I have now really settled into my assignment here at Kendriya Vidyalaya Tirumalagiri. The students are warm to me and eagerly seek out my attention. I still have "new guy" status, but I am also different, an anomaly really, among the staff here at the school. Besides the famous videos of CHS, students are really responding to some Hindi phrases that I have picked up along the way. Most of the phrases I have learned on the way to school in the auto rickshaw with Dr. Sharma's two wonderful daughters - Virajita and Vipanchika. Verajita, or Veru for short, has been my willing teacher on the morning rides to school, often spelling things out phonetically when I am struggling with a particular word. My class eleven students become delirious with laughter when I try out my new phrases on them - either its the outright ridiculous accent I have or I have said something inadvertently - they won't tell me.My teaching routine is also coming along - I certainly can't compete with the effectiveness of veteran Indian teachers here as far as preparing the students for the national board exams, but I do think I am able to get a little physics into them. I am currently planning the "slice-the-pendulum" lab for them (for all you grizzled physics veterans), which I am hoping will be fun experience for the students.
The morning assembly continues to be a special time of the day for me - I continue to be awestruck by the singing of the morning prayer and the national anthem as well as the overall happiness of the students. They, for the most part, LOVE being at school. I have had students often request additional classes (and not like the random overachiever) - and a willingness to come in on Sundays (our one day off during the week) to do some extra instruction. On the few occasions in which I have made such extra sessions, almost every student showed up for class - making their own transportation arrangements in order to attend. If I close my eyes I can see the tumbleweeds blowing throughout the hallways if I were to proposition one of my American students with their lifelong dream of "extra physics"!
I have promised myself to attempt to capture the morning prayer / assembly in video and post it here later - perhaps in November. Veru has agreed to translate it from Hindi into English, so you will be able to follow along.
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