A Child Again...

One of the most exciting aspects of this program in Senegal was the opportunity to participate in an internship at a public school in Dakar. As I learned of my specific placement and visited the classroom I realized that, like every single other part of this trip, I was completely unprepared for what was waiting for me. Yes, it was most definitely stressful being put in front of a class to teach English to 30 seven-year-olds, many of whom are learning French at about the same rate as I learn Wolof. But what was most shocking to me was the realization that while I am technically the "Maitresse de l'ecole" for a few hours every week, I know that those children are going to teach me more than I will ever be able to teach them.

I can tell them all about how to count to 10 in English, or what to call their parents and siblings, but I am finding that every time I visit the classroom, I am more aware of how studying abroad is forcing me to be a child again. Not only am I learning a new language from scratch (which is not easy and I give my students a ton of credit for learning two languages at the same time), but I also feel as though I am learning how to walk for the first time. It has been shaky at first, and I've already embarrassed myself more times than I can count (which seems to be very amusing for my host family...), but each day it is becoming easier and more familiar to live this new and exciting life as Oumy Paye.

I am so excited to spend more time with these students, not just to teach them English, but more than that, to be able to share the experiences of "growing up" together. Because no matter how old or mature you are, living in a foreign country for the first time forces anyone to see the world through the eyes of a child.