The First Grader

The First Grader is a movie based on the real life story of Kimani Maruge. (Key-man-ie Ma-rue-gay) This movie is amazing! In 2003 Kenya announced free education, and at the age of 84 he became the oldest man in the world to enroll in primary school. The film chronicles the life of Maruge who was a Mau Mau fighter (freedom fighter) during the British occupation. Since the end of colonialism Maruge struggled to survive and with the announcement of free education took the opportunity to better himself. In the film they use a letter that he cannot read as incentive for him to go to school. But in real life i think he just really wanted to learn and better himself. In the 2008 post election violence his land was stolen from him and he had to move to a refugee camp, but he still went to school. A few years later he had to retire to a home in Nairobi, and he found another school and enrolled in 6th grade. The film is called, The First Grader, and is a British produced film. If you have the chance to get it, or if you are interested in the type of environment that i am working in, watch this film.

5th grade class

 The school that they show in the film is very similar to the school that i am currently teaching in. Except for that where i live had much more vegetation, and the children are not nearly as well behaved. I am teaching 7th grade, but for the midterm exam i was overseeing the 5th graders. This class is combined because they don't have enough teachers, so there are about 60 pupils, with about 3 or 4 to a desk. They were horrible! I don't have many problems with the 7th graders, there are fewer of them and they are much more respectful, but this class, wow. I couldn't handle them so the head teacher came in and pinched and whipped a few. It had no effect, they just continued to play around. I was really shocked when she began to punish them, i can't, and i wont do that. But in this school, the teachers don't respect the students, so the students don't respect the teachers. It makes me sad, and i don't really know how to deal with it. So i have begun to give out little sweets at the end of class to those who pay attention, and i don't beat them, these seems to be working so far.

I hope that everyone is well, love to you all! keep in touch, i want to know what is going on with everyone!

xoxox suz