It's been a long day!But definitely a good one.JMy mom came with me to school this morning so that she could meet with the history teacher, Bridget Kloppers, about what she is doing at the archives.Bridget teaches pre-service teachers at University of Namibia at night and is very excited to have her students take over the project a little once my mom leaves as well as for them to learn about all of this technology use in the classroom.It should be interesting!My mom also helped me to carry all of the supplies I had packed to the school.We probably looked very strange carrying two heavy pillow cases and another bag of stuff, but hey I wanted to get them to PAY and I leave right after school.I had already given Combretum a bunch of lesson plans and materials and things from NASA.On the other hand, it was very odd having my mom there as I switched into teacher mode and had to get my plans together and get to the morning meeting and then to registration.Fortunately, she stayed in the staff room and waited for Bridget instead of following me around.I don't mind her there, it's just a very odd feeling as well as it's strange to have your mom at work.

I taught grade 9, 10, and 11 today.A lot of it was very redundant and repetitive, but that is how the Namibian curriculum is set up.Grades 8, 9, and 10 pretty much learn the same thing in math every year hoping that one year, they will remember it.So 9th grade is still learning the volume of 3D objects, but we started to think about nets.Grade 10 is learning nets and at the same time, enlargement transformations of various shapes.And Grade 11 went over decimal places, significant figures, standard notation, decimal notation, and conversions today.It was seriously like pulling teeth with the 11th grade though because even though they should know it, a lot of them were looking at me like, ok here's where you tell me the answer so I don't have to think about how many places I move the decimal and write it in standard notation or I really don't have time to remember how many meters squared are in kilometers squared or meters squared are in a hectometer.Even though I had told them to open their book and the conversions were on that page…they opened, but didn't even both to look.It was a little frustrating!!

After I finished at the school, I dragged my pillowcases to the corner to take a taxi to PAY.About half way there, my taxi started pulling over for no reason.Finally, when we came to a complete stop on the side of the road, my taxi driver tells me we ran out of petrol.LolIt was literally about 100 feet after the pull-off for a petrol station.So I got out and watched as he had to make a U-turn and push his car down the exit ramp to the station.And then another taxi picked me up and took me to PAY.JI got there probably around 11:45am when I promised to meet Patrick at 11:30.I thought I was late.I should know better than that by now.Africa time is so different.Fortunately, Sam and Lot where there to let me in.We took a walk down to the Shopright in Katutura to get some lunch around 1 when Patrick still hadn't showed up.He of course showed up after I left and then he left again to visit a school in Katutura.Finally around 2, Patrick showed up, but had to meet with Karen first.I just hung out with Abcy and helped Sam write Lot's CV.They are done very differently in Namibia and we honestly had no clue what we were doing until he gave us an example.I also set up the supplies that I had brought in the resource center.It saddened me that all of the stuff I brought, which took up most of my one suitcase and was 2 lbs under the limit on the airplane, only took up one measly shelf in the resource center.

At last, Patrick was ready to have our meeting.He is going to get me copies of the math curriculum, the exam prep books, and past exams before I leave.Using these materials, I am basically writing a curriculum for PAY.I will write six tests for grades 8 and 9 together that have a point system to see exactly where they stand for their grade level.Using that information PAY will be able to pull out those that need extra help into weekly classes.They will also know what topics they struggle the most with and will be able to tailor the classes around the students.A lot of them are extremely low in math, so I will also be sending over some materials with times tables to help them improve with their mental math.

In grade 10, all Namibian students take their Junior Secondary Exam.They do not have to continue with school past grade 10 if they don't want, but they won't be able to go to the university or get certain jobs.So for grade 10, I will be basically writing a lesson plan for each topic the test is on, one for each week.To accompany these lessons, I will be finding or writing materials that will help them to practice and remember each topic.These lessons will be provided sometime early in the week.Then I also have to write a quiz to accompany each lesson that will be taken later in the week to make sure they understand.All of these materials will eventually be put into booklets for PAY so that if a student is struggling in one area, the volunteers or students can go pull out practice worksheets, lessons, helpful hints, and quizzes to help; especially toward the end of July when they are studying for their exams.

