11.15.07 English Clubs

Today I went to an English Club here in Zhytomyr. My host sister was going and invited me along. I was really excited about this opportunity because part of the site assessment is seeing what the resources are, seeing what's happening in the community, etc. My host sister mentioned it was religious and my first question was: Mormon? Of course!

So we walk to this apartment. It's just started snowing slightly, there's mud everywhere, and we're cold. We walk inside the apartment and it's even colder than outside, and the floors look like they have colored contact paper on them. It's very 70s. And no one takes off their shoes, hence the scotch-guarding. We meet the two elders: Elder Paulsen and (ack! I can't remember the Ukrainian man's name). My host sister and I are the only two there to start with, and I'm asking questions about Mormons in Ukraine (they're the only two in Zhytomyr) and about his service, how they advertise, how they don't make it seem sleezy (come to my apartment and learn English, young woman), etc.

There ended up being a total of four students and one grandfather who came. E.Paulsen did the "invent your own country" lesson, which I've done before. The group decides their name, what their business is, what their language is, etc. Afterward I couldn't help but do my job. Seriously. I couldn't just go. So I asked him my Teacher Trainer questions: What did you like about this lesson? What would you have changed about it? I gave him some suggestions as well: put the chairs in a circle so they can see each other when they are speaking. Read up on the communicative method so that it's more student focused rather than teacher focused. Have a section on the board to leave up new words. And point with a pen rather than your finger. Seriously. In Ukraine, the teachers don't point to the board with their fingers. I have no idea why. But his Ukrainian partner totally nodded. ha ha ha.

So yeah, scoping out my site and found the Mormons. Rulz.