Time for Major Payne. Where is the switch?! Well, actually you have more fun creatively making the students do math. After all, you are a math teacher. Thus, you have the little hoodlums in front of the class and ask them to solve problems in their head. The class enjoys the game that is secretly a review of yesterday's material. Each wrong answer brings a red face and a small laugh from the class. You encourage them with "good job" and "that was a good try" in order to keep the embarrassment from becoming psychological damage. Then you remind them that they can avoid the embarrassment altogether by coming to class on time.
The class is right on page with you and the lesson. You already have your material reviewed so you start into the new chapter. At times you notice that some of the eyes are glazing over. At these moments, you pull out your old trick of calling on nick-named students. The second you call on Bandito, Parrot, Bambi or Scarface, the class snaps back and laughs at the exotic use of 'english'. You ask them if they would like you to continue in english for the rest of the class. You get an enthusiastic "YES!" from everyone. After three sentences of explanation, you ask if anyone understands anything. They just shake their heads and laugh. You finish the lesson in french and participation continues on course.
At the end of the class, you are feeling energized for the day so you stay back and chat with some of the students. They ask typical questions; can i ride your bike, can i have your bike, can i have your helmet, can i have some money. Eventually, you decide to distract them with photos from home. They are thrilled.
You show them pictures of your family, significant other and your last vacation skiing. You explain to them that the temperature was below freezing on top of the mountain and they about faint. This is when you realize that half the students are wearing parkas while you remain in short sleeves. The temperature is a whooping 75 degrees (F).
Before too long, your fellow professors gather with the students and chat about the photos. They laugh at how you never seem to get cold but almost die in the heat of the summer. How strange you are indeed.You all talk some more and they compliment you on how far your french has come along. They follow the compliment with a remark on their desire to learn english and how hard they find it. You decide to make plans to meet every week to talk a bit in english and help them develop the skill. Their eyes widen and you smile. One of the professors asks you over for tea. After so much translation from french to english and back, you are exhausted.
Do you go anyway or head home and take a nap?
Go ahead. Tea is quick. (click here)
Get some sleep. Uff. (click here)
Kong Comp Lab
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| From Kong |
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a little about burkina faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then.
Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
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