I Can Transform Ya

I kind of feel like Will Schuester from Glee.

I've been in Ouaga working for the American Language Center, part of the US Embassy in Burkina Faso. The ALC borrows Peace Corps Volunteers to work their summer sessions. These summer sessions are kind of like summer camps for high school kids. They spend the first part of the day doing traditional English lessons with Burkinabe teachers, then us volunteers crash the party and do fun stuff to help them learn English.

Being a teacher for this program is extremely different from teaching at site. For one, these classes are expensive. So only very rich Ouagalais families can afford them. These kids have laptops, have been to America, and take piano lessons. Whoa.

And not only are the kids rich, but the program itself is rich too. TVs, DVD players, and Boomboxes, and AC in every classroom. Class size? 20 kids.

At site, I'm always thinking "oh shoot, I have to cram in all this information so they can have a shot at passing the national exams next year." Not so at ALC. We waste time by watching American movies, making colorful art projects, talking about American culture, doing word-searches, playing Simon Says, doing three-legged races, and, of course, singing American songs.

The kids get pretty into the song performances. Check 'em out.

And that's why I kind of feel like Will Schuester. It's like a lost episode of Glee. Well, at least I like to think so.

And that's my update. Watch out for my next blog post, I might have some pretty big news...