Limited resource teaching is HARD!!

The first day back at school was truly fantastic!

I probably got up a bit too late and this made catching a bus into town a bit tricky as most were full. In the end I got to Stabroek market at 0745. Wandering through that place every morning is definitely going to wake me up. It is such a brilliant part of Georgetown; so lively with vendors and bus conductors all screaming at you for their business and the occasional shout of “White Boy!”

I got to school by 0800, which was right on time but not when it is your first day in a new school. I met lots of other teachers before the bell went for assembly who were all excited to meet me amid the hustle and bustle of the new term. Assembly was a classic Guyanese affair. The Head of secondary led the students in a prayer, National motto and school motto. I just put my hand on my heart, looked down and made that sage, respectful face you make at times like this.

Afterwards, I came forward and read out the names in my form class- Form 4S. We walked together up to our form room and I made a big speech: introductions, expectations etc. I was going to talk about behaviour and I might have to come back to it in a few weeks but for now let me just say that ALL of these kids are absolute angels! The three lessons I taught today, grade 10, grade 11 and grade 9, were like a dream. They say you shouldn’t smile on your first day. I challenge anyone to come to this school and not smile in their first lesson.

I left school at about 4pm (after decorating my form class with students from my form!) and the smile stayed on my face as I walked out into tropical sunshine all the way to the market to buy meat and veg.

Day two was just as exciting, sweaty and full of new experiences. My journey to work is incredible! I sit on this Toyota Hiace bus that zooms through the streets, blaring Caribbean music all the way to school. You occasionally have to jump out and re-shuffle if someone at the back wants to get out. All this excitement for $60 GYD (20p)! One old experience was collecting homework; it turns out dogs eat homework in Guyana too.

To overcome the horrendous sweating I’ve been doing over the past two days, I stopped at Stabroek market to buy a sweat towel- now my number one companion. Javan cooked up a storm back at the house; fried rice with veg salad and speedy pork pepperpot (a sort of tender pork stew). We then had a mini-home economics class where he taught me how to cook it all.