Teaching at Gethsemany Primary School

I have now been teaching at Gethsemany Primary School for three weeks and what an adventure it has already been.  Peace Corps Eds are encouraged to teach English to 4th, 5th and 6th graders, and Life Skills (HIV/AIDS) to all or any grades. Since the school had not really expected my arrival, there has been some confusion about what I am supposed to teach.  At this point, I am just trying to adjust to the schedule and teach according to their needs, although it has taken some juggling since the kids eat porridge first thing, and then lunch sometimes gets overextended not to mention all the song practicing for Moshoeshoe Day on March 11th.  They have BEAUTIFUL voices and note the way that they read music - reading Do, Re, Mi and they they put the words to the music that they have learned.

It has been wonderful, however, setting up the much needed library that primary schools are struggling to have established at the schools.  The Principal and Teachers gave me one of the classrooms to work with and although we do not have very many books, we now have a location.  I have only had a couple of classes come in but I am wary of this becoming a space to "park" classes since there is a trend of teacher absenteeism here in Lesotho (sometimes required by the government for training/documentation) and there is not a protocol for hiring substitute teachers.  But everyone really loves having the space and I read to the students every day after lunch.

It amazes me how the children entertain themselves.  The girls play a game whereby they draw a circle and push rocks in and out of the circle trying to keep only one remaining.  The boys set up a geometric figure whereby they push rocks away from the intersecting points of the lines.  Pretty interesting and it can become quite competitive and loud.