Tuesday, Sept 9.

Well, I have been in Ghana for two weeks now and just finished my 6th day of school. I am at Christ the King International school in Accra in Class 4 (grade 4). My cooperating teacher teaches comprehension (reading), construction (grammar) and spelling to both 4th grade classes. So, those are the subject areas that I will be taking over! The first major difference that I noticed between 4th grade at home class 4 here, is that elementary teachers at home teach most/all of the subject areas to their students. Here my teacher only teaches those three areas. THe other 4th grade teacher teaches Citizenship Education and Religious and Moral Education. Subejcts as math, science, social studies, French, Ga/Twi (Ghanaian languages) and Creative Arts (music and art) are all taught be different teachers who teach only that content. It seems that teachers here have a lighter load!
The school days are structured differently as well. Students are to school by 7:30. From 7:30 to 7:50 they have silent time and then from 7:50 until 8:00 they have assembly each morning. ASsembly is a time when the school comes together each morning to pray, sing and say the national anthem and such. Then classes begin and go until 3:30. While the classroom is filled with 45 busy bodies (CRAZY...I know!!) it is never quiet. The students may be very loud and active, but they are never disrespectful to their teachers. Greeting each teacher they see, standing up when being called upon, and greeting each teacher who walks through their door.
I have not started teaching yet; tomorrow actually. But when I talk to the class most laugh when I speak. It is hard for me to get their attentino. I do not think they have learned yet that I am one of their teachers and so I'm starting to demand that I get the quiet classroom and respect that others get. They seem to be much more attentive to the male teachers as compared to the female ones. I guess this will give me something to work on while I am here :)
Other than school, Auntie is keeping us busy always eating and experiencing new things. We sat down and plannned out the rest of the weekends Walt and I have left to travel. We are now booked!! We have sightseeing to other villages, regions and even some trips with a few teachers (all of which are so extremely nice and welcoming).
That is all for now. I will keep jounrnaling, especially now that I will have started teaching.
Hope all is well!
andie