Tanzania!

Whenever you travel to a new country it's very important to understand their culture. On our first day we went to the Cultural Heratige Museum in Tanzania, and a tour of the city of Arusha. You could tell based on the design of the building that it was going to be spectacular. Inside there were works of art from all across Tanzania. There were sculptures, paintings, woodcarvings and so much more. Every piece of art told a story about Tanzanian culture. Imagine walking into a room filled with gold. That is how I felt walking into this extraordinary place.

The following day was our first time going to the school. We all piled into the van and departed for the school. When we arrived you could almost see the excitment around you. Since it was Sunday, there would be no students, but there would be lots of time to clean every room. Once we arrived, we met Happy, the prep class teacher. She gave us a tour of the empty school. The concrete rooms were painted with vibrant colours that created an inviting and warm atomosphere. From the outside each room appeared the same but the interior was unique to each room. After the tour we immediatly got to work scrubbing walls and mopping floors. We spent most of the day getting the rooms squeaky clean for the students. Getting the school ready without the students knowing was very exciting to me because it would be a nice suprise for them.

The following day we all piled out of the van and were swarmed by students of all ages. You get this feeling of peace and a boost of confidence. We played with the students until the morning assembly. We introduced ourselves and dispersed into our classrooms. When I entered Class 5 I became so confident in myself and my teaching abilities. I started to introduce myself to each student and write there name down. I have never been good at being in front of crowds alone and talking confidently. Today I went for it and my confience went through the roof. At one point in the day the english teacher was late getting to the classroom so I had to teach the class. I asked one of the students, Peter, what they were learning and he told me that they were learning about sounds. The next thing I knew I had a peice of chalk in my hand and was standing in front of the chalk board. My nerves were no more and I felt incredible. I felt relaxed and very calm which encouraged me to give it my all, by the end of the day I was exhausted. I can't wait to go to the school tomorrow and put everything I have into teaching the students. As this trip progresses I hope that I continue to develop my leadership skills inside and outside of the classroom by leaving my comfort zone every chance I get.

Happy Birthday to my sister Celia.