Second Grade Talent Show

Sunday October 13, 2013

Things have been getting better and better each day of school. I have found out different fun things to do with my students, and I have an aid in my room now, which is a lot of help! On Fridays we have free period and Teresa (my aid) set up a talent show for our class. It was PRICELESS to see these little second graders sing, dance, recite poetry, and one of them even started preaching. I loved it!!! Sister Comfort has recently finished her exams in Takoradi and has made it back to Kasoa. She is close to our age and is hilarious! We are so thankful she is here with us, as she loves to laugh and hang out.  We love Sister Comfort! 

Part-time Fufu Pounder

Sunday, October 6, 2013

On the way home from the beach on Saturday I saw a sign “Wanted: Fufu Pounder” and it made me laugh so hard! I told the Sisters and they said I should apply for the job. Naturally they decided to make Fufu today so I could sharpen my skills. Fufu is a dough-like substance made from mashing boiled plantains and boiled cassava (a root) together with a giant stick. It takes quite a bit of effort! I gave it my best effort and I’d say that by the end of this trip I could be a successful Fufu Pounder. Fufu is one of my favorite dishes when it’s served with Groundnut soup, probably because Groundnut soup is my favorite thing ever. Groundnuts are like peanuts, so its like eating peanut butter for dinner! It’s also a fun thing to eat because you get to use your hands. My other favorite dish is rice balls and Groundnut soup. A rice ball is pretty much rice formed into a ball. It’s delicious! Since we’re on the topic of food I also love plantain chips, sugar cane, Milo (hot chocolate), jellof rice, and fried sweet plantains. 

The Beach

Saturday, October 5, 2013

On Saturday we took the boys to the beach, or they took us to the beach since we had no idea how to get there. As soon as we saw the ocean we were so ecstatic! We felt so liberated and free; amazing what waves can do. The boys and I played in the water for a long time, while Monica and Julie relaxed in the sand. The waves were very strong because of the storm the day before, so we stayed shallow. We laughed so hard as the waves tossed us around and around and we got so sandy. I had enough sand on me to build a castle. The obrunis got sunburnt and made all the Sisters laugh because we looked so funny. It was a fabulous day!

Rain Dance

Friday, October 4, 2013

A HUGE Rainstorm! It poured for a long time, and the power went out for a full 24 hours. Julie and I were so happy it was raining; we did a Native American rain dance on our porch and made the boys (Robert and Isaac) laugh so hard. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I lept from the veranda and ran around the yard chanting my rain dance song. I was soaked in seconds! Julie followed soon after and the boys just laughed at the two obrunis singing and dancing in the rain, still fully clad, getting soggier by the second. It was joyous!

Updates!

October 6, 2013

So here is the update on my life. School is getting easier each day, although with now 40 students and 1 teacher it definitely has its challenges. My main concern is not having a general “carpet” area so the students can get out of their desks to learn. There is not enough space in my classroom to fit 40 desks and have an area or corner for 40 students to sit down to learn, but I really wish it did! Then I could do a lot more teaching outside of standing in the front of the room, and the students would have a chance to get out of their seats to learn. Who knew that a carpet space was so important? Amidst these (and other) challenges, I find so much joy in my kids, and I love seeing their smiling faces. They are so eager to help- they all want to sweep and carry my backpack and clean the board! When they see me walking from my house on top of the hill they will run up to meet me, carry my bag, and hold my hand the rest of the way. It is so precious! I also notice the manners of the students. They stand up to answer a question when they are called, and in the morning the boys salute and the girls courtesy while they all say “Good Morning Madam Liz”. They make it a point to individually greet me each day. At school assembly when Sister Esther will greet them the entire school responds “Good morning Sisters. Good morning teachers. Good morning friends.”

When Sister Esther asks the students how they are they respond “We are fine. Thank you. And what about you?” in a very robotic/ rhythmic way. It makes me laugh every time! They have great manners, don’t get me wrong, but can be just as rowdy as any typical second grader!

The students have loved learning different fun songs, such as the Moosey song, Boom Chicka Boom, and Penguins Attention. They are so cute when they dance around the room.