“Miss-ter Meals”
When I awoke this morning, I knew I would be going to school with Akilah, however, what I wasn’t aware of is that I would be teaching all of her classes today. Talking about preparing a lesson plan on the spot; at least I had from the time we left the house until we reached the school to review her intended lesson for today.
There is no system of substitute teachers in this country. If a teacher doesn’t come, the class has a free period. Sometimes when you walk around the Lycée’s campus, you’d think there are quite a few teachers absent. I wasn’t really a substitute today, but it did give Akilah time to do some other needed tasks.
It’s funny how the students pronounce my name. Because of the manner in which they speak, pronouncing each syllable, instead of saying “Mills,” it sounds as if they’re saying “Meals.” I’ve heard it so often since being here that when one of the classes asked my name I pronounced it the way they do; Akilah was sure to point this out to me later.
First class up was 5eM (cinq-a-em); today’s lesson is on using “there is/there are,” “there was/there were.” When the found out I was teaching class today, they were overly excited. It was good to see that, but considering this is the class she used to have most of her problems with, I don’t know…
Actually, once I was introduced as the teacher, everything went well. I went through the introduction to the lesson without a hitch, and was able to explain their exercise in a manner that they were able to understand. When you’re a native speaker of a language, you can have a tendency to forget that the one’s you’re teaching are not only trying to grasp the sound of the words, but also the concepts you are teaching and the context in which you are using the words. It can be extremely difficult; but we managed without issue.
Once we finished the introduction, Akilah went off to the library where she had the students meeting her within their respective groups. As each group went and return, the class still remained relatively orderly. Maybe it’s the newness of the teacher that has them mesmerized.
As I looked around the classroom, I could see a bit of curiosity, wonderment and excitement in the eyes of quite a few of the students. Once before one of the 5eM students had mentioned that Black Americans were cool. Hmmm, okay, I’ll take that.
Well 5eM went fine, now it was time to meet Akilah at the library and head to 2nde (seck-owned). This class would be the equivalent of the tenth grade in the states, and some of the students are as old as twenty; though this is not an uncommon thing.
With 2nde, there was still that look of bewilderment on their faces, when I entered the room, but since most of them had seen me walking about the campus previously, it didn’t take them long to snap to what we were doing. We decided it would be good to have our talk about African-Americans and stereotypes in general. I know a few of my questions kind of stumped them.
Since this was an older class, and they like the opportunity to talk, we thought a dialogue would be good with them. My primary question – that I did not necessarily want an answer to – was why is it people stare at me as we walk past one another on the street. It took them a few moments to get their bearings, but they were able to give a few responses.
One student said it was because they liked the way I walked. Another said it was because of the attitude Black Americans displayed. There were a few other responses, but those were the two that stuck in my mind. I’m not sure what to think of that or how to take it, but I’ve gotten so used to the staring that now I stare back and eventually wave when I think it should stop. The waving either causes a smile, a blush or a quick head turn. It’s funny all around.
After 2nde, it was time to teach 4eM (cot-tray-em). Today’s class for them is two periods long, with it being divided by a lunch break. The first period I reviewed with them occupations and their corresponding job descriptions. It went well, and they were all too excited about coming to the board and write the correct answers when the time came.
During the lunch period Akilah and I decided to teach them Old McDonald. Unlike her other classes of over one hundred students, this class follows directions when asked to sing softly. When we first arrived back from lunch she had them sing a song for me so that it could be proved they knew how to sing. They sounded extremely nice, as if they’d rehearsed as a chorus; they sung Put on a happy face. I was sincerely impressed. There was even one student who Akilah had selected to go through the hand animations with her. It was a photo opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
In all the day went extremely well. I was very happy with being able to navigate cultural and educational differences to teach something to another group of people. I’m sure each of the classes enjoyed it as much as I did. While in the library, one of the 5eM students mentioned to Akilah “Meals, de passes Miss.” Fancy that, one of her students thinks I’m a better teacher; it must be the novelty.