Ironic story, the English teacher out here at Santo Tomas does not speak English. This is not meant to be rude, but makes our lives slightly more challenging. The girls have English class once a week for two hours, and work out of a workbook which is entirely in English –not the best learning environment. The education system has a severe lack of funding, staffing, and motivation.
The girls are required to complete homework which they do not understand. Our girls have a tremendous advantage, but are not required to practice conversation in class. The girls are also unable to bring home textbooks. Class is done on a chalkboard, problems and homework are copied down in a journal, and books are rarely used.
It is frustrating to see how education is treated down here. You never know when there is class. School could be canceled, a teacher may just decide to not show up, supervision is a joke (the gates are actually monitored by other students, not teachers or staff), and class gets out early frequently. Motivating the girls has been challenging due to the teachers having minimal motivation themselves. Our girls are performing well considering, but there is still more ground to cover.
Monday, November 3, 2008
English Class and Class in General
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1 comment:
Who would think someone w/o the knowlege of English would be teaching it. WOW! Well, as you stated..Much is still needed in volunteers. What a Blessing for your girls and the ability in learning English they're able to receive from you. Small Steps are Great ones when given properly. :0
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