Thursday, February 2, 2012

The rest of week 2


The rest of the second week was somewhat less chaotic.  It was actually like a real work week!  Who knew?!  I got tired of still waiting for a definitive schedule and took matters in to my own hands and talked with another professor about moving his class and filled in some of the turmas’ free periods with either my bio lessons or TICs lessons.  Mom, guess you’re right!  Slowly I am taking over!  But I think professors changing their own schedules around is pretty common here, who I was to think that the administrative people would do it I guess…

So I had another TICs lesson, where I learned from previous aulas that it is much better to teach them something (today, how to turn on and off the computer) and then let them enter the computer room after.  An interesting method I may continue to employ in future lessons.

My biology classes today could not have gone any better!  Introducing the concepts of taxonomy, I presented a song to the tune of “Mary had a little lamb” about the order of taxonomic categories (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species, but in Portuguese).  The students applauded afterward, so I guess that means they liked the song!  Hopefully they will actually remember something from the lesson!  (They even remembered the song the following week!)

On the two mile walk back, I took the opportunity to learn a little of the local language, Macua.  Some of my students walking with me a taught me a few words after I explained that I only knew two, how are you (“ehali”) and I am well (“salama”).  Now I can also count to ten and ask how much does it cost!  Slowly but surely!

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