The 5th Graders - February 2

I teach geography to the 5th graders. There are about 35 students in the room. The teacher before me is their English teacher (an Indian woman). The current geography teacher is also a young female. Both stay in the room with me – which is great because they translate when they think students don’t understand. Yes, I am teaching in English to children for whom this is a second language. I am amazed at their English – it is not great but so much better than I thought it would be.

I stand outside the 5th grade classroom until the gong is rung (a woman comes out and hits the gong several times). This means it is time for teachers to change to the room of their next assignment. Out goes the English teacher, in comes the new American teacher. While waiting outside I hear bits of the English class and the Indian method of teaching – which involves a LOT of scolding.

Today when I came in I said, “Good Morning” (class starts at 11:25 am). They all stood up (just like in America, yeah right!) and answered, “Good Morning”. I smiled and waved for them to sit down at which point the English teacher yelled “That is NO WAY to say Good Morning. TRY IT AGAIN.” I almost jumped up and apologized to her she so scared ME. Then I remembered where I was – smiled and accepted a more pronounced “Good Morning.”

The principal, Kavita, wants me to help the teachers learn content. She thinks that many of them don’t know a lot about the subjects they teach – and thus can’t pass it on. I now see what she means. Today the lesson was about how rivers work – starting from melting glaciers in the Himalayas down through India to where they meet the sea. I told them about deltas and how they are formed. I drew it on the board and explained it several times. I asked the 2 teachers to explain it again in Hindi - this was at the very end of class. When class ended they both came up and asked me to explain it again – they were fascinated about how dirt traveling in a river is suspended when the river is running quickly but drops when the river meets the sea – and thus deltas are built up. They also didn’t understand that when rivers flood they drop the suspended alluvial soil onto the plains – again they were fascinated and agreed that the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus rivers WERE indeed gifts to India- gifts of more than just water (and, of course, the holiness of the Ganga/Ganges).

Most interesting for me. I am grateful they feel comfortable asking me these questions. I don’t want them to think I think they are incompetent for not already knowing. I received a huge compliment, by the way, from the 3 teachers who watch me teach the 6th grade class. One of the males came up to me at the end of class today and said, “We are liking your methods.” I was touched.

My big challenge. Kavita has asked me to teach latitude and longitude to the 5 and 6 graders (and maybe 7 and 8 graders) – but here is the challenge. There is only one globe in the school (there is a picture of a globe in the 6th grade classroom) and no maps marked with latitude and longitude. This will be an interesting assignment. How to teach when there are no teaching materials. Yes, a challenge.

By the way, this is Saturday. After 3 days of teaching I was ready for a weekend break – forgot they have school all day Saturday. Oh well. Tomorrow there is no school.