Hard to imagine that when asked what was up for the Friday night, I would oddly reply that rather than budget for Nile Special (a local Ugandan beer) I was going to catch some shut eye, but not before I went out for some last minute shopping for some chalk, pens and books for my first ESL class tomorrow morning!
My feelings range from nervous to being content with it all! I say, why not?
Let me start by saying, what my friends have heard me utter countless times. I will forever be indebted to the internet. Everyday I seem to learn something new thanks to this vast connection of computers (but thats for a blog of its own) as today, I shamefully admit theft of the incredible book, who's cover page lies by the side. Jim Scrivener, when I get my first credit card or pay pal account, I will legally download your book from amazon for it has helped me immensely. From knowing pretty much nothing about the world of teaching, LT (Learning Teaching) has opened up a whole new world (page!?!) for someone who is yet to comfortably call himself "a teacher".
So far, I have trolled the net, and I'm also indebted to about.com's section on ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching, having learned ALOT about ESL. Barely 24 hours prior to my first class, I am readily armed with some flimsy excuse for a lesson plan (haha!) and a belief in thy self. Pardon the cliche, but "Yes I can!!".
Lesson plans aside, being an orphanage, ( and as noted by Scrivener), I figure I have to carry my own chalk, books and some pens for the students. All this has taken up my Friday night beer budget, leaving me with no option but to spend the night in. Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to come across as some Mother Theresa of sorts, no...not yet. Tomorrow I am DJ'ing at a house party, where and after which I will be getting heavily intoxicated or to put it more bluntly, drunk off my ass!! haha. It's been three weeks off of alcohol and my first week as a teacher so I see no better reason to celebrate!!
I'll digress abit here on with some random rumbling as I ponder on my learnings / feelings so far, mainly for my own reading later, many years down the road.
During the week I also me with Gillian Chapman, a local private English Language tutor, who didn't "follow the book" and attend University, opting instead for a CELTA course ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CELTA ) . Pretty much the first person I have talked to about CELTA and I was enthralled to learn that it is indeed a very intense course, with actual teaching starting on the second day!!! My delight roots from the fact that I had considered sneaking into a teachers course at the Makerere University, but a chat with one of the students left me a tad disheartened when I learned that they don't per se teach you how to teach. From what I grasped they do alot of theoretical lectures, which I consider pathetic? I say, you can only read so much about swimming but the instant you in the water its a whole new ball game, isn't it? So I'm glad CELTA actually throws you in the deep end of the pool, so to speak. Less Talk More Action makes more sense to me. I am extra keen on enrolling. The only downside, is that the nearest centre is in CapeTown (South Africa), so I have to wait until I have saved up for an overland (I hate air travel) trip into the rainbow nation.
On my first visit to the school, I must say I was drawn to the kids. Mary, the director, has instilled alittle sweetness in them and as they walk past a visitor, they stop and say "Hello, how are you?" in pretty good English. Although, with Mary being American born, I was alittle taken aback, as I cheekyly mused that she would have made the greet with "Hi" inlieu fo the very British "Hello"!!
:))
Till next week.
Cheers.
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