End of Week Three ;-)

I am somewhat surprised that there is only one week left.

Three weeks have passed and when I look back I smile at the vast amount of things I have been exposed to but feel somewhat saddened at the amount of work that has actually been achieved.

Myself and the other two student teachers were just discussing at how some of the staff have no concern for time and arrive 15 - 20 mins late for each lesson. 15mins is a quarter of the lesson time which means a whole term out of a year is lost due to teachers arriving late for the lessons.

If I just look at these three weeks I have been here, the first week was spent marking and doing reports, the second week was only 3 days long so not much work got done and this third week panic set in. Contributing to this was that the teachers who I am working with just don't come to school for one day out of every week. Another day in the life of the learners which is lost.

It is no wonder then that the curriculum does not get finished or that the work is done so superficially in order to rush through the allotted content that the learners are not able to grasp the core concepts. My heart bleeds for them, especially those trying so hard to make something of themselves and to rise above their current situation.

Saying that, I found myself, giving in to the same attitudes to most of the teachers. There are two problem classes - 9a and 11J. I take 11J and 11P for Physics and Biology. The difference in the two classes is quite considerable and it is not really in ability but more in attitude and size. 11J have between 40 - 50 children in the class where as 11P have 30 - 40 in the class. The size of the classrooms also differ. 11J is a big class in an even bigger classroom and are difficult to control. The learners have massive attitudes to go with the big class size and classroom.

I have been losing the battle this week with the physical science where I have been trying to teach science but have been spending most of the lesson explaining the maths behind the science. How the learners were allowed to take maths literacy with physical science I will never understand. Simple mathematical rearranging of equations are beyond the scope they seem to cover in maths literacy. Anyway it all adds up to one frustrated teacher who is being pressurized to get through the curriculum but cant get past the maths or the attitude of the students.

This morning I had my assessment in physical science with 11J. I had a brilliant lesson planned with a demonstration with lenses, application of the curvature in mirrors in the change rooms of clothes shops, how spectacles can correct near or far sightedness.

I walked in there ready but with some trepidation about doing my assessment in the 11J class. That was my first mistake. Then I jumped into establishing how much they remembered from Grade 10. Needless to say I was thrown when they denied knowledge of any grade 10 work they were supposed to have done. Instead of continuing with the plan - I let it get to me that once again - I wouldn't be able to teach Grade 11 science because they didn't have the basics. I gave into frustration and the lesson went pear shaped from the start. 5hours later I had the same lesson but with 11P - I was wondering how to change and adapt the lesson to make it better. I started the same way asking what they had done in grade 10 last year. Not only could they tell me but they had brought their note books with the notes from last year in them and were able to show me what they had done. So my lesson went really well, better than I had hoped it would go. And as Murphy would have it the lesson that went really well was not the one in which I was being assessed in, but the conditions were different, the students more conscientious and the class is smaller and more manageable.

On an shock note.... One of the student teachers was trying to control the habit the students have of bunking class or slipping out to go and smoke. So when one of the main culprits went to leave for the toilet - she asked him to stay for the important section she was discussing so he stood at the door, unzipped his trousers and stood there for 5mins before he urinated in the bin egged on by cheers from his peers.

Two Weeks of Rurality

Two Weeks in and I'm getting used to things - or am I?

I still cant get used to the "toilets" with the stench, the flies and the dangerous snakes ( a Mamba was spotted) but I am getting used to the Africa time where nothing is urgent and things are done ... when they get done. Lessons start 20 - 30 mins late if they start at all. Lesson plans for the day are either used by the teacher to teach or the teacher suddenly changes the plan on the way to the class and asks you to start a new section with the class in that lesson.

The first week was reserved for marking exams from last term, submitting marks and writing reports.

The second week was used to start the curriculum for the second term.

We also had two assignments to hand in and our Practical assessment.

This week (being the third week) is only, in essence, 2 days long, one of which we are having another practical assessment.

Next week is the last week of Practical and there are two assignments I haveto hand in that week.

On top of this all we have taken on a little "Project" at the school.

I have set up a website for the school and still need to get all the info to fill in but the basics are there. What we want to do is start up a feeding scheme and I thought a good way to keep it running would be to get people from all over the world to sponsor a child. At R1 a day a child can be fed for R100 - R200 a year. That is less that 20 pounds to feed a child for a year.

