Kyle's Kenya experience day eight
Tue 25th October - 6.22pm by Kyle Burtenshaw
Today has been yet another great day and as I seem to always say, it was one of my favourites. For me it was a pretty busy day as I taught three lessons today. I started off by teaching kindergarten a lesson bout numbers. This overall went pretty well as I started off by doing some adding activities with them,then attempting to show them how to play snakes and ladders with themm, whcih wasn't as succesful, so I went back to doind adding and subtracting. I really enjoyed the experience of teaching the younger kids. Another lesson I did was maths with standard 4 (11 year olds) whhich was focused on measuring. This was a successful lesson as the kids seemed to grasp what was being taught and got on with the activities well. The last lesson I taught which was my favourite so far is an RE lesson woth standard six, focusing on Martin Luther King and the segregation of black people in America at that time. I enjoyed being able to introduce this to them as it is something they have never covered before. I questioned how much the class were taking in the lesson, but it seemed to be effective as the teacher questioned the class on what tehy had learned at the end, whcih got many of the students answering. The thing that truly touched me was that at the end, many of the students came up to me and told me how touched and inspired they were by the story. And the fact that I was their age when I learnt about it and had the same reaction as them was that bit more touching. I enjoyed the genuine interst that the kids showed and was happy talking in more depth about it to them in their own time. Plus, the teacher observing the lesson has requested for another Martin King lesson and wants both stanard six and seven to be part of it. Another thing that got me emtionally was the visit to one of the school childrens houses. The little girls who's house we visited had already been through a lot in her short life and the fact that she lived in a small cramped house and lived with her auntie and uncle who struggle to pay eight shillings to get a canester of water a week (thats around 2p!), dosent help matters. Her house was apparantely a short treck from the school but it certainly didnt feel like that to us. The house that she lived in would be considered a room to us, becasue it is literally one room separated by a wall and clothes hanging. It was a very humbling exdperience to witnbess what kind of living conditions a fmily of four were living in and finding out the hardships of their lives and that she is lucky to have a meal at home. This ezxerience is something I will remember fior thge rest of my life. It is something that I will lok back on when I or anybody else back home selfishly says that their life is rubbish or complain in any way, because seeing how the family cope day by day in he conditions they have make us look like celebrities. I am very grateful for the experience that I had today and wil always remember it.

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Comment by Kate, Bens Mum
Hi Kyle
Hope you dont mind me sending you a message but I just wanted you to know that I love reading your blogs. They are an education on their own! It sounds that today was really tough and you have all been affected by what you have witnessed. We are all really proud of you guys! keep up the good work, Kate
Comment by James Clarke
Wow! Just reading what you wrote i felt like i was feeling all thosos feelings you talk about...Trust you to be teaching Martin Luther King ;) So glad your having an amazing time and continue doing so! Also i won one of Mr Straws Competitions so happy!!!!!!!! :D xx Also i think i might have a job with the spshil needs Kids so hopefully we can start saving for world trip and maybe you could show me what you did in Kenya..Talk soon :) xx
Comment by mum
Hi Kyle, wow! i cannot begin to tell you just how proud i am of you and what you have acheieved so far. Your lessons sound amazing and the children sound like they love all that you do. I am extemely proud of you teaching the children about Martin Luther King and the reaction of the children also, and that you have been asked to do this again. Cannot wait when you come home my head is full of questions about your expereince in Kenya. Well done Kyle. Love you xxxx
Comment by Kyle Burtenshaw
Hey guys,thank you all so much for responding to my blog,especially bens mum as it means a lot for anoth mum to reply to my blog :) well done james for possibly getting a job at the special needs place,I hope this men's e r gonna go on that round the world trip ;) and mum ,it meant a lot to me to do the lesson on Martin Luther king and I'm glad that you can find out about me doing it and I look forward to letting you know all about it when I get back ) it ,exams a lot to see you replying to my blogs and makes me miss you even more :)xx