Swimming, Sunsets, and Smiles

Well, Ive ben here for over 3 weeks and our time here in Ghana is almost half way over. I have really grown to love it here! This past week I spent many afternons running through the Lagoon and swimming in the ocean. I have done alot more teaching this week with teaching English to both 6th grade classes, and Math to mine. I am learning that I have to talk slow and explain every little step. Most of their teaching is just copying the notes, they dont have very much critical thinking and common sense. On Friday I for a few names from Cynthia of the students that were struggling the most with reading and she gave me 11. I started having them read some very simple books for K-1st grade level, and they were all challenged by those books..yikes! I am tying to teach 16 year olds how to read...who in the states are trying to learn how to drive.... I did not realize that some of my students were that poor of readers. There is no point in them weven trying to read their 6th grade basal reader text. Im think I am going to stick to just teaching Math and English and then work with students on reading, every spare moment in the day! I want these girls to learn how to read in the next month! After school on Friday, about 15 of my girls followed me back to the Lodge and then went to the beach with me, Ronella, and 20+ of her boys. It was very chaotic ywet fun at the same time. We had some really good bonding moments. It was difficult for me to meet their hunger/thirst needs.... Betwen Friday night and Saturday morning I got a little sick..i think it was maybe something I ate. So I stayed back at the Lodge instead of going shopping in Accra with the rest of my group. If I was going to get sick, I guess it was a good weekend. And I am already feeling much better.