For the first time on the World Race, my team knew exactly what we would be doing in Cambodia before we actually arrived in Cambodia. They told us that we would be teaching English and preschool and we are in fact teaching English to adults and smaller children. Even with this information, however, I found myself thinking that there was no way we would actually be teaching these classes. Maybe helping the teachers out, leading a game or telling a story here and there sounded more plausible.
We arrived in Battambang at about noon on Saturday after leaving the capital, Phnom Penh, at around 5:30am. Immediately that afternoon we started shadowing the classes that we later found out we would be teaching. Monday morning rolled around and there we were, lesson planning and trying to relearn obscure grammatical points that we may or may not have learned in high school. Monday afternoon we started teaching.
I felt like an imposter. These students (or their parents) were paying good money to come to this school to learn English. The students themselves were willingly taking on these extra classes in addition to their normal school or job. I, someone who has never taught a class in her life, did not want to waste these people’s time and money with my inadequate teaching skills.
Yet somehow we are doing ok. Actually, we are doing pretty well. My teammate Ana and I teach 2nd grade together and the kids love the stories we make up and the games we play to help them learn English. The adult classes are trickier because Cambodian culture is a culture of respect and deference, meaning that the students are reluctant to participate and unlikely to ask a question when they don’t understand. We explain the difficult grammar concepts as best we can and slowly but surely I think the students are warming up to us.
After one week of sweltering heat and no running water (but we have wifi!), I could see Cambodia becoming one of my favorite countries on the race. I love teaching English, even though it is exhausting and the language barrier can be tough. While I am pretty sure that a career in teaching is not in my future, it is such a blessing to be able to have that experience for a month. I have so much respect for those who teach all day every day! It is trying but so rewarding.
Please consider making one last donation to my account as I still need about $2000 and my deadline has already passed. Any amount helps! Spreading the word also helps! And prayer definitely helps!
