Survivor: Teacher Edition (and Advice from an Indian Mom)

41 culturally and linguistically diverse students. 1 teacher. Will you survive?

Lesson planning is going on full force here, and I am feeling some of the "growing pains" of teaching in a 3rd world country...

Challenge 1: The Chalkboard. 

You're given only a chalkboard, which is hard enough write on, as it is. But try it in cursive (the students can only read handwriting if in cursive)! Bonus points, trying drawing various plants and animals during science!

Challenge 2: So. Many. Students. 

No group work is allowed. The classroom is jam packed with students and tables, so they cannot move about the room. Bonus points: keep all their names straight. 26 are boys, and of the boys, 20 names start with "A". Ansh, Akarsh, Ateeb, Aryan, Alwin...

Challenge 3: No Access to the Inter-webs.

No WiFi or showing of YouTube or Khan Academy vids. No online educational games or tools. No access to Google Drive or email. 

Challenge 4: No Paper or Paper Products

I thought I had a creative streak and was resourceful, but even I am challenged by this lack of resources. No worksheets, sticky notes, or anchor charts; zero printing except for test papers, no projector. 

Challenge 5: Crossing the Street

The bus drops us off on the opposite side of a busy street. There are no crossing guards, no traffic lights, no stop signs, no rules, various cattle roaming, and crazy drivers. It's like Frogger, Indian style.

Creative Teacher Solutions

1. Capturing attention with riddles or jokes
2. Showing what they know by drawing
3. Role playing for reading comprehension
4. Repetition games to take in information
5. Clapping and movement at their seats

Challenge accepted. It is frustrating at times, but the lack of resources is causing me to develop new strategies and ways of thinking!

I have been here for 17 days and it feels like 17 weeks! I am starting to feel more comfortable, and my roommate and I have been venturing out a lot more. We've been to the mall to check out the scene (Apparently the mall is a popular hangout scene. There was even a line to get in!) and to see Minions in 3D (in English), though the minions' language was still in Spanish. 

We went running in the garden Saturday and Sunday while Sudheer joined his laughing group. Then, we decided to make cookies the American way--ginger snaps that tasted more like sugar cookies and delicious chocolate chip cookies to share with the teachers, since they always share their food with us during the break at school. We had to go to an exotic foods store to get ingredients like brown sugar and vanilla, and a special dairy store to get white butter!

We have also found a cool coffee shop with air conditioning and fast WiFi. Score! We have lesson planned there for the last four days in a row.

Advice from an Indian Mom

Moms give weird advice. Welp, it's no different in India. Things started to get funny, so roomie and I started writing them down!

• You need to eat your fruit first in a meal to provide a barrier between your stomach and the other food.
• Mixing two grains is very healthy. A meal gets extremely healthy when it has mixed grains in it.
• It is bad to drink water after a meal because it dilutes everything. (Before = good. During = Neutral. After = Bad)
• Drink milk with your mango. It aids digestion.
• If a lizard falls on you, then you will get new clothes.

And on Thursdays, We Wear Yellow...

Last Thursday, a teacher complimented my yellow kurta. She was also wearing yellow, and so were several other teachers. Little did I know, colors can have significant meaning in Hinduism. She explained that you should wear yellow on Thursdays to worship the goddess of intelligence. One student even commented I must be very smart because I was wearing yellow. Apparently, they also wear black on Saturdays and red on Mondays. 

Whether it's how to be more resourceful, bizarre advice, or random Hindu customs, I am learning a TON. I am taking over all science lessons and most social studies and English lessons next week! So excited to teach again!

Peace, love and lesson planning. xoxo

~Rachel