People could also sponsor a child's school fees or their ARV's. There are so many children who live alone because their parents have died from AIDS and there are so many who are infected with HIV and do not have access to medicines.

The teachers there do what they can by bringing extra food (but there are too many hungry mouths to feed), if a child is looking really sick they will drive them through to the nearest town to see a doctor, but it is usually too late by then as a 14yr old girl found out, she died a week later from AIDS.

There are many girls who are getting pregnant to get money to live on, and children who are selling drugs to make money or to numb out the hunger pains and the pain of losing their family one after the next.

Last year there were 9 girls in Grade 12 who were pregnant. I found a grade 11 girl with her baby at lunch time, and all the other girls were gathered around her excited and adoring.

The frightening part of it all that those children who are battling are also too proud to accept help. The teachers say that the children don't want to be singled out as struggling so they would rather go hungry than accept food and admit to their fellow students that they are not coping.

I can cope with the lack of sleep, the many major assignments, the lesson preps, etc but the emotional side of it is something that I am really struggling with.

I get to sleep in a warm bed, with a full tummy, I have my family for support and yet I still moan about the most insignificant things in comparison with what these young children have to face.

It is very humbling, and I cant help lose sleep over it, so hopefully we will be able to make a small difference in some other way beside providing our knowledge for their consumption.

For those wanting to take a peek at the unfinished website.... http://sites.google.com/site/mpolwenischool/

Day Three

This morning the principle spoke to the staff about the learners arriving late and said it needs to be monitored & dealt with. More than half the school is coming late which is not acceptable. He also spoke about the learners bunking classes: “Learning takes place in the classroom not outside. If they don’t want to learn they must go home.”

School uniform is varied – Short white socks, short blue socks & long blue socks. Different T-shirts under white shirts, different coloured belts with a variety of buckles which make certain statements.

How much leeway do you give in situations like this when students walk such long distances or catch public transport? Are you strict and they just have to make sure they wake up really early to get to school or do you make allowances here that you wouldn’t at an urban school? The same question applies to their uniform – there are those who are more fortunate but the majority are poor and only have one uniform which is torn and tattered. There are not many learners who can afford more than one uniform or the school jersey so they wear T shirts underneath if it is cold and to preserve the uniform so it can be worn the next day. I have always wondered about the purpose of school uniforms, is it to control and discipline or is it to protect the poorer student from feeling disadvantages and puts everyone on a par, does it instil a sense of belonging and pride?

I found it very moving that most students do take pride in their uniform and was interested to see that after the long and dusty walk to school they get water and clean up their dirty dusty shoes. While others have their shirts out, no ties, socks down and dusty dirty shoes.

Another interesting thing happened today – one of the teachers has lost a student’s exam paper and can’t find it – what happens to the students marks in this case? It is not the students fault and they shouldn’t be made to pay for something which is the teachers fault.

Every teacher has a format to fill in for lesson planning, most started the year off well but have got behind. Some have only done plans for January and February. Is it possible to stay on top of things with all the admin that is imposed on teachers?

There is a 3 day waiting period if you want anything photo copied, so planning for y our lessons is KEY. One thing I am definitely learning is how important it is to be organised and what can go wrong if you are not.

Two other things happened today that were interesting: my life science teacher did revision with her class and it was all in Zulu so for an hour I sat like a fish out of water not understanding a word of what was going on. It made me wonder what her motives were. Does she speak Zulu to ensure that they understand and thus is helping them or is it a disadvantage in that their English is suffering and when it comes to the exam they will have to understand, read and write in English.

The second thing which was a cause for concern for me was in the physical science lesson. The teacher explained that he was about to do a demonstration with a very strong acid. He said “ If you happen to drink this strong acid you must not drink water it will make it worse – you need to drink a strong base like sodium hydroxide to neutralise it” he then left the acid on the table and after the class had finished the first thing the learners did was rush up to fiddle with it.

I found this statement rather careless as I don’t think it stresses the danger but rather gives the learners something to “try”. They might interpret that it is ok to drink as long as they drink the base afterwards to neutralise. But maybe I am not giving them enough credit?

