Struggles

Since it is my first year to teach and I have never taken a class in education, I am not sure what is exactly normal.  Also, I don’t know what is normal for a teacher in a foreign country.  This makes the first year of teaching hard, incredibly hard!  I would say that at least once a week, I wonder what I’m doing.  How did I become a teacher?  Are my learners getting anything out of me being here?  Am I failing miserably?  I hate feeling this way, but I can’t seem to shake all of the questions.  I mean, what if all of my learners fail their tests at the end of the year?  What if none of them are actually improving or learning?  I am struggling, or as Namibians say, I am suffering because I am trying to follow the WorldTeach Manual, the textbook, the directions I was given from the MOE, and trying to take into consideration the level of my learners.  I am still so confused on testing too.  How am I supposed to get 10 to 12 CASS mark grades and still give real tests that evaluate what they are learning?  The kids would be taking a test every other day if I did that!

Well, that’s all I needed to say.  There are currently no answers to these questions, but I felt I needed to share some of my frustrations and struggles with the rest of you.  If you are a teacher, and/or know a teacher, any advice would be greatly appreciated!