Tuesday, January 28, 2014

School Days

I'm taking time out from my homework to update this space. I'm loving my time here in South Africa. Durban sits on the Indian Ocean and it is HOT and HUMID at this time of year. 

Even though I'm still on the African continent it's been easy to forget. My host for the week is a lovely, Scottish woman who lives in a sweet cottage surrounded by lush vegetation. As I do my homework on the porch her two Jack Russell Terriers come sit next to me. 
We drive to school on large highways with proper road signs and several lanes in either direction. Shops and office buildings line the roads and it feels more like Europe than Africa.


I'm here in Durban to qualify as an administrator to use the ACE curriculum so we can open our new school for the kids at Kazembe Orphanage. ACE is a unique, learning system that works with individualized education. It's going to be great for our kids. However, the procedures are very different from traditional classrooms and require some getting used to.


 Above you can see the space that I am occupying this week and half of next. Eight days of putting my nose down and getting work done. It's not that the work is that difficult, but the procedures are very exact and must be followed precisely. I'm a rule follower with a rebellious side, so you can imagine how well I'm getting on right now. 

We are being treated exactly like the students would be in our learning centers so that we can understand how things work from the kids' perspective. Each day we have to set our goals for how much work we'll get done and then take the extra home (if possible) as homework. In the mornings our books are inspected and our goals and homework slips checked for mistakes. Today I got four demerits!!!! I'm fairly certain I'm going to get at least one more tomorrow because I wrote the wrong page number on my homework slip. 
I'm praying God blinds the eyes of the examiners. Not sure if that's the theologically correct thing to do, but I'm desperate.


In the midst of all this modern living, there are a few signs that I'm still in Africa. Can you spot a couple of them below? This photo was taken just outside my classroom when school was out for the day.


I asked a few of the students standing around if they ever get away with saying 'the monkey ate my homework', but they said no. However, the monkeys do frequently steal their lunches. Life in Africa!

Exactly Four Years Ago: Be Prepared
Exactly Three Years Ago: London Fun
Exactly One Year Ago: Introductions

4 comments:

  1. Amy, I never thought of you getting a demerit, let alone 4!! Whew!! What are the kids going to think??? hmmm..... maybe you shouldn't tell them. Gotta keep up appearances, right? Ha!
    I'm proud of you getting the certification. That's going to be so great for the school.

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  2. Jessica MorrowJanuary 29, 2014

    This is too funny! I loved every minute of your blog ^_^

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  3. I pity the kids, I hated ACE, the most boring school books ever. I used Beka for my kids, much better in many ways, ... of course they're also more expensive. I'm sure you all will have great teachers who will put more into the school time thus making it bearable. Maybe my brother (Tom) enjoyed those books more than I did.

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  4. Monkeys! Too neat, though I'm sure they can be a nuisance.
    I'm curious to hear how the ACE works at your school. How soon do you plan on starting it?

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Come hang out with me. Your comments brighten my day and make me feel less lonely in my corner of the globe. .Wanna know more about my crazy life? Give a shout!

You can also email me at amymorrowinafricaATgmailDOTcom

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