I will do the same things for grades 11 and 12.They take their grade 12 secondary exams in August as well.The only difference is that they prepare for two years for this exam so they learn the same things during both 11th and 12th grade.Again, I will be writing all of the same types of materials as I will for grade 10, just at a higher level with more topics.The grade 12 students have been extremely studious this week.They have been completely separated from the other students, most of them using past exam books to practice or reading notes, occasionally panicking if they can't remember something and have to run to look for a volunteer.It's like the SATs.

Patrick is very happy that I can help because there aren't many people at PAY that really can focus on academics or that know things from a teacher stand point.It's basically only Patrick and I.After we finish doing this in math, I will help him to work on a similar project for the sciences.He is then hoping to recruit people who know more about English and history to mimic our curriculum plans.The only issue that I see possibly in the future is that he wants six tests, but the school breaks in Namibia are at really odd times so sometimes there's like 3 months between our planned assessments and other times it's barely a month.We'll work out the kinks as we go.They're already asking when I'll be back.JIt feels good being not only needed, but wanted at PAY.I'm hoping that even when these two projects are done, I'll still be able to do something whether from the US or in Namibia for them.Karen has already asked if I could move to Namibia for like 20 years or so.Lol I don't think I'll go that far.

Our meeting didn't last too long, but it started late so I didn't get to do any tutoring with the kids.I walked over just as they were leaving for sports and Megan grabbed me to make sandwiches.It went pretty quickly though so I still joined them in the arena.There was a pretty good game of knock-out going on and the boys were playing soccer.Some of the girls were learning to do jazz from Chiquita.I was starting to feel the effects of a migraine by this point so I just sat facing away from the sun talking to a few people.I had asked Harry for Tylenol earlier and when I explained that it was a painkiller he had laughed at me.For a second I wasn't sure if he was laughing because I was in pain or because no one used pain killers in Namibia.He soon explained that he had been watching an episode of Family Guy where they were doing gene splicing and how one of the characters (he didn't say which) had a moose head and had asked for Tylenol.He did not understand the joke until then.HahaI was able to usher them as quickly as possible (still 30 minutes later) into the car after camp.Usually it takes forever and I don't mind, but my head felt like it was going to split and I still had to get home to go to dinner with Peter and his family.

Peter picked us up and gave us a quick tour around his area of Windhoek.We saw the US ambassador's house, his old houses, and the kids who set off fireworks in the area.LolHe then took us to Joe's Beer House to get take out.Joe's Beer House is pretty well known in Windhoek.It's known for its game (as in meat) and the atmosphere. Has a sort of African island feel to it.The restaurant is mostly outdoors though and it's not quite the place for a 3 week old baby.While we waited we met one of Peter's friends who is setting up a new natural reserve about an hour or two north of Windhoek.It was interesting because he was talking about how he had just driven a few giraffes to the new reserve and the struggles.That would be a cool job.J

We went back to his house and I met Sarah and saw Benjamin again (Peter brought him by the school this morning to thwart people from visiting him at home).I had ordered Kudu and it was very good!We basically just relaxed and enjoyed the food.Peter and Sarah moved into their apartment about 6 days before Benjamin was born, but it was really nice for such a quick setup.I held Ben for awhile.He's adorable.Oh, and his full name is Benjamin Frances Omura and he was born on the 4th of July.People keep joking that it is very close to Benjamin Franklin.

The evening was very nice and relaxing!Peter gave me an official letter of thanks to put in my portfolio.I thought that was very nice of him.JI will be sad to say goodbye to all the students.Peter officially comes back from his paternity leave tomorrow.Well, I think it's definitely time for me to head to bed.It turns out I might have a little internet in Zimbabwe.At least if I get cholera or end up in the hospital after bungee jumping, I can let you all know.HahahaNo worries!Love and miss you all.

<3 Shannon