First week at UCCC

I have completed my first week of teaching ecology at Université Chrétienne de la Communauté de Caïman (UCCC). I teach 3 classes a week to the same class of first year agronomy students so that we can get in an entire 3 credit course in the 6 weeks that I am here.  Already the students have asked me if bats come from old mice, and the topic of zombies came up.  I lecture in English with my friend Diranot translating into Creole (though maybe the students want French?).  Handouts and tests are in French thanks to a French graduate student at the Univ. of Kansas and google translate.  There’s no power at the university so I hold up my computer so the class can see pictures – can’t teach about biomes without showing what a tundra or taiga looks like!  Next week is their first quiz, and an outdoor lab to learn forestry measurements.