Noise Invasion

Written Friday, February 2, 2007

Sometimes classes go really well and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes there is absolutely nothing you can do about class not going well. Like today, for example. Today I was trying to teach an HIV/AIDS lesson to a class of first year vocational students and I didn’t stand a chance competing against all the noise that was happening outside the classroom. The classroom is corrugated sheet metal with wire mesh windows, so every sound outside makes its way inside uninhibited.

To our right there was a cement mixture, churning mortar for the block being laid on the new work sheds. Directly in front of us was the wobbling sound of numerous strips of metal being transported from one location to another. Behind us the trucks rumbled back and forth depositing mounds of building supplies. And to our left was a room full of small children fussing and crying (most likely because of all the noise that was also happening around them). All I could do was write what I wanted to say on the blackboard and hope that everyone was taking good notes. Let’s pray that next week things are quieter, otherwise I may need to buy a megaphone.