Day 59

Tuesday, March 18th

Tonight I got to to teach two English classes for better world. One of the teachers for the 400 level didn't show up, so in addition to my 200 level intermediate class I got to teach this advanced class English. Now normally I teach class with John, who really knows his Grammar and in many cases is the better teacher of the two of us. He understands what he is teaching and I think feels more comfortable in the teaching role. However, for this class John and the other teachers didn't want to stick around, but as I couldn't just leave these kids hanging I stepped up to the plate. Let me tell you, it was so much fun.

They said they wanted to know slang. Well I gave them slang and I gave them slang that only Americans would understand. But since I had no pre-planned lesson or idea of what they should be learning it was just me talking in stream-of-consciousness about whatever came into my mind. I explained to these kids words like Hood, Ballin', that's whack, kicks, and C.R.E.A.M. This last one got me off onto tangents about the state of equality in America, and the idea of the American dream. Thus, I started talking about Obama, and wrote Margret Mead's group on the wall about a small-group of people. I talked about how dreams are the only thing that make life worth living. They basically got an hour and a half of me trying to explain the core tenants of America and writing any slang I used on the board as I went. It was incredible. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, I was just talking and they were taking it all in. My only hope is that it was able to inspire them or that some of the lingo they might be able to use some day.