'alright.so, you mean we have to TEACH?'

Lesson Planning Session #1, the first without the guiding wisdom of CCH's semi-resident yoda [ie. Kevin Morley].
Our team [less Oystein, our first casualty to khmer cleanliness] finally sat down and attempted our first hashing-out of how we were going to actually do what we were sent here to do: teach. It was like selection weekend but this time the pressure wasnt coming from the fact that failure would equal our not being selected. The real possibility of our failing the kids this time and not our past self-centered objectives, well, was a far scarier weight looming over at least my head at that oversized mahogony table this afternoon. I think out of everything, my greatest fear coming into this project is failing these kids. Failing to give them what they are asking for, failing to give them the tools that should be in my power to give, failing to help. And its strange that I would use that word, 'help', because until now [as many of you who've had to sit through at least one of my rants would know] it has been a firm belief of mine that as soon as one adopts the attitude that they can 'help' someone, then the condescention implied will always bar the way for a meaning dialogue between the two sides. And while that is still something i believe, meeting the individuals at CCH and the way that they so easily and freely opened up to as and included us as family not just teachers or visitors, I suddenly have this overwhelming drive to try and 'help' them as I would try and help any other close friend or member of my family. Maybe things will change once we start building the student-teacher relationship as we get more heavily into teaching. I hope so. But if not, then I may just burn out.