What I've Been Up to Since the End of School

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8/14/09
Hey everybody. I hope it hasn’t been too long since I wrote last, but there hasn’t really been any breaking news from my end of the world lately. When I wrote last, I was in the middle of marking exams. I am proud to say that I buckled down and got all my exams marked by the end of the term. Unfortunately I wasn’t done with all my school work when I finished actually marking the exams. Then, I had to go through all the exams and add up the scores from each question to get the total score for the theory section. Then, I had to enter all the scores into the computer so I could calculate the finals grades for all the students. Thankfully I was able to utilize excel and the fill function to calculate the class, exam, and final grades for all 258 students in just a click. Even after calculating the final grades I wasn’t finished. Next, I had to enter the class, exam, final, and letter grades by hand into the terminal report books.

This is a small sidebar, but can anyone tell me the purpose of double-sided carbon paper? For each student there are two copies of the terminal report. One copy goes to the student and one is submitted to WAEC (West African Examination Council). To save time we use carbon paper so the scores for each student only have to be entered once. The use of carbon paper makes perfect sense to me, but the fact that the carbon paper we use is double-sided, doesn’t make very much sense. The only logical explanation I can think of would be that some people aren’t smart enough to know that there are different sides to one-sided carbon paper and you only get a “carbon copy” when it is placed carbon side down. I guess you could say that double-sided carbon paper is idiot proof, but I feel like an idiot using it. The important thing is that all of my grades are recorded in the terminal reports. The best part about entering grades this term was to see how much better all of my students did. Out of 258 students, 218 of them got better grades in term 3 than in term 2. Either my exams were WAY easier this term, or I am actually getting a grasp on this whole teaching thing and my students learned more. I like to think the latter is true, but I’m biased.

On the last day of the term there was a going away ceremony for the headmaster, since he technically retired on July 7. The new headmaster probably won’t report until just before the start of next school year and the assistant headmaster was way working on his master’s degree so the headmaster had to stay through the end of the term. The ceremony started late, but that’s to be expected. Several headmasters from surrounding senior high schools were in attendance as well as the district and regional directors of education. The ceremony was very nice.

The week after the end of the term I spent 5 days watching the sub office in Kumasi while the PCVL was in Accra. It was my first time watching the sub office and luckily there weren’t any major issues to deal with. Actually, everything ran smoothly. There weren’t very many volunteers passing through either, which helped keep the place clean. It was nice to take advantage of the free internet for a few days as well as running water, which equates to real showers and toilets that magically fill with water after you flush them.

Since then I’ve been doing a lot of reading. I’ve already read “Angels and Demons,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Carrie”. These were the first Dan Brown books and the first Stephen King book I’ve ever read. I really liked the Dan Brown books and I really want to see the movies now. As for Stephen King, the book wasn’t as scary as I hoped it would be. I have a couple more of his books though and I’ll give them a shot. I was hoping that the combination of mephloquine and Stephen King would give me vivid and terrifying nightmares, but it didn’t do it for me. Maybe his next book will though.

Earlier this week I travelled to the training site in Kukurantumi to give a STARS presentation to the trainees. We had made a powerpoint presentation with pictures and quotes from the students, but there are so many trainees that we had to do the presentation outside without a projector. The presentation still went well and we got a long list of people interested in helping organize next year’s STARS conference. Speaking of the trainees, they had their swearing-in ceremony on August 13 to officially become Peace Corps Volunteers. Next week the last PCVs of the “old teaching group” COS (close of service), which will make my teaching group the most seasoned PCV group in Ghana. I still can’t believe I’m going to officially be a 2nd year volunteer next week.

Now it’s time to talk about something EXTREMELY important. As of right now, I have nothing to do and no one to entertain over Christmas break. So who wants to come to Ghana and see what it’s like to live on $4.37 per day? I can also take you to the touristy sites so you can see elephants, monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, water falls, mud hut villages, and authentic handmade Ghanaian crafts. Last Christmas I came home to see most of you; so I think it’s only fair that some of you come visit me this Christmas. I’ve been trying to pick up on the trademark Ghanaian hospitality, but I need some visitors to try it out on. Plus, when else are you going to have the opportunity to experience Ghana with your own personal Peace Corps Volunteer as a guide? I await your reservations.

This might be my last post before I come home for Sarah and Anthony’s wedding. If it is, then I can’t wait to see and talk to you all next. Akyire yi yεbεhyia (we shall meet later).

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Comments

[Melissa]

Yipee!
I can't believe you are going to be home in just a few more days! We are so excited to see you. Great job on getting all your grades done and in. You must be a great teacher if 218 of your students grades went up in Term 3!!! Sorry not coming for Christmas, but hopefully I will be there in April :o) If I don't talk to you before you leave for home, have a safe couple of flights!!! Love ya and see ya soon.....