Feeling 98% today. Let's get outside and get a good day done. Omelet for breakfast (LOVE my homestay mom), chugged 2 pure waters (wont get dehydrated again today like yesterday) and it's off to school I go.
Teaching-wise today was my best day yet. The class above Ama's (the JHS Form 2) I feel I'm really clicking with. They really understand my humor (which actually says a lot. Sarcasm doesnt exist in Ghana as a humor form. They dont use it, they dont understand it. Period. But more on that some other time.) So they understand my humor, they understand my lessons well, but more intangibly, I have an overall great repoir(sp?) with them. We laugh together at moments in class, we learn together as I experiment with new angles to teach from, and when I'm losing my patience with talkers and get stern, they get the point and shut up.
Today I walked in and explained that schedule conditions cut class in half so I really needed them to listen well, copy fast, and not talk at all. By some good luck I got my other section back and taught the full 70 minutes, and you know what? 70 Minutes. Not a single word. In Ghana. Where conversations run the cultural way of life! The respect that showed made my day.
haha I just remembered the first class I had with them. I asked them to try to pronounce my name as I wrote it on the board. Moratorio. (For those of you playing at home, it's actually more-ah-TORE-ee-oh). They could not get it out, some were struggling and getting close but I moved on. So I told them for homework that night, their assignment was to learn to pronounce my last name.
My second class I walked in to the usual in unison greeting that they give the professors. As soon as you walk into class they all stand at attention:
Good morning sah!
Good morning class! How are you?
We are fine sah. And you?
I am doing very well. Please be seated.
Thank you sah.
Here I strayed form the formula a bit and asked...
Did you all complete your homework assignment? How do you pronounce my last name?
(weakly some kids mumbled)
Mistah More-ah-Teaar-ee-ooooh
What was that class? I couldnt hear you?
MISTAH MORE-AH-TEAR-EE-OOOOH!
hahaha... close enough.. let's begin.
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