Yo ho, yo ho, a teacher's life for me....

Ok, I survived the dangerous and exhausting journey to the beach, where I was put at mortal risk by such hazards as sunshine, beautiful waters, and plentiful onion rings.

What? It was a terrible peril! Really...

Anyway, by now, I am sure that at least 1 of you is wondering what I actually do from day to day to take a vacation from.

This is one of my newer students taking a custom-made test.

Well, you all know by now that I do sound for the church. That was referenced in one of my last posts. I also teach Aidan and homeschool him (also mentioned previously). One thing I have not gone over in more depth, is one of the roles I play at Sak Saum.

Aidan helps out once in awhile.

I have many names here... I am called Ry, Ryry, gecko, and sometimes Aidan, 'not Eric', and a few others. My favorite name though, is 'Teacher'.

Completely captivated by my teaching style... or the light reflecting off my head. Either... Ok, both.

At Sak Saum, I get to teach English to a class of girls (and 1 guy). I have roughly 12 students, and I am currently teaching them a combination of phonics, grammar, and conversational English. My goal is to help them learn to both communicate, and also to be able to read and write. Because I wasn't given an end-date to the classes, I had the unique opportunity to plan the lessons with a long-term goal in mind.

The results have been pretty good. I've only been teaching for a little while, but the majority of them understand and can spell/speak/read a number of words and the numbers. Soon, we'll be starting on common phrases.

I know, I know, sounds exciting doesn't it? What do you mean, 'boring'?!? Did you forget who was teaching?

Testing, 1... 2...

Seriously though, I do try to make it as fun as possible. Aside from my own antics and occasional poking fun, I have guest teachers like Aidan, who comes in once and awhile to teach them silly songs (like the CBA song - alphabet backwards). I also have my trusty assistant Rhiannon, who helps out by administering tests, and generally giving me funny looks (which the class laughs at).

See? I'm funny! Kinda...

As you can see in the photos, I also give tests on a regular basis. I get a different sort of funny look for those.

First rule of test giving - don't leave the answers on the board. Yes, they look around for them. :)

You have to understand something. In this country, opportunity does not come easily. Being able to survive, have a family, and live in a home that does not consist of a tarp and a few scraps of rust is a pipe dream for many. These girls (and the dude) will one day look to take the things they've gained and learned from Sak Saum and try to build successful and full lives for themselves. That's what makes what I do important. You see, opportunity here is measured in communication. They could easily go work in some factory or try to start their own business, but having a firm understanding and fluency in the English language will open doors for them that would have remained shut otherwise. People respect education, and see it as something special. In this, I can give these special girls (and the hombre) a gift that may one day lift them up, and bless them and their families.

See why I like this job so much? Here, let me give you an example:

Chantoun - brightly shining.

This is one of my students, Chantoun. Her prior education level was basically non-existent prior to joining Sak Saum. Now we are teaching reading, writing and speaking English, and I believe Rhiannon is going to start teaching her basic and intermediate math soon. Awesome! To be honest, Sak Saum has done a lot for each and every person in the program. I'll tell Chantoun's story in the future. Trust me, you'll be amazed. As of right now though, she's earning good marks in my class and is truly enjoying learning.

So, in a nutshell, I get to be with some very nice people, help them grow, and get to see my efforts rewarded. What more could you ask for?

Oh yeah!

Oh yeah, cake! Yep, for my birthday, my students surprised me by pretending to be late, and then hauling out this beauty. You may remember the last cake I wrote about (see the post, Chicken Cake!!!). I assure you - this cake was all deliciousness and no chickens were harmed or insulted in the creation of this pastry.

They also gathered around me (read: surrounded me without warning) and prayed for me. I was very very touched, and might have cried if I hadn't been, you know, in front of a bunch of people.

So let me ask you - if your friends loved you enough to surprise you, and do heartfelt things like this, wouldn't you want to help them? What if your friends needed the one thing you knew how to give? Would you give it freely? Happily?

I love my job. :)