1 month down & 9 zeros later

Let's see ... the last time I posted something substantial was in September. Since then School has started, the raining season is officially over and time is on fast forward mode.

Classes started October 1st and since my school in a larger town we really did start then. Some schools in smaller villages have just started in November! One reason for this is that many teachers are forced to teach in small villages in the "middle of nowhere".  Unlike the US, in Burkina Faso the government decides where teachers will be assigned. Now in order to be a teacher here you must have achieved a certain level of education which usually involves living in larger cities. OK ... now imagine that you've obtained your teaching certificate when the government assigns you to a school a tiny village (with no running water or electricity) 20 km or more from the nearest amenities ... for the foreseeable future, at least two years. Then after that you may be assigned to another small village. You have no (or very little) control over where you will work. I don't think I would be too happy to start teaching school either.  Of course, it's necessary to force the teachers into small villages otherwise there would be no teachers at all!  So that is one of many educational problems here.

This year I have the same classes as last year:  5ème Math, 2nd and 1ère Physics/Chemistry. So far teaching is going well especially since I've learned a thing or two from last year. My French is so much better than last year (not fantastic) that I'm able to catch more. It's almost as though last year there was a veil between me and the kids. This year everything seems in a bit more focus. Also I'm not fighting sickness which helps immeasurably.  I am discovering, however, that teaching the same material from last year is a bit boring. Not to say that I'm bored, it's more like I don't have to think about what I'm going to teach as much.

On to the 9 zeros... I just finished giving my first round of tests the last week of November. Grading tests is not fun, especially when your students cheat. Every time I discover a case my stomach drops and a feel a little sick. The 5ème test went well with only two cheaters and the 2nd PC was much the same only the scores were much lower (it's a universal truth that physics is "hard"). The 1ère PC test was another matter ... While grading the test (a lovely concoction of alkane nomenclature questions) I discovered 9 (!) cheaters. When I handed back the test I made very big example of them. I called them up one-by-one to the front of the class by "les équipes de tricheurs", embarrassing them in front of all their classmates. I know I did the right thing, especially because one of my non-cheating students actually thanked me later on!