Monday, June 21, 2010

Ami Ingreji Shikkhika: My Experiences Teaching English in Shaturia


Hello again. First off, I would like to apologize for failing to update my blog. It was truly my intention to document this year by writing at least once a month, but alas, I have learned through this experience that my expectations and reality are two very different things. I am currently just 2 weeks away from finishing my grant and leaving Shaturia (about 5 weeks from leaving Bangladesh).

A lot has happened since I last wrote. In April I took a trip to southern Bangladesh to see Chittagong and Cox's Bazar (the Bangladeshi beach on the Bay of Bengal). Mostly the last 3 months I've been teaching a lot, spending a little time with a local Hindu community, and going to Dhaka on the weekends. I also went to Bali for a short trip at the end of May. It was absolutely gorgeous and so much fun to play in the ocean and eat amazing food. Bali was exactly the vacation I needed. (Both of the pictures below are from Bali.)

The title of this post "ami ingreji shikkhika" means I am an English teacher. This is the actual reason why I'm in Bangladesh, and I figure it's time to start talking about what I've been doing these last 5 1/2 months. I'm currently teaching at Shaturia Pilot Girl's High School, which is a school of about 500 girls.
I teach Class 7 (about 13 years old) and Class 10 (about 16 years old) by myself and I team teach Class 6 (about 10-12 years old) with Lauren. I teach 3 classes a day for 3 days a week. Outside of class I've also attended various events at the school such as athletics competitions (the girls are great at badminton), debate competitions, the Bangla New Year celebration, and our school's Cultural Weeks, during which we got to see the girls sing and dance (adorable!).
Teaching in a rural setting has presented tremendous challenges. Firstly, I came into this experience with absolutely no teaching experience. I learned how to do basically everything through trial and error. Teaching is also absolutely exhausting! I now have a more profound respect for my teachers and professors throughout my entire education. My classes range from 20-70 students on any given day. "Luckily" absenteeism is so common among students that it makes class sizes a bit more manageable. The heat is unbearable and the fans are practically useless (that is if the power is even on). I teach for 3 hours in these extreme conditions with absolutely no break in between classes.

The other big problem is that there are no technological resources available in Shaturia (i.e. computers, printers, photocopiers, projectors, CD players etc.). I cannot print or photocopy handouts, which means that I am unable to bring in outside materials to the classroom. It also means that I must write every assignment on the chalkboard, which is incredibly limiting. Basically, I mostly teach directly out of our very mediocre textbook called "English for Today," supplementing lessons when I have the energy or time. The book is often irrelevant, with whole units on going to restaurants and travelling outside of the country when most of my students haven't done either of those things.

Another huge challenge is how little English most students actually know. Many of the Class 6 and 7 students cannot really read or write. Even if they can read, many students don't actually comprehend what it is that they're reading. By Class 10, students seem to be reading more proficiently, but many of my Class 10 students have trouble writing complete sentences. I think the situation is especially bad in Bangladeshi villages, where often English teachers themselves are not even fluent in English. Also, English is usually taught in preparation for the Public Exam, which students take at the end of Class 10. This means that students are encouraged to memorize passages for their "writing" as opposed to using original thought. Because conversational skills are not tested on the Public Exam, many students have incredibly poor spoken English.
I have done my best to bring in creativity and encourage more conversation in the classroom. I had the idea to create Participation Charts with my classes to increase the amount of students speaking in class. Once students realized that if they talk in class they get a sticker next to their name on a board, I had no problem finding volunteers to speak in class. Now every time I ask a question I hear a chorus of 45 girls yelling "Ma'am" and jumping out of their seats to volunteer. It's very cute. I've also had various Art Days throughout the semester with my different classes. The girls are incredibly excited to have access to construction paper and art supplies, which are very limited in Shaturia. They all love to draw the gram (Bangla for village) and typical village scenery.
Seeing how much they appreciate and enjoy simple art supplies makes me feel really sad that I don't have the resources to bring things like music, DVDs, the internet, and outside books into the classroom. I think it would have been really nice for them.

My most innovative teaching has been with my Class 10. As I mentioned earlier, they will take a huge exam at the end of the year which will determine if they will continue their education and go to college, (grades 11 and 12 in the American system). My goal for the last 6 weeks or so has been to help them prepare for the test by creating lessons on basic test taking skills and working really closely with them on their writing skills. I have made classes on how to answer true or false questions, how to summarize a reading passage, how to find the main idea of a reading, how to write a letter, how to write a paragraph, how to do basic brainstorming (this one was truly a foreign concept for them), and how to write an essay.
It has been incredibly challenging for me to try and meet their needs, because they really need a ton of help. Had I had more time I would have loved to set up a writing center where I could help students individually with their writing. I start feeling overwhelmed by how much help these girls really need, but then I realize I'm not in a position to give them everything. I've given them as much as I can given my limited time and means and it appears that some students are benefiting, so I consider it a success.

I do think that I have done the best that I can given the circumstances, but I have felt incredibly frustrated with the lack of support and resources throughout this process. Had I had more support and a less stressful living situation I feel I would have been able to devote much more energy to the school and I probably would have accomplished more. This was the pilot year for English Teaching Fulbright grants in Bangladesh, so hopefully they'll improve the program in years to come.

This experience has been a huge learning process for me. Teaching and living in Shaturia has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done. It has pushed me to confront insects (including flying cockroaches and giant spiders!), endure illness, frustration (inside and outside the classroom), and daily physical discomfort. It has also pushed me to make the most of what I have, and has helped me to cultivate patience and a profound appreciation for my privileged life at home (AC, my education, the freedom to wear and say what I want, I mean everything).

While I must admit that I am rather thrilled to be leaving Shaturia (to say otherwise would be a lie), I have come to value the experiences I have had here. I now know what it is like to wake up to birds chirping at 5 a.m. and go an entire day without hearing a single car or plane. I have lived surrounded by green wide open spaces in a place of beauty. Never again do I plan to live in this rural of a setting, but I do appreciate having had the opportunity to live so differently. Okay, that's all I've got for now. I will do my best to write at least one more post in my remaining 5 weeks here in Bangladesh. I promise!

1 comment:

  1. Dear Amy,
    I love what you have written and am so glad to hear about your experiences. Thank you so much for your service to humanity, touching the lives of such beautiful young women and helping them on their journey while you have endured such hardship. Bravo!

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