The times they are a-changin'

I think things are starting to change. Four of us volunteers had meeting with David yesterday and we shared our ideas about things we could do here. He told us that we can do anything we wanted, but we have to put it into action, which is not as easy as it sounds. This whole time we've been waiting around for David to instruct us and tell us what he wants us to do, and we had no idea that we could take charge. So now we have plans to do many things. We want to paint the school, organize the office and the "library," update the website, create a schedule for the orphans, help the orphans with homework, organize games with the kids, and eat dinner together with them. Normally, the volunteers all eat together, and the children just seem to alone and it's a bit strange. I've also begun to teach, if you can call it that. I originally thought that I wanted to teach the Kindergarten kids because I'm used to being around younger kids. It wasn't extremely difficult. I was supposed to be helping the Kindergarten teachers teach Creative Arts, but all I did was pass out colored pencils and draw some things on the board for the kids to copy. They barely understood me and I barely understood them because they don't know English that well. I also don't like the curriculum. They could only have one colored pencil because there are not enough and they would just color in a coloring book with that one color. When I was asked to draw an object on the board, they had to copy it and write the word underneath it, and then color it in with their one colored pencil. These "lessons" didn't really allow them to be creative at all. Also, I had a big problem when the teacher left the room. The kids became very rowdy and loud and I couldn't control them. I hate yelling, and I certainly don't hit the children like the other teachers. Teachers (and other adults) hitting the children is something I will never get used to here. I hate it. Yesterday, in class I watched as the teacher slap a student three times on the arm because she was taking too long drawing a cat. So I've decided that I will try teaching English to the older kids. I haven't started yet, but I think it will be better, but still very difficult. I had sat in on a couple of the English classes of another volunteer here, Debbie. She had a very hard time getting the kids quiet down as well and often they didn't understand her instructions, but she says she likes it anyway. I'm hoping for the best.