Teaching Study Habits

When I first began teaching English here in Mozambique, it didn't even cross my mind that I would have to teach good study habits.  I don't know what it was like for you growing up, but in my household, education was a priority.  Perhaps having education as priority is a privilege in itself.

Many of my students, especially the females, have to wake up and fetch water from the town's river and wash dishes and clothes.   Other days, they are up gardening before the sun floats over the horizon.  Others have to watch over young brothers and sisters while their parents sell peanuts, tomatoes, cabbage, or onions at the local market.  After they go to school, they have to complete more domestic duties such as cooking dinner for the family.

Unfortunately, many of my students don't have the time to study for their English, biology, chemistry, and Portuguese classes because of the domestic work they have.  Ironically, being at school seems like one of the few times they get a mental and physical break from the responsibility.  It's no wonder why about half of my students receive no higher than a D in my English class.  It riles me that many of the parents don't encourage their students to do their homework or study for tests.  But then again, I have to remind myself that many of the parents here do not have the privilege of driving their kids to soccer practice or hiring private tutors.  Their goal is on the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs—to make sure their kids have food and water in their stomachs—while education is on the top.

The vast majority of my students admitted to not reviewing and studying the notes they take during class time. When a teacher is absent, the high school students just text their friends or chase each other around outside of the classrooms until the next class begins an hour later.  There's no system here where there are adults on duty to make sure the students are quiet and are studying.  Also, there are no substitute teachers to continue the lessons that the permanent teachers had planned.

Now I'm encouraging the 8th graders to study for their classes when a teacher is absent.  Recently, I started having my students read their English notes for about 15 minutes (during our two hour block period) before we start the lesson, so that they could review the material.  So far, I think it's helping the students get in the habit of reading over their notes because I've been having more people waving their hands in the air to give me the correct responses to exercise problems.

For any Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) or future PCVs out there, I hope this simple idea of teaching good study habits can help your students excel in their future academic endeavors.

My life in the Peace Corps, as told by Disney Characters

This is how I look when the neighborhood crianças, kids, shout outside of my window at 6 o'clock on a Saturday morning begging, "Can a borrow your basketball, teacher Gina?"

This is how I act when I get to travel and see other volunteers

My eyes pop out like this at the end of a trimester when a student tells me that he/she still needs to take exam 1 and 2

This is me getting my buckets out while it's raining to get fresh water

My expression when a random guy on the street asks me for my  number or to marry him

When there's nothing to do at home

There are two reactions that volunteers have when a Peace Corps volunteer who doesn't know me, mistakes me for a Mozambican:

Reaction # 1

Reaction #2

This is my beatific smile when my basketball girls team wins a game

My face when I realize that I have to sit in the back of a chapa (a mini bus that serves as public transportation) full of passengers, enraged chickens, bags of smelly dried fish, and a vomiting baby

This is what I feel like doing when someone says that I speak Portuguese well. Obrigada!

What I look like when I finally eat Mexican food here

I have the same facial expression when I see a mouse zipping around my house as I do after my community members tell me that I have gained weight

This is what I want to say when volunteers are fofocar-ing, gossiping

My face when I'm trying to hide at home when my neighbors are knocking on the front door

I'm always dreaming about living like a princess when I return to the United States.  I look forward to seeing everyone in 6 months! Woohoo!

Hello, my faithful readers. I just want to let you know that I haven't left my blog to collect dust on the digital shelf.  It's the end of the first trimester and I've been grading the final exams for my 8th grade students.  We have a one-week break before the second semester begins.  I'll be going to the beautiful island, Ilha de Moçambique, again this year with volunteers who live in the northern region of the country.  I'll take pictures to post on here.

Other than that, things are going well. I can't believe that I only have two more trimesters left until I move back to the United States and start my life in the real world.  Anyway, I'll post more entries soon.  Stay tuned!