Saying that I am enjoying the fact that he is not Zulu so is in a similar situation to me where the students talk in their home language and then laugh at him when he attempt to use a couple of words like above (phezulu) and below (phansi) when stressing the super and subscript notations.

Today I got to observe the teachers in action for the first time and although, the one that was in Zulu was completely beyond me i did get to observe one in English from the Physical science teacher. He has an interesting way of teaching and uses a lot of repetition both from himself and from the learners who are prompted to repeat after him. I am interested to see how effective this type of teaching is. But one thing I did notice was that not much material is covered in an hour. What I was able to summarise into 10 lines took an entire hour to cover – so that is an interesting indication for when I am planning and how I need to structure the lesson and the time it will take.

I took an opportunity to talk to some of the learners and the teachers, it is so refreshing to have such friendly reception and everyone is so eager to help all of the time.

Is this what happens when you are stripped of all the luxuries in life and only have the bare minimum? It always amazes me how poor people always seem to be happy and smiling while those who are rich are burdened and unhappy. Yes I am generalising but it is an interesting concept.

Best I get to the lesson planning I need to do for tomorrow...

Day two

So after my shell shocked reaction yesterday and not much sleep last night I hauled myself out of bed this morning wondering what today would hold. . .

... and it was much of the same... except this time I was prepared with, my toilet roll in my bag and my scientific calculator.

I spent most of today helping the teachers out with recording marks, marking exam papers and showing the teachers how to work out the calculations, like converting a mark out of 100 into a mark out of 10, adding it to a mark out of 25 to get a mark out of 35 then converting to a percentage and finding the average and the median. We did this during class as we did yesterday but today the teachers were prepared and had a learner copy from a textbook onto the board while all the other learners copied that down we caught up with the admin which should have been in yesterday.

At lunch time I had a chance to chat to some of the teachers in the staff room and I found it quite daunting that they have so many challenges to deal with, and interesting how they deal with these challenges on a daily basis.

My teacher mentor asked me for the work I had prepared so she could look at it tonight and use it to prepare for the lessons tomorrow - so it looks like I might get to observe some actual teaching tomorrow.

Hmmm, yes I suppose I do come across as a bit cynical, but I am just so frustrated for the learners who end up suffering due to the lack of resources, the disorganisation and general lack of interest.

If only it were an ideal world and everyone had equal opportunities....

... yet still they find time to smile (so at least I can say I learnt something today)

First Day at the Rural School

A Picture paints a thousand words....

But just in case this one doesnt...

If I had to find a word that would aptly descripe today it would be a "Long Drop"

This is the epitomy of what I experienced and am likely to experience for the rest of my practical teaching.

To say that resources are scarce, is a gross understatement and that is just wrt what the average person would take for granted, like a toilet, toilet paper, running water, etc.

And I havent even begun on the classrooms, textbooks(or lack there of), library (hmmm, if that is what you call a locked room with a few unused books).

Being a microbiologist does not help in this situation where the abultions are breeding grounds for all sorts of microorgamisms and then there is the lack of water so there is NO personal hygiene. I felt like I was being sucked to an invisable abyss of microorganism hell, where they infest us while we remain oblivious.

The studies done on escalators and the underground tubes have nothing on what they would find here. Here they would probably find a whole population of new and varied mutated species.

Okay so I admit my imagination might have run away with me somewhat here, but the reality of it all is that it is a very unhygenic environment which proves to be an excellent vehicle for the transmittion of microbes and diseases.

Getting that out the way, the staff and students were very friendly, the assembly was interesting and personally I found it slightly moving with the principle saying that excuses will not set you free, your future is in your hands and you make of it what you will. Dont blame drugs or the fact you dont have parents or no money.

You can also see he cares about the students.

On the organisation side of things.... there was no organisation. We had to try work out our own timetables based on our subjects and choose certain classes which didnt clash but we could not jump from one to the next anyway so instead of getting exposure of grade 10, 11 and 12 - I am now stuck with 2 Grade 11 classes for life science and physical science - 11J & 11P.

Oh my will have to continue this tomorrow - it is past midnight and I have an early moring as well as a teething baby.....