Kidogo, Kidogo

Kidogo kidogo, translation: little by little, is a great mantra to have when experiencing a new culture.  It also is a common phrase here in Tanzania, and one that I have heard regularly throughout my first two weeks.  Inno, my Swahili teacher and now good friend, keeps reminding me of this mantra when I feel that I am not learning the language fast enough.  I try to remind myself of this mantra each day as I continue to learn the ins and outs of Tanzanian education.  As one of those catchy and cliché quotes says:  it is the kidogo things that make the biggest difference.  My first, true, kidogo victory came at the end of last week.

Last Thursday, after I had finished teaching my two math classes, one to P4 and the other to P5,  Mama Shayo asked me if I wanted to accompany her on a trip to town.  I had no idea what this would entail, but I was done teaching for the day and I know that in order to strengthen new relationships, one must take advantage of unexpected invitations.  It turns out that 'going to town' meant walking across the street to make two copies in a small shop and then stopping by the kindergarden class, which is in a different building than the older classes.  This excursion took a little over an hour, during which time, Mama Shayo and I chatted about an array of things with intermittent  pauses on both our paths to allow ourselves to get our thoughts together in our respective second languages.  I could tell that Mama Shayo was pleased that I joined her, as was I, and that our relationship is continuing to grow in a positive way.

During the first full week of school, about mid-week, I began to feel that teaching only two classes was not enough since I had more time than needed in school day to complete all of my assigned tasks.  Teaching math to the two oldest classes in the school meant that I was teaching two classes three days a week and three classes the other two days, since each content has a double block instead of single block one day a week.  After only three full days of the regular schedule, my overachieving personality decided that I could definitely manage another class.  Let's be serious: even if I taught five classes, this work load is a piece of cake compared to my usual charter school schedule of working at least twelve hour days Monday through Friday and for five or more hours on Sunday.  Since P5 is the oldest class currently in our school and since I am the only native English speaker, I humbly figured it would be logical and beneficial to the children, of course if I taught P5 English as well.

Two math classes and an English class seems liked a much better fit to me, and I had been wanting to ask Mama Shayo for permission for since the middle of last week.  It just never seemed like the right time.  I also did not want to come off as pushy, condescending or ungrateful by asking to teach another class.  I should also mention the one 'problem' with this grand plan of mine: on Tuesday and Thursday, P5 English was taught at the same time as P4 math.  Have no fear.  The schedule-making expert I became last year, I knew that whole principal at 25 thing would come in handy one day, made it very easy for me to find the simplest fix to the schedule so that P4 math, P5 math and P5 English were all taught at different times.

I had the solution to the existing problem; I just needed to get on with it and ask Mama Shayo.  I figured there couldn't be a better time to broach the subject than after our trip-to-town bonding experience. So, on Thursday afternoon, I told Mama Shayo I had a question for her and pleaded my case.  I knew that the explanation of what schedule changes were needed was going to be a bit tricky across language lines, but after a few attempts at explaining the needed switches and some visual aids, she agreed!  I think the day during the first week of school where I missed tea because I was teaching all day definitely helped my case.  Ever since then, it seemed like Mama Shayo understood that I like to work hard and am not a fan of watching from the sidelines.  After being given the green light, I couldn't wait to come home, back to the hotel, and tell Teddy about my success, as I had been lamenting to her about my desire to teach P5 English for the past few days.

So today marked my first day as both P4 and P5 math teacher and P5 English teacher.  Let me tell you, I couldn't be happier!  It was a full day, particularly because I had to run to the immigration office with Teddy in between my classes to try to work on securing my long term volunteer visa, but no complaints here. In the midst of my current kidogo kidogo reality, such a victory goes a long way.