Adult Literacy

It is hard to imagine, coming from Canada, a place where more than half the population doesn’t read or write. Its more like 70% of the people don’t read or write. When I do my kids club it sometimes poses problems. LIke, getting children to act out a skit. You can’t give them lines to read. You have to take them, say their line, and get them to repeat it several times so they memorize it, then during the skit, you have to cue each child when it is their turn. To teach new songs, there are no song sheets, no overhead projector, no writing on the board. You just sing that song over and over and over until they know it. It isn’t too bad, but I know with my accent, some of the words, they don’t understand what I am singing. I try and explain the meaning of each song, so they can understand what and why we are singing. I have started writing out our memory verses up on the board. I know only perhaps three or four of the kids can read it, but I say each word as I write, and figure, it all contributes to learning.
Last week was my debut as an Adult Literacy teacher. Its funny how I can get so worried about things. Like, how am I going to be able to teach anything. As it turns out, my first class I had one student. I gained one more student the second class. Two students. I am praying for more. But really, if I can help these two young men improve their ability to communicate and understand in a written format, I will be very pleased. Henry is 28, and works at a bulk food store. He finished grade 6 back in 1989 I believe, but because of the war, did not continue. His reading level is about a grade three level. Mathiew is 24 and a tailor. He finished grade 9 in the Ivory Coast, but is trying to improve his English, he says he wants to join the military. We read Dr. Seuss yesterday Hop on Pop. He could read most words, but had trouble with his p’s, w’s and th’s. So, thus far, it is more like tutoring than teaching, but I hope that I can help at least two people. (still hoping for a few more though) Kathleen will start teaching her beginner class and teachers class (for people wanting to teach Adult Literacy) as soon as we get our container from the port, and have all that paper work out of the way. It is hard for people to take time away from work to go to school, but I do believe it will benefit them in the end. Most people here are barely scraping by. Living here makes me appreciate public school back home so much. I attended elementary school in Revelstoke, then Chemainus El. and still can remember many of the lessons I learned there. I had so many amazing teachers, that obviously loved their jobs, and took time to prepare and to instill the basics in me as well as my classmates. I remember in Kindergarten, I had trouble with my b’s and d’s, getting them backwards. I am glad my teacher took the time to help me with that. In grade three I had a speech impediment, I couldn’t say sssss. I said thhhh. So, I would go off with a speech therapist, who would make me say baths baths baths, over and over. I am also very thankful for her. I know our school system has its faults, but they are trying. Education is a gift, that I am very thankful to have recieved, and now that I am older, I have the skills to educate myself, and others around me. I have been working on a biology degree for the past few years, and every class I take, I am amazed at the complexity of life and matter. God created an amazing world, and has given us these minds to discover and retain all sorts of information. The more I study, for instance about plants, the more I appreciate them. We were walking on the beach on Sunday, and there is grass growing there, in the sand. Wow, not every plant can grow in the sand. It takes some special adaptations to be able to do that. Today I was reading about muscle tissue, and I am so thankful God created me with smooth muscle tissue, that involuntarily moves food through my digestive tract. Education is a gift, and I hope, in my small way, that I can share it with a few people here, so they can better understand and appreciate their world, and to have greater skills for work and everyday lfie.