All the news that’s fit for a cell phone

It’s ironic because I didn’t do it in the states, but I’ve been using my cell phone as a way of keeping up with the news back home.  I can check the latest primary standing, Blazers scores, and even my email on my cell phone.  Very un-Peace Corps.

A Photo Op

I teach English classes at a local farmers-aid non profit a couple times a week.  I started showing up there as a chance to get out of the house a little bit more, and make my face and my intentions better known in the community.  It’s been a good experience because I’ve been able to create my own lessons, rather than being tied to the (awful) textbooks that we must follow at school.

But while it’s been nice, the class has been struggling.  It’s had a high rate of turnover.  A lot of students are suprised to hear that I’m not taking any money for the class, and many of them just show up to see what the American is doing.  In other words, they don’t seem to have much of a real desire to learn English (though there are a few students who have been impressive).  In some ways, the no-money thing has been working against me, as students can just pop in and out, with out any sense of commitment to the class.

This was exemplified yesterday, when my class met at our usual tuesday morning meeting time.  There were some familiar faces there, including some students that hadn’t been there for a couple weeks, and a couple new faces too.  Then, all of the sudden, five new students walked in and sat down.  This got the total up to about 10, which is what I’ve been aiming for the whole time.  Soon after the students sat down, the guy that runs the building came in, snapped a few photos, and then all the new students left.

It bothered me.  The appearance of being a successful course seemed much more appealling to them than to actually go out and try to get these students to be a part of what I was doing.  After they left, I went out to the hall and told them, “If that’s what you’re all about, then don’t come to my class anymore.”  The idea of me being a free resource is an assett, as I’m providing something that hasn’t existed before.  At the same time, something needs to happen so that they have a mutual sense of development, rather then simply a class that can be picked up and put down whenever they feel like it.

I have a desire to be inclusive, so that people who might not normally have opportunities to do something like take an english class can attend, but I think some standards need to be discussed.  It’s a fine line, and one that I’m sure I’ll be working on for the next 20 months or so.

To a new era and back again

I returned from Baku on Monday after almost a week in the capitol.  It’s always strange to go from a relatively modern city, to the small town of Ujar, but like always, once I got  back, it was right as rain.

I was in Baku for the Peace Corps’ Counterpart Conference.  It was a chance for TEFL volunteers to come to Baku with an English teacher they co-teach with, and go through a two day seminar about team teaching, modern teaching methods, and the role of the volunteer as a development worker.  I brought my counterpart, Rasmiyya, with me, and I think she really enjoyed herself.

 A lot of the things that were discussed had already been heard by the Volunteers durin PST, but almost all of it was new for the counterparts.  I also think that it was good for them to hear it from the Azerbaijanis in our staff.  I tried explaining certain concepts to teachers here, and I think they were on board for the most part, but now it’s really been cemented.

So while there was a lot of momentum and energy built during the weekend, coming back to Ujar was a bit of a crash back to reality.  A lot of the ideas, like playing a game  to work on vocabulary, sounded great when we were talking about them with other volunteers, but we soon realized that it would be a long, difficult struggle.

A lot of these concepts are new to the students, so it’s hard for them  to understand what we’re talking about.  And even when we do explain something like ‘pair work’ to them, they don’t seem to get it right away.  Eventually they do, and it seems less and less foreign to them.  It’s important for me to remember that not only am I in the beginning of my experience, but Ujar is too.

I’m in the fifth group of PC’s Azerbaijan’s experience.  While we’re starting to shed the idea that we are the first volunteers within PC, I don’t think Azerbaijan quite understands it.  People think I’m the brother of the volunteer who returned to America after two years.  People think I’m British.  People think i get paid for this.

So while people on the street slowly learn why Americans are here, my students will hopefully start to figure out what I’m doing as well.  So maybe when a new volunteer comes to my school in 5 years, my younger students will be able to understand where they are coming from a little easier.  And maybe speak English too.