"Running the race like a mouse in a cage getting nowhere"

A Fine Frenzy 'Whisper'

6.16.2008 8.59pm
That's what it seems like Caroline's JSS class was doing...

Ernest sent me out on my own this morning to go observe Caroline's JSS class. JSS is the 7th/8th grade level and the last of free education in Ghana. I tried to get breakfast once I got there because I had to take my malaria medicine, but nobody spoke English so I ended up just buying some bread.

I got to sit in on Caroline's class and I was really surprised at how slow things moved. They were learning how to find the area of shapes and they only partially covered one new shape the whole class. I can see how it would be extremely frustrating when your class won't answer questions when the answers and questions are written out on the board and you're pointing to them. Chickens and lizards also come and go as they please in the classrooms. Caning is common at schools but Caroline asked them not to cane in front of us because we were so new.

The lunch we had was pretty good, beans and fried sweet potatoes. Again it was way too much food for me to finish. After school we tried the post office and even though it was open the workers were nowhere to be found. The rest of the day we read, talked, and waited for Ernest to come so we could go get dinner. We ate some fried rice at a chop bar (what they call places to sit and eat) and Ernest brought some coconut from Accra. Tomorrow I'm going to sit in on an SS class; hopefully it goes a little better.