First Month at Post/ Belel

Hi all!

   There is so much to say, I don't know where to begin. I can start by talking about the francophone (there is anglophone and francophone in cameroon) education system and what I am teaching in Belel. I teach at the Lycee of Belel (High School) I teach Terminale, Premiere, Toisieme, Quatrieme, and Canquieme.  Equivalent of seniors, juniors, freshmen, 8th and 7th graders.  There are two cycles: the first cycle consists of seisieme through toisieme (6th through 9th grade) and after toisieme, the students take the BEPC. The Second cycle is segund through terminale (10th-12th) After junior year they take the Probatoire and after senior year they take the Bacc. 
  However, I am teaching Spanish to all the classes except one class where I teach English (and the Principal's daugther is in that class, go figure!).  The teachers here in Cameroon do not get to pick where they go, rather, they are posted by the Ministry of Education.  They are "affected" to different high schools throughout the country.  The Spanish teacher in Belel was affected, partly, as rumor has it, the female students were not safe around him... Therefore, I told the Proviseur (Principal) I could help because I majored in Spanish.  As you have it, I'm given 12 hours of teaching in Espanol and three hours of English.
   It is difficult to teach Spanish to French speaking students.  However, I am somehow managing.  I just finished my 4th week teaching, and am getting the hang of it.  Each class has its ups and downs.  I do not have a favorite yet;  however, the younger classes have more energy.  Moreover, when I was in school, I hardly ever raised my hand to talk and give answers.  When I am in front of the classroom, I am not at all afraid.  I run my classroom and there are days where I ring in mucha energia, and others where I have no tolerance for deranging (disturbance). 
    There will always be things globally universal.  You will have your students who understand immediately, enthusistaic to learn, others who are shy, disturb, and others in the middle.  Even in my Cameroonian classroom it is the same dynamics as an American classroom.  Importantly, in terms of eagerness to learn and so forth.  The difference is the accesibility to textbooks, internet, electricity, visual aids.  It is very limited.  The system is basically the teacher writing on the chalk book and students copying.  There is no constructive thinking. Cameroon is exam based.  I try to introduce activities to make students engaged and think outside of the box, some fail and others are a success. 
    More importantly, not only am I inspired by teaching, but also, the students (at least some of them) seem to be inspired.  There is this one in my quatrieme (beginner Spanish) who seems to be mesmerized.  I was teaching my canquieme English class and he is there in the doorway as if he wanted something...Also, the Lycee of Belel consists of about seven buildings, to get a class you walk outside ( I will put up pics of what it looks like) The students stay in one class and the teachers change classes.  So, I was teaching and there are students' heads popping through the "windows" to watch and derange of brick while my voice echos in the ears of the kids. 
   En fin, I hope things become smoother.  I feel like I am putting too much effort into teaching.  However, if I don't, then I will like a failure, not only to the kids, but to myself.  You have to have a sense of humor as well.  More rewarding, I'm proud I can teach another language to French students who's first language is their village dialect and I recently became comfortable speaking and understanding French in four months...It's a melting pot of language!!

I live without running water.  Virtually I've had electricty twice since being at post.  I am very much en brousse.  However, I do not mind.  I am not missing the American commodies just yet.  I am learning Fulfulde.  I have a tutor and his five year old daughter Nena is the most precious.  "Sanou, jem na? Ah doh sa-tee-nah? translates: Hello, How are you? Are you in good health"  Fulfulde is not a written language, everything I write is phonetic.  However, with the advancement of language, they are borrowing words, for example "litre" (liter) because that word doesn't exist in Fulfulde.  My house boys are awesome, except when they dont do my laundry for a week!! I walk everywhere.  My post-mate and I cook dinner every so often. It is good to speak English and share American conversations.  Mais, pour mentenent, c'est tout.  Say-eso!
(But, for now, that's all (French), See you later (Fulfulde)

Andrea in a melting pot of four languages.