My sis's first day at school

My sister started her new career as a primary school teacher today. She sent me an email at the end of the day which I have pasted here...[Pardon the spelling mistakes... I didn't edit it because I wanted it to be authentic, and also gives an idea about what my sister is - her crappy typing, her more-crappy spelling etc etc].

Excerpts from Rose Ann Rajaretnam's email:

"u know today's my first day at school.

mom's treating me like iam t student

hughughug

anyway i met the director today

all t students were gigglin at me

i was introduced to all

the teachers however didn't like me i think

anyway

i am takin conversaation and environmental science for grade 1 2 4

the grade two guys r a little not to smart

i tried tellin them cindrella all they told me was

yes yes yes no no no

ah

grade four guys and i became friends
they r highly intelligent (I am actually surprised she got the spelling of this word right)

all 8 of tehm r gud in english they gave me t answer before i could explain them

or did i ask them the stuffs they knew

i don't know

....
i really went like a baby today

i wore pista green flowery sweter

and baby bata shoes

anyway

sope my day is over

hey alll t grade 2 students kissed me after i took class

and the grade4 students advertised they love me

i thought(taught) them to mmake paper boats today ha aha"

I am really sorry again about the spelling mistakes. As such, she takes a hell of a time to type, so she doesnt waste more on correcting her spelling. I do think the overall idea is conveyed. Her first day at school went well. Its a good thing she handles a small population of students. I guess she can personally concentrate on all of them. We both never had thought about a teaching career, so this is a totally new experience for us. My teaching was limited to one month, that too with Grade 12 students. I wouldn't say we make great teachers. I agree we would have passed off better as playmates. She can't play much though, she is getting a salary so has to be more responsible than I was. So much for a first day... More to come as and when I get her emails.

Teaching...

I am really happy to see some good reviews of this blog from Ethiopians. Sorry I am not very sentimental on any country so some of my views may tend to seem too harsh on your country and your people. I write from a total stranger's viewpoint, based on a ten-month stay experience, which is not much, but which does give me lots of ideas to write about. My sister went there last month to begin her as-yet-duration-unknown vacation, and she has got a job in a private primary school as an environmental science school teacher. She will be starting to teach from tomorrow. I will be hearing from her soon so will post her experiences once I get her emails.

I taught in the community school there for a month. This school is run by Jimma University and most of the teachers are students of the university, who work part time at the school. I volunteered to teach Mathematics for Grade 12 students for a month. This is really some experience that I can never forget in my life. Let me give a vague scenario at the school there. The students I taught are the first batch of students to appear for Grade 12 board exams. They were totally 15 of them. Most of them liked me a lot, especially the girls because they did not have a female teacher before and they welcomed the idea of having me around. My classes were very interesting. In the beginning, I had a little problem, coz my language was too fast and the students couldn't understand me. The math teacher there with whom I collaborated suggested I try to slow down, if not, quit. The students later admitted they didn't like me in the beginning coz I was too fast in teaching. I slowed down, then they started liking me.

I was strict only when the subject was taught; the rest of the time, we freaked! To the extent that the teachers from next class popped in to tell us to maintain silence. We had a nice interactive session during class hours. I told them about India, they told me about Ethiopia. They sang their national anthem to me, I sang the Indian one to them. We talked movies, music, food and a lot of other stuff. The batch I handled were really mature students and very brilliant, and quite naughty too. They gave me a farewell party where we met up in a cafe, and they presented me with a card with a thank-you note. It was really enjoyable and refreshing to interact with them. I also discovered that I could teach, a profession that is reserved as a last resort. Guess its in the blood...got three generations of teachers in the family.