So here I am. New site. New home. New school. New learners. New language. New everything.
I am sometimes overwhelmed with how much I miss the north. Though that’s not to say my new site doesn’t have positive aspects or that I’m not enjoying myself. Let’s have a look see:
My new school has a much greater amount of resources. A computer lab with 20 computers (and if the modem wasn’t broken we’d have internet access). A library that’s fairly set up, though organizing it has proven to be extremely difficult. I have my own classroom so I can decorate however I’d like (and I’m contemplating painting a world map on one of the walls, though this could be a really big project). We have enough text books so that the learners don’t have to share in class (3 to a book was hard to work with). The first two weeks here I had 50 learners in a classroom with 30 desks and 25 chairs, but now I have a surplus of chairs and almost enough desks (which makes classroom management oh so much easier)! Overall I think my teaching is going much better (though I do have more learners that are further behind, so much that they can’t read, write, or speak English). Having a term under my belt allowed me to come into the classroom with more confidence.
As for the downsides, they tend to really bum me out, but luckily not enough so that I want to leave. As I mentioned earlier…about 50 learners in a class is WAY too much. That should be two different classes. I am teaching English to grades 5a and 5b, both of which are almost 50 learners. I teach library sciences and computers to 6a, 6b, 6c, 7a, and 7b. It’s really hard supervising the library AND computer lab at the same time. I’m never going to learn all of their names. Not knowing people’s names gives me an extremely unnecessary amount of stress. But I have no idea how I’ll remember them all when I can barely pronounce some of them. Which brings me to language: I have zero knowledge of Otjiherero. I at least went into Caprivi with a couple months of classes.
Also, I am living alone. One of my biggest adjustments. I’m constantly surrounded by learners, but I miss being close with a family. Babies. Family meals. Feeling completely comfortable. That sort of thing.
I just have to keep reminding myself I’ve only been at site for about 3 weeks now. I should give myself more time to feel completely comfortable here.
So. Here I am. Ongombombonde in the Otjozonjuba region of Namibia. Lots of Warthogs. Lots of baboons.
Oh and it’s freezing. I am constantly cold now that it’s winter. I didn’t realize it got so cold here.