To give you some idea of what my job is like, please indulge me as I run
down my Thursday. Thursdays are my busy days at school, so perhaps
they’re not the best picture of my work, but frankly, every day is a
busy day at RFIS.
—6:45 Get on the teacher van to travel from my apartment to the school
site, about 15 minutes away
7:15–8:30 Prepare lesson plans while sipping a cup of coffee
8:30–9:30 Check in the middle schoolers for weekly chapel, sing while
students lead worship, listen to a parent guest speaker
9:30–9:40 Break. Eat local peanuts and a tiny wedge of cake, drink a bit
of coffee
9:45–10:45 ¡Teach Spanish!
10:45–11:45 Teach Algebra 1
11:45–12:45 Teach a hybrid English language/literature class for a few
Korean students
12:45–1:20 Lunchtime. I supervise campus on Thursdays, so I ate my
cabbage and plantain lunch in between making rounds
1:20–2:20 Supervise study hall, which includes helping seventh graders
with their math homework
2:20–3:20 Grade algebra homework, tell a colleague her seventh graders
struggled with their math homework, give an Ewondo literacy primer to a
friend and colleague who’s hoping to learn to read his mother tongue (he
already reads in French and English)
3:30–4:15 Spend time in a small group with ninth grade girls, talking
about our favorite verses and singing
4:20–4:50 Meet with two algebra students, learn they didn’t understand
class expectations, explain grading policy, give them a chance to bring
up their progress report marks
4:50–5:05 Try to go for a walk, get foiled by the mud
5:05–6:00 Check e-mail and facebook, write a blog post
6:00— Go home to make dinner, maybe read a bit or watch a TV episode with
my neighbors