The Human Dignity Center is a primary school for underprivileged children in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Our main focus is tutoring children who have fallen behind because of learning and behavioral disorders, but the first day a teacher had to leave unexpectedly and Nicole and I taught third grade for a week and a half. This is what our typical day looked like:
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7:20 – Silently stand outside and wait for our transportation to come pick us up.
7:30 – Hop on the sketchy white school van with no windows, but a joyful bunch of teachers to help wake us up.
8:00 – Arrive at the school and after a short prayer we hand out bowls of porridge for breakfast.
8:15 – The kiddos line up outside to walk to their classes and spend ten minutes singing praise songs and dancing before Nicole and I lead them to the classroom.
8:20 – There is a mad dash in the room as the kids push each other and fight to grab their toothbrushes. I squeeze toothpaste for them and they go outside to brush their teeth.
8:30 – We sing another song or five, because we can't talk loudly enough to get them to stop, and once they can't think of any more songs we have a daily battle about whose turn it is to pray for the day.
8:40 – I attempt to take attendance
9:00 – We start our math lesson. Nicole leads it, because apparently I've forgotten how to divide.
9:30 – Break up the first fist fight of the day over a stolen rubber (eraser).
10:00 – Break time!
10:15 – Take a deep breath and sit down for a second. Children not so nicely play with my hair.
10:30 – Go back to class and I lead the English lesson for the day: Compound words and write two paragraphs about your hero.
11:00 – Little trouble maker child pinches the girl next to him and they chase each other around the classroom.
11:15 – I work on my teacher voice and give a lesson on respect.
11:30 – Give life skills lesson on what we receive from the earth.
12:00 – Lunchtime!
12:30 – Go back to class and try with all my might to speak loudly enough for the kids to hear me and settle down.
12:35 – Ask all the kids to choose a book and for the first time all day, every one of them sat quietly reading, not bothering each other, or fighting, or telling on one another.
Peacefully sitting, reading, and their excitement to read made my heart happy.
1:15 – Go outside for P.E
1:20 – Make everything up on the spot.
1:22 – Do Push ups
1:30 – Run to that tree and back.
1:50 – Get all the kids back in the classroom and ready to go home.
1:55 – Receive notes that reassure me that my teacher voice has not scared them away and they still love me as much as I love them.
And apparently they also love my mom and dad.
1:59 – Sing one last song and dance around the classroom.
2:00 – Everyone lines up to leave. After one last prayer they run outside and immediately begin fighting with each other again.
2:05 – Nicole and I begin to plan the lesson for the next day…
2:30 – We go to aftercare and help the kids with their homework
3:00 – Hand out one last meal for the kids who may not get dinner at home.
3:15 – Play soccer and other games with the kids with our last spurts of energy
4:00 – Sign out and cram back into the sketchy white school van to begin our drive back home.
