Abukloi School: We Can South Sudan!

We had a full day of classes today and Bev and I are feeling it. We had (I think) 48 students total, so about 24 in each class. We started with "Assembly". Phillip, the Director of Abukloi, led this part because we were not familiar with it. The students stood in two straight lines outside the school. He read from the Bible and talked to them about being Ambassadors for this school and the faith and what that meant. Then he asked for a volunteer to lead in prayer. One of them stepped forward and prayed the Lord's Prayer with the prayer to Mary at the end. He reviewed some of the rules and admonished them to tuck in their shirts - a real must, apparently. We have trouble getting boys to keep their pants above their knees in the US but in South Sudan it is about "tuck". Then we started in the classrooms. Bev gave a math test to evaluate what she needs to teach. I taught English by telling about myself using pictures our daughter Jennifer, had put together for me. Then they were to write 3 sentences about themselves so I could get to know them better. Most of the students' fathers have multiple wives and many children. It was interesting to read about them. Then Bev and I moved on to Geography and Agriculture. We ended the school day with reading a chapter from a book on Florence Nightingale. They were then to write some sentences in response. The students here are very good at copying things from the board into their exercise books and then memorizing all of it but they are not very good at doing anything else. They can do multiple choice and fill in the blanks but not writing their own sentences. One of the things I could use some help with from any of you English or language teachers out there is verb tense. What are effective ways to teach that? Email me at margkutz72@gmail.com We are both really tired. Both yesterday and today are at least 12 hour days and in this heat it is taking its toll. We should sleep well tonight, after we correct exercise books and adapt lesson plans!