So, unfortunately time runs short as I try to sum up another amazing month of this journey. This month was spent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where we taught English. I came to find that teaching English in Cambodia looked MUCH different that teaching it in Africa. At this school we were provided some baller books to work from (it had lessons already created and written out). Plus, I just had a greater desire to do it here. The first day we got here, we went to the killing fields and learned about the Khmer Regime and the genocide that occurred 30 years ago. Knowing this history gave me a context for the work we were doing. The pictures of the dead were indiscriminate: teachers, business people, christians, intellectuals, women, children. Rooms full of pictures of children… Here we were teaching a new generation. A generation hungry for education and life and God.
Allow me to tell you about my precious classes. Everyday I tutored 2 teachers, and taught English in 3 different classes. The first class of the day was our preschoolers:
Angela and I taught preschool together and had a BLAST. We only learned one kid’s name Jong Gi. But most the others had names too that we came up with for them. There was Toes, Catatonic, Really Excited Girl, WuTang, Sleepy, etc. They were 3 years old and ridiculous and amazing. We would sing songs and teach the alphabet- but honestly most of that class was spent each day with the two of us trying to hold back laughter at the many things that were always going on around the classroom. I’m not sure how parent’s of this age group do ANYTHING during the day except laugh. The most time in this class was spent on 3 key phrases: I love you, Jesus loves you, and Jesus loves me. I think these are probably the staples of what they need to know at this point in their lives. They would see us after class in the courtyard and run up to us and point and scream gibberish that sounded a lot like ‘Jesus loves YOU.’
(P.S. Probably the best moment of the day was when we would enter or exit that classroom and a flood of kids would run to the door and attach themselves to our feet and legs and ankles and hug us until the teachers would pry them off. The BEST.)
Second class of the day was the biggest challenge, but in a way the greatest reward as well: 3rd Grade. Only about 2 kids spoke ‘some’ English. The teacher would even stand in the back and join in the lesson as I taught the kids. It was hard to do anything that involved comprehension. They could read and repeat no problem, but as soon as I asked a question I got dear in the headlights expressions from them. Plus, I’ve never really realized before how much kids at that age need games and breaks and for the teacher to keep things active… especially when it is a subject they do not understand. I often felt like a one manned episode of Sesame Street. My most victorious moment came when I successfully taught them ‘Head’s Up Seven Up’ with just running around the classroom and pantomiming and using facial expressions. I miss these kids already.
Our last Head’s Up, Seven Up game:
Last, and best, class of the day was my college age students that came at night after they were done with work or school for the day. I taught level 11, which meant they spoke pretty dang good English to begin with. I got to explain words and concepts like ‘good credit’ and ‘chemotherapy’ (which I basically summed up that doctors use a microwave to fry the cancer out of people). These students were the ones I got to build the most relationship with. I got to pray with them and tried to teach them how to do ‘the worm’ (a dance move). Most of them also came to the church, so we got to chat and give hugs on the weekends.
I felt alive doing all this teaching. I felt like it brought a bunch of my loves and skills together and might be something I could really excel in in the future. However, here in Cambodia we got to do it in bare feet. I’m not sure I could find a gig like that in America. 🙂
