What I do all day

*To give you some idea of what my job is like, please indulge me as I run

down my Thursday. Thursdays are my busy days at school, so perhaps

they’re not the best picture of my work, but frankly, every day is a

busy day at RFIS.*

—6:45 Get on the teacher van to travel from my apartment to the school

site, about 15 minutes away

7:15–8:30 Prepare lesson plans while sipping a cup of coffee

8:30–9:30 Check in the middle schoolers for weekly chapel, sing while

students lead worship, listen to a parent guest speaker

9:30–9:40 Break. Eat local peanuts and a tiny wedge of cake, drink a bit

of coffee

9:45–10:45 ¡Teach Spanish!

10:45–11:45 Teach Algebra 1

11:45–12:45 Teach a hybrid English language/literature class for a few

Korean students

12:45–1:20 Lunchtime. I supervise campus on Thursdays, so I ate my

cabbage and plantain lunch in between making rounds

1:20–2:20 Supervise study hall, which includes helping seventh graders

with their math homework

2:20–3:20 Grade algebra homework, tell a colleague her seventh graders

struggled with their math homework, give an Ewondo literacy primer to a

friend and colleague who’s hoping to learn to read his mother tongue (he

already reads in French and English)

3:30–4:15 Spend time in a small group with ninth grade girls, talking

about our favorite verses and singing

4:20–4:50 Meet with two algebra students, learn they didn’t understand

class expectations, explain grading policy, give them a chance to bring

up their progress report marks

4:50–5:05 Try to go for a walk, get foiled by the mud

5:05–6:00 Check e-mail and facebook, write a blog post

6:00— Go home to make dinner, maybe read a bit or watch a TV episode with

my neighbors