By Preethi Kannan. The trials and triumphs of teaching English to a room full of fifty children.
Hello ma’am!
How are you?
I am well, how are you?
I am well thank you!
The children in my English class roar as I approach the front of the classroom. Above anything else, each day my students greet me as we commence our English class. Our greeting, a formal translation of the French, was taught in our first English class and every since then the kids could not seem to get the brief phrases out of their heads. Whether at the start of our English class or taking my daily walks through the mountains, students adore yelling their salutations at me and showing me just how much they have learned in class.
Consider a typical American elementary school classroom. There is usually around twenty to thirty individual desks for each student. Colorful posters line the walls as well as numerous shelves for books and other supplies. Sitting within the classroom are classes of pretty typical American kids, some eager to learn and others simply dying to run out of class. When I stepped into our small school in the mountains for the first time, to teach computer and English classes, I realized that we were not in Kansas anymore. The classrooms are stark filled only with rows of wooden benches and blackboards on the front and back walls of the classroom. Natural light flows in through the open windows as none the classrooms have electric lights except one. With a lack of computers or printers, teachers have to take drawing things into their own hands, leading to elaborate chalk drawings on the blackboards. For our own informatique classes a picture perfect replication of a keyboard is drawn on the wall behind us. However the most shocking change difference is the sheer number of students in class. For our classes fifty children anywhere from the age of six to thirteen fit into our small classroom. The wooden benches the students sit at hold three to four children when they are all basically sitting on top of each other. No matter what point in class there is a constant level of noise with the sound of giggles permeating through the classroom. Despite their short attention spans the kids are some of the most eager students I have ever met. My favorite game is walking through the aisles of our classroom and tossing out the French translations of the vocabulary we have learned and having the kids respond back in unison the word in English. Their shouts are deafening and I have to try my hardest not to cover my ears as they yell out colors and numbers so loud that I am sure that they can be heard throughout the mountain. When I pose a question to the class the kids jump out of their seats snapping their fingers and crying “Madam, Madam, moi!” to get my attention. Even the littlest ones despite not knowing the answers love to get in on the action jumping up and waving their hands like their older peers. Each day they adore the new things we learn and as they walk out at the end of class a mélange of Kabiye, French, and English floats out the door with them.
The work does have its unique challenges though. The majority of students lack a strong background in French, so class becomes of test of one’s French skills too. My lack of Kabiye also prohibits me from communicating as clearly as I would like, but thanks to my co-teacher Cyril this is ameliorated. Additionally age in this area is simply a number and is rarely an indication of skill level. Students who are ten years old may be in the same class as a thirteen year old or even higher. Attendance also becomes inconsistent as the challenge of living in a subsistence farming community requires everyone including children to pitch in.
Despite these challenges the community has rallied around these classes. Parents rave about how their kids are speaking English at home and teaching them phrases. Additionally the sheer excitement of wanting to learn and encouraging their peers to do the same by students has been really beneficial.
The students have a special reward for someone who does something especially well in class. They have a rhythmic applause and sing “Bien fait!” in unison with their claps. It never ceases to put a smile on their face or mine. Alors bien fait mes élèves, je vous appluie.