A Post From Eliza with Pictures

A Post from Eliza

[a bit of background on Eliza’s post – first as those at Olivet already know,  the students in Benjamin’s 1A class (first graders) called his bluff and took over the classroom.  In the beginning, Benjamin tried sending the trouble makers to the other teachers, but after he saw the resulting corporal punishment, he hadn’t the heart to subject children to such consequences.  Benjamin’s softness was their opening.  From there things disintegrated to each of us having to chaperone the class.  Oddly, Benjamin’s other classes, including another first grade class are going really well – but the 1As needed their own solution:

Eliza: “Can I please teach the 1As by myself?  I can do it!”

Benjamin: “Are you kidding, they will dominate you.”

Eliza: “Please Daddy, Please.”

Daddy:  “No way.  Only if Benjamin, Lily or Sophie can sit in the classroom.”

Eliza: “No – I do not want them in my classroom.  They can sit in the hallway – I will call them if I need help.  Okay?”

Daddy: “No.”

Eliza: “Why not?”

Benjamin: “Because you haven’t read “Lord of the Flies.””]

This month many things have happened to me. I met a group of girls and we have been playing ever since.  I have been presented with many gifts.  The first thing I got was a stuffed animal that said “I love you,” the next thing was a pair of earrings and the last (that I will mention) was a piece of card board that explained the Ethiopia money system.  This I later found out was not a given by the girls I had been playing with so that whole day I was on a wild cow hunt to try to find the true source of the gift.  It is hard to sort out who is who with so many girls here.

I have taken over one of Benjamin classes because he cannot handle them (before I took over he had to have an adult in the room). Nobody else can handle them except for me.  So I just took over. For me they have been little angels that listen to every word I say. Also, I am absolutely sure I don’t care in what way, but I am taking the puppy that lives by our grocery store home.  So far I have had the best time here.  I love how our family laughs a lot more and we are spending more time together not by choice of course, but I like it better that way!  I thought that I would not like it here but it turns out I would like to bring my own family here someday.

Love, Eliza    

[Eliza with her students]

[Eliza adminsiters a test]

[Eliza's grading of some of her tests, she was quizing them to see what they had learned from BEnjamin]

[the puppy who we are not taking home]

Eliza helping Girma improve his English

Eliza feeding some wild life...