week, before we left out of the classroom, I took a photo of the entire class. Well, it’s a three part photo, but I was able to squeeze as many in each frame as possible. I’ll definitely have to edit it before being able to show anyone the full-size of the class.
Think that’s the only way someone can see what I mean when I say they sit four to a bench. Doesn’t matter if it’s for a test or class assignment; there are four students to a desk in this class. So how does one stop any potential cheating? Do you depend on an honor system? And if so, how can you when the person next to you is about as close as a third arm?
I’ve been speaking english all my life, you know, and I have no clue what “past perfect” and “present past” are; but if you asked me to speak it, I can. These children are learning what most people in the states take for granted, proper english. The class after this is 5eM, and that class doesn’t speak as well as this one.
For today I pretty much played “quasi-disciplinarian” by walking around the class and on occasion squeezing onto a bench that had three students. I do this not only to help keep some type of order, but they seem to get a kick out of it when “Miss-ter Meals” (that’s how it sounds when they pronounce my name) comes past.
There’s one student, Moundo, who is a very talented artist, this week Akilah happened to be walking past his desk and he was playing with an object he made out of paper. What was it? A cell phone! It included the brand name, and “made in Japan” mark, as well. It was funny to see her put one of the paper phones to her ear and have a “conversation” with him; the class got a kick out of it, as did we.
The imagination is not lacking from any of these students it’s opportunity. When true development does begin to overtake Cameroonians, quite a few of these students will be right there when it happens.
Next class, 5eM, remember this one is pretty much her most disruptive class. Today, however, they didn’t seem to be too bad. There was a board assignment to complete, so everyone (used loosely) essentially did the work so “Miss Clarke” would call on him or her to go to the board and provide one of the answers. One thing I’ve definitely noticed is that the students in all of her subjects, love an opportunity to shine; and I guess that’s good.
Today the class was pretty tame, it was the class next door that was a mess. Apparently there was no teacher for the class and the students were a bit too rowdy. From what I’ve noticed, in Cameroon, when a teacher is absent, there are no substitutes the school’s office can call to come in. The students are left to mind themselves, and I don’t even know if a nearby teacher even steps in to check on them.
Moreover, there are always a number of students walking the school grounds because their schedules give them a free period or two. What a novel concept, but the way it’s practiced here would be unheard of in the states. Who would give students time to themselves without any supervision? Hmmmm.
After 5eM it was time to head over to the library for the two-hour wait until english club. We sat, talked and did our respective work until finally Akilah realized she was feeling a little woozy and wanted to go home. English club would have to wait until next week for me to assist them with some of the activities that were planned.
We stopped past our favorite restaurant on the way home and had a beverage; I had a d’Jino (of course) and Akilah a pamplemousse. We drank and talked for what must’ve been an hour or so. It was good, needed to do some reflective thinking to figure out life. Once there we walked through the market to pick up some items for dinner and we headed home.
Dinner was my creation of ginger rice and fried cabbage with string beans and carrots. It was good! Who would’ve “thunk” that I’d be here in Cameroon creating dishes and cooking on a regular? Not I. After dinner we watched Love and Basketball as Akilah polished off a package of White chocolate-Macadamia nut cookies I’d sent her in a care package, and I ate most of a pack of Andes chocolates.