School Days

I have been teaching at Kapsowar Primary for a few weeks now, and I have enjoyed it more than I can say and more than I expected. I absolutely love it! Granted, it has been continually confirmed by God that I should be a nurse and not a teacher, but I have loved every moment at the school!

  I teach a seventh grade class English, and I am very impressed with their English skills. One amazing thing about many Kenyan people is that they can speak three languages.  The first language they learn is their mother tongue, or their tribal language, of which their are 42 tribes in Kenya, each with their own language.  As they enter school, children are taught Swahili, and as they progress in school, they are taught English. It is so amazing and humbling to be around children half my age who can speak three languages.  I have 36 students in my class, and I have finally memorized all of their names.  They are a joy to teach and are very respectful, which I greatly appreciate. We have a lot of fun in class, and I have taken them to PE, which was great because I was able to spend time with them outside of the classroom setting. They have been so welcoming, and I have been truly blessed by all of them!

Not only am I a teacher at Kapsowar Primary, I am also a pupil! I am in a first grade class learning Swahili with all of the 6 year old children. I feel like Buddy from the movie Elf when he is still in the North Pole and is sitting in class with all of the elves who are half his size. Compared to the students, I am huge, but I love being in class with all of them! I go to class everyday, where I sit and learn with the kids.  The teacher has been very gracious and helpful, and the kids think it is the funniest thing! I repeat words out loud, take notes in a little notebook, and draw and color pictures, just like the kids.  I even took an exam, although I needed a lot of help from the teacher.  I am not learning many conversational words, but I do know clothing, shapes, colors, and numbers. I am very thankful that the school has allowed me to be a student in the class.  The other teachers and students are always excited to hear the new words I have learned.

Even though I do not teach all of the students, I have been able to spend time with a lot of them, which I really enjoy! They have a couple of breaks throughout the day, so I like to go play with them during those times.  As I walk by the classrooms, there are always students saying hello and asking me to come teach their class, and I often go into the classrooms when no teacher is there to say hello and talk with the kids.  They are all so wonderful, and I love spending time with all of them.

Last but not least, I have been immensely blessed by my fellow teachers! They have all sort of taken me under their wings, encouraging and helping me.  They are all willing to talk with me as well as help me with my Swahili.  I feel like I have thirty new friends in the teachers I have gotten to know.  We enjoy talking at chai time and learning about each others lives.  Even though it is a public school, the majority of the teachers are Christians, which has been quite a blessing. I cannot say how much it appreciate the teachers at the school!

All in all, God has truly blessed me beyond my imagination at the school! I never imagined how much I would love the students and teachers. It will definitely be difficult for me to say goodbye to all of them in 4 weeks. God is amazing, and I cannot thank Him enough for the opportunity He has given me at Kapsowar Primary!