Back in the Classroom

Life during year two is busier than year one.  Elias is sleeping through the night (finally, since he's over a year old!), Lydia is in a pre-kindergarten program three hours a day, and we are all on a pretty regular schedule for the time being.  That frees me up to have more breathing room, and be able to take a few more things onto my plate.

At the end of the last school year, the opportunity arose for me to teach a remedial English class at the ITC.  It sounded like a perfect fit; they were able to schedule the class during the time that Lydia is at school, and it was only twice a week for two hours each time.  I missed being in the classroom, so I eagerly agreed to teach. 

This first month and a half of being back in Indonesia has been full of prepping for the class, and then beginning to teach at the end of August.  There are only eleven students in the class, and they are  from Indonesia, Timor Leste, China, and Cambodia.  They are a great bunch! They are motivated, energetic, and they already know each other well since this is their second year at the school.  I count it a privilege to get to be a part of their education.  I also have two Teaching Assistants who are able to help me with grading and teaching parts of the class. 

English students and TA's at ITC.

Since this is a new class for me, I am learning how to use a new curriculum, and figuring out the best way to help my students improve and be successful at ITC.  I'm especially needing to sharpen my knowledge of grammar and learn how to teach good writing skills.  Grammar has never been a passion of mine, but at this level of writing and comprehension, it's not good enough to say, "that's just the way it is!" So far, we're building the class time around journal writing, reading graded readers which are designed specifically for English language learners, and using an academic English textbook that is published by National Geographic.  The class is on Tuesday and Friday from 10-12, and it will run through the end of November.  I will teach the same group of students during the second semester, as well.

Besides teaching at ITC, God has also opened the doors for me to start a beginner English class for some of the workers in our neighborhood.  It's been really affirming to see the way that God has answered prayer.  Before starting the class, I wanted to be sure that I had several ITC students who could help me with the class.  ITC students have to do 1000 service work hours in order to graduate, all in three years, and they get double hours for doing work hours related to education.  I hoped that this opportunity would be not only an outreach to the Indonesian workers in our neighborhood, but also help the students accomplish their work hours.  I'm also passionate about teaching beginners, so I hoped to pass along that love to these students in a very unofficial internship kind of setting.  God has provided 5 students to help me with the class.  Usually four of them come to the class every week.  Two are Indonesian and are able to help with translation or answering questions when necessary.  Two are Kenyan, and one is from the Solomon Islands.  I'm ashamed to say I didn't even know where the Solomon Islands were located until meeting her!

After God provided the students to help me teach, I prayed that he would provide 6 workers to come to the class.  Sure enough, he did! We have three students who are truly beginner, two who know a little bit already, and one who is quite advanced.  It works well--the advanced student works with one of the ITC students one-on-one, and we're able to divide the other students into pairs to work with other ITC students. All the workers are employed by expats, and so knowing English will help them communicate with their employers, and allow them to ask for higher pay at work. 

Beginner English class and ITC students.

It has been a lot of fun to teach the class.  I have been impressed at the commitment of everyone involved, including the students coming to learn! They are motivated and eager to learn, and we have a lot of fun during the class.  We have the class on Wednesday and Friday nights from 7:15-8:15 PM.  It meets in one of the front rooms of our house, after the kids are in bed.  Four of the students are Muslim, and two are Christian.  I'm praying that they will all see Christ's love through us, and that perhaps we'll have an opportunity to share the hope of Christ with them some day!  My helper is one of the students, and it's been fun to see our relationship change a little bit as I teach her.  She's more open to helping me with my Indonesian, now, too! Before, she wouldn't correct me, but now she is teaching me a few words here or there, when I ask her!

Being back in the classroom has brought a renewed purpose and joy to our time here in Indonesia.  It feels so meaningful to get to be a part of the story of such amazing students from all over the world, and it is very fulfilling to be able to answer a need for some of the workers in our neighborhood in a tangible way.