My classroom is the shade of a tree

I set up my classroom under one of the trees by the church. Fortunately, it has not been raining, but it is also unfortunate in that we have difficulty getting fresh water. The creeks are getting lower everyday. We made a blackboard by covering a board with a thick piece of black plastic. I propped the board against the tree and presto, I had a blackboard! It actually works quit well. We made a couple of desks by placing some boards on some logs. We made the benches the same way using smaller logs.

I have twelve students, ages 3-7. A few of them have been to school in Venezuela, where they learned to read and write in Spanish. The rest of my students have never been to school. Most of them speak Akawaio, so I have a translater. Her name is Merette Rodriguez.

Every morning all of the students meet together for worship. We teach them new songs, tell them a story and pray. Then we separate for our individual classes.

In our "classroom", the first thing we do is learn the memory verse from the Bible lesson. As soon as they learn it well, I give them a sticker. Then we go to

Teaching out in the open is quite a challenge

English class where they are learning the "ABC's". I am trying to teach them basic English words(pencil, notebook, sit, stand, walk, fly, colors, please and thankyou) Sometimes I can not help but laugh at the the funny way they pronounce words, but I try to reward their efforts with stickers and tell them "wakupe mang" which means "very good" in their language. They love to hear me try to speak their language, and I am sure they laugh at my pronounciation too!

We then take a break and play some games that will help them learn in the same way, such as counting. Since I grew up in Peru, I teach them Spanish game and songs, which they really seem to enjoy. Sometimes we go on a nature walks, I am always trying to teach them new words(flower, tree, butterfly). Some of the parents have even come so they can learn also.

Half in hour later we go back to class. Then they finish up whatever they were doing before, then they go home for lunch.

In the afternoon we study math and do some art. During all our classes we are teaching them cleanliness, good manners (such as saying "please" , "thank you"

The ladies of Arau were so grateful to us, and came to see Julie and I (left) off to Kaikan after we finished teaching

and "good morning Miss") not forgetting discipline, which many of them are not used to since they have never gone to school. My favorite technique is to make them stand with their nose to the board if they misbehave. They are learning quickly!

With cleanliness, we are trying to teach them to come to school clean and dress as well as they can. I could hardly keep from laughing, however, when one of my students came to class with socks in her hair (different colors, no less.) Her mother didn't have anything else to top her hair with, bless her heart. Others have their hair tied with rope.

These children have never seen a trash can as such, so part of their education is learning to put their trash in a bag. We are hoping they will take pride in a clean school yard (because we don't have a classroom.)

One day after school, all the kids started shaking the bushes around the school. A bunch of huge, ugly, grasshoppers (about 4 inches long) flew out of the bushes. The children gleefully chased them and caught a bunch of them. I wasn't paying much attention to what they were doing. I heard them shout, "Look, Miss, look!" Then they dumpled something in my lap. It was the grasshoppers! I jumped and screamed, tossing the notebooks I was grading into the air. At first they were scared by my reaction and then they all laughed at me for being scared.

This is a special experience that I will always remember. These children will always have a special place in my heart.

You may write to Katie at: gates@andrews.edu

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