JULY 1, 2006.
You will never guess what I have volunteered myself for?
No, I am not trying to catch all the stray dogs in Bhutan, and I am not going to race in a mountain bike race, instead I have volunteered my English services!
I have taken on the challenge of trying to teach English (ESL) to 44 monks between the ages 7 to 25 years old. The eight year old monks are the size of a four year old in Canada. Super tiny and dirty!! The room is also filled with fleas and the air in the classroom definitely does not smell like roses.
I have only volunteered for three hours (3 x 1-hour sessions) and then I will have to decide if I want to commit for the rest of my stay in Bhutan. This morning I had 38 students however I am suppose to have 44 but a few were sick. 44 monks = 44 little people in red robes.
Today was my first day, and after this morning’s experience I admire anyone who tries to teach children.
The hardest and most challenging part is that all the monks are at different skill levels. Some know their colours, can say the alphabet and count to 30, while other monks have no idea and look at me as though I am speaking a foreign language – which I am!
The teaching environment is minimal to say the least. Right now they have two classes with a total of 88 students sharing one room which I find really distracting. Not to mention I have to shout over the other teacher who is getting the kids to whistle and stomp their feet. It ends up being quite stressful and a yelling match. Currently, both groups of students face the centre of the room and the teachers stand back to back in the centre of the room trying to teach their students. I have asked to change the set-up for next week’s sessions. I will either have all my monks facing the outside wall or I will take the monks outside and teach them sitting on the grass. The classroom is so distractive.
The monks are all seated on the floor in rows. Some are falling asleep, some are chatting, some are fiddling with their pencils and books, while some are actually paying attention to the silly Canadian standing at the front of the room. It is really no different than teaching university students in Canada.
I must admit that the little monks are so adorable – dirt and all their runny noses! It is quite fun. One of the issues is there is no curriculum to the school or any organization to the madness. I’m only provided with a small whiteboard and one marker. I may as well be teaching in a cardboard box. So I figure it will be easier outside.
Honestly, where does one begin?
Without verbal repetition and corporate punishment, how does one teach the alphabet, colours and numbers while keeping the attention of all the monks? Please take into consideration that I have absolutely no props or teaching materials. If it gets too complicated than none of the monks will understand me. Currently only about 20% of my monks understand what I am saying.
In total there are 3475 monks studying at the Monastic school, which was started by the Crown Prince. It is pretty impressive that they can actually manage that many monks considering the facilities and available amenities at the monastery. To be quite honest, a similar operation/school in Canada would need their sanitation conditions improved to be run. I have yet to see the monks’ living quarters. I am sure that it is quite dismal.