this is kinda hard.

Alright so here's an update on my life. I had to say goodbye to my first placement Kilimahewa, because they are taking a month off for holiday. It was really sad to say goodbye to my group of 70 perfect little angels. They seriously were the happiest/craziest kiddos ever. They were obsessed with singing and dancing and holding your hands. They would come running through the fence the moment we arrived to school every morning. I also fell in love with the most precious girl named Nadia. She would follow me around everyone...or maybe I was following her around everywhere... same thing. She would always rub my arm and sing songs to me. She was probably the smartest one in that whole school, but she just chilled peacefully while everyone else acted like they ran the place. She would kiss me on the cheek and would make sure she gave me a hug before I'd leave. Ugh she was seriously so precious. I miss her so much. Anyways, this was a really good first placement for me because it was more relaxed, and the teachers could speak pretty good English. It eased me into the whole "teaching Swahili speaking children when you don't speak Swahili". So now I am at a new nursery school called Best Hope. It is about a mile down the street from my house, so I get to walk there and back. The class sizes are way smaller than at Kilimahewa. In my class there are only about 10, and only about 50 in the whole school. It's so much nicer to have a small group to work with. Although the language barrier is still there, we get so much more done! These two weeks I really have started to feel like I have been an effective teacher and that the children are actually progressing academically. It is seriously the most rewarding thing in the world to watch children master something you taught them. That's why being a teacher (in any country) is the best thing ever!

Coming into this whole experience I knew it would be hard. I knew it would be a challenge to adjust to a new culture, new lifestyle, and new language. However, I didn't really understand how hard the work would actually be. Surprisingly, the work is the only aspect of this thing that I get stressed over haha. Since I am majoring in Early Childhood Education, I figured the teaching here would be easier than the stuff I have to do for school back home. I was so wrong. It's so much harder. In America teachers are given curriculum, resources, aides, and 4 years of training. Teachers in Tanzania only have to complete 2 years of higher education, and then aren't given any resources/curriculum for their students.When you show up to teach as a volunteer the teacher just kind of goes "Here is your class," and then leaves. They don't really tell you how old the children are, where they are academically, or what they are supposed to be learning. You just have to figure you it out the best you can. Talk about the scariest thing ever haha. It's such a challenge to teach useful and challenging curriculum in a different language when you aren't given any resources (except chalk and a blackboard) and no guidance as to where they should be academically. I came here to actually do something and actually help these children learn, so that's what I've been trying my best to do. I could easily just play games with them all day, which would relieve a lot of my stressors, but that also doesn't give the children what they need to be successful.

At Best Hope I have already had to say goodbye to one of my classes, and I have gained a new one. It is so hard to switch through so many children constantly. It's like you just get started on something, but then they leave to go on holiday or you get your placement switched. It's a little frustrating, but at the same time I have loved getting to teach SO many different children. I am obsessed with every student I've had, and in the end this is making me a way better teacher. Today was my first day with my new class, and I feel so on fire. They are 7, so they are able to sit and listen and want to learn. They were willing to participate and were patient with my small Swahili vocabulary. The children here are seriously so bright. I was able to teach borrowing a 10 in subtraction and carrying a 10 in addition to two different classes in a language that isn't their own, and the majority of them were able to pick it up the first day. Also the first group I taught it to were 5...so that was impressive to me. I feel so lucky I get to be doing something that will help me in my future career. I also feel so lucky to be helping children learn English, which is something that their teachers aren't able to teach them. I'm sure most of you want me to be blogging about all the different adventures I'm going on, but honestly teaching is what I came here for and it's the best part of this trip. I could talk about it all day. However, I have done some pretty cool things that I'll write about once I find the time haha. It's less important. I hope you all are doing well in America! Tanzania is way prettier tho. Sorry not sorry.

Missing my Kilimahewa babies. (Mostly just Nadia if you can't tell)

 But now loving my Best Hope babies.