Verner: an El Shaddai boy and one of my grade 6 students
The first day in the classroom I sat in on the grade 6 Agriculture lesson. The students had been studying photosynthesis and germination, both words I was familiar with but would need to brush up a bit if I were to teach the class. Luckily, I only signed on to teach English and Maths, so I thought I could just observe and help where needed.
Not so much the case.
Obviously if you’re white and from America, you’re smart… or at least that’s what people think here. I quickly learned I had to be on my toes at all times during the lesson. The teacher is quite boisterous and would constantly ask for my endorsement.
She would make a comment and say, “Yes, just ask her (point to me), she’ll tell you it’s true.”
For example, we got on the topic of home remedies. Don’t ask me how or why, we just did. The teacher was adamant that if you know how to make your own medicine, you shouldn’t buy it from a store. Here’s how it went down, dialect included:
Teacher: If you have a headache, you poot orange leaves and mango leaves togetha. Crush them up. Boil them in watah and dreeink. In twenty meenuts, your headache will be gone. Yes, just ask her (point to me), she’ll tell you eats true.
Me: Uhh…I believe you but where I’m from we don’t have mango trees OR orange trees… we use something called Ibprofen. Yeah…
So I didn’t really help her prove her point but I don’t think she’s talked to many Americans. If I had mango and orange tree leaves in abundance, I’d make my own headache medicine too.
Ruthie: an El Shaddai gal and another one of my students
Well, the lesson continued and the teacher began explaining food chains.
Yes, this is a lesson I could teach. I like food chains!
As the teacher spoke to the class, she would mix in a bit of SiSwati, the native language in Swaziland. Here and there I would be confused by what she was saying but would dismiss it for SiSwati. Until she pulled another Just ask her moment…
The lesson continued with a discussion on Leo Pards. I figured this was a SiSwati term and I just kept jotting notes down about the class.
Teacher: Isn’t that right Miss Bouche? Leo Pards can eat a cow.
Me: I’m sorry, Leo Pard? I’m not sure what that is…
Teacher:You do too, a Leo Pard. You know…look here.
She pointed to her book and I had to hold in my laughter.
Me: Ooohhh, a leopard. Yes, I know what a leopard is! Do you have leopards in Swaziland?
After we got on the same page, the lesson continued. Students were to write a simple food chain in their notebooks and have it marked by the teacher. It didn’t take long for students to start bringing their notebooks to me to grade, so I busted out my government issue red pen.
Sun-Grass-Goat-Human (check)
Sun-Grass-Cow-Leopard (check)
Sun-Grass-Goat-Zebra-Elephant (uhh…)
Me: Um, do you have zebras in Swaziland? Yes. Ok, do elephants eat zebras?
Teacher: What do you think?
Me: No? I’m just checking…we don’t have zebras or elephants where I’m from. Don’t elephants just eat hay and grass?
I didn’t think this was the best time to tell her that the only elephant I had ever seen was at a zoo…
Needless to say, I won’t be teaching any African Agriculture classes any time soon. Leo Pards and elephants- just the first of many cultural and linguistic misunderstandings. More to come!
Nothando: another El Shaddai gal and grade 6 student
