Internship:

For my internship I was to volunteer at a local school, Lesopa Junior Secondary School, although it was not my first choice to be in the school I thought it could be fun working with the students and I obviously had experience doing such, but when I arrived it became clear that the school had no idea what to do with a volunteer and that I would not be interacting with many students or teachers. The majority of my first few days of work were me sitting in the back room of the computer lab while a teacher’s workshop was being held and I watched downloaded movies and provided some printing help now and again. When I asked if I could be better used some place else I was moved to the library to tackle to task of categorizing, labeling and covering a new shipment of books that looked to have been sitting around for months. I was pleased to have some work but the arrogant librarian watching me and sharing his “thoughts” with me made my work unpleasant and resent the fact I was doing his dirty work while he lifted no finger to help.

Returning again in hopes they had sorted out a classroom placement for me, I was given a weeks holiday since the school was breaking for the term and the national holiday. Although frustrated to be wasting time I knew that I needed to drop expectations and roll with the Botswana way. After the break and entering the third week of my four week internship I was introduced to the whole staff given the assignment of the math department and then put to work grading mock exams. Not exactly what I hoped for but it was something to do, when given the chance to monitor an exam I leaped from the exams were what had been keeping me from the students. When I entered the students paid me little mind took their test then interacted with each other but as the time neared the bell one female student grew brave and asked me a question, which lead to a rush of questions from the class and their circling around me to touch my hair and ask for hugs. Finally I had seen the children and I was asked to please return and teach their class for they had no teacher, which is what I kinda did in my last days but honestly it was mostly show and tell.

If you want to hear more you can read my final paper from Lobatse on my Internship… expect I just realized it is hand written and I don’t think I will have the chance to type it up until it is graded and I am 98% sure no one wants to read it.