My classrooms, up until my third class today, had all been fairly nice, with all the amenities (minus erasers and chalk, of course, which are supplied by the teacher). When I asked a colleague where my class was, because I couldn't find it anywhere in the main building, he said, in effect, that "It's over there". Now, Mozambicans like to use the word "la" for anywhere between 100 feet and 100 miles away. So his saying that it was "over there" was as descriptive as saying that it was in C--- somewhere. I managed to determine, by asking if it was "la la" - in the building "that way" where exactly my class might be.
It turned out it was in an old building used for student overrun now, but was originally one of the main schools on the campus. Walking up to it, I felt closer to the experience I was anticipating having 5 months ago than I have felt since. (I would like to take this moment and remind you that I am attempting to teach a difficult subject in a language that is being spoken secondhand, in a land I've never been close to before. That being said, I readily admit that the last couple sentences were horrendous, but as long as you get my meaning, we're all set.) The building is made of concrete with wood framing. It's very easy to tell that there's wood framing because you can see through the ceiling to the roof. Not only is there a lack of ceiling tiles, but parts of the floors and walls seem to have left about 20 years ago. There is one semi-functional light fixture and a dearth of windows. What is lacking in windows, though, is made up in empty space where there used to be doors and glass. More than originally promised, the students DO have desks.
I want to write about the students' behavior during class, but as I haven't really given a normal class yet, it might be misleading.
I will go so far as to say that I've already been given ten times more respect than I ever would in the States. Part of that is that other teachers tend to be very strict, so it's easy to slip into that role. Another is that you have to control the students more in the beginning or you will lose complete control by the end of the year. This is what everyone has told me, and I can see how true it is. I try to be stoic (or at least straight-faced and intense) in class, staring down anyone who's talking. I looked at one girl today for about a minute until everyone else was looking at her and quietly nudging her to pay attention. She didn't talk again that lesson.
And by the time I'm finished giving my "rules of the classroom", students are petrified to open their mouths. This may seem like a bad thing, that I'm trying to teach TO them and not WITH them, but all I'm doing is building what I'm trying to think of as a brick wall. The wall is made of discipline, and I can remove a brick here and there without any problem. But I only have one wall to start with - if it comes crashing down, I don't have a second chance.
So the first brick I remove is letting them say "Yes" or "No" ("Sim" and "Nao") in response to my questions of comprehension. I've found that it takes quite a bit of convincing and demonstration to let them know that they can say yes or no without punishment. This first brick, as simple as it is, is an important one. It lets them know there are unwritten exceptions to the rules - I don't have to mandate that they can speak, I just have to ask whether they understand and that is license to speak (in and of itself).
For my first lesson, which I will give next week, I'm planning on letting them go outside and find "something that is made up of parts you know exist but can't see" to introduce cell theory. This is an activity that is pretty foreign and reeks of undiscipline. But I know it's just another brick, and if I control it, then I will show them that they can have fun in my lessons, just in a different way and only when I say :)
I don't know if this will actually work, but I might as well try.
I definitely have a big advantage over US schools in that the students want to be in class a heck of a lot more here. So it's actually a punishment to send someone out of class and to stop class for someone who's talking. It empowers the teachers an incredible amount, so I actually need to be careful that I don't abuse this power and turn some students off from Biology because of discipline. It's a balance that every teacher has to make, but depending on the culture, the line is drawn in a different place.
So I'm not looking forward to finishing my last two "rule sessions", because it's a boring thing to do to begin with, and I've alread done it six times.
My Portuguese is improving, though :)
Peace
John
