18/1/2013
Since
the learners do not rotate to different teachers, the teachers rotate to the
students. In the first few days of
classes, when the time table is being set up, this means a bit of chaos. The time table changes daily, class length is
variable, and teachers don’t always know where they need to be. I am partnering with Mr. Fungo, the
Information and Communication Technology/Computers teacher, and splitting the
classes. We have not yet decided if we
will split it such that I get a few whole classes, or if we will split each
class in half when we go to the labs, so that each of us is teaching 15 learners
at a time. I think I would prefer the
second option, but half the number of classes of thirty or the whole number of
classes of fifteen learners seems to be sort of a wash at some point. Plus if we just split the classes to 15, it
might be easier for him to transition back to the full load once I leave. We
shall see.
Right
now, teaching computers is difficult.
There are none here. Nor is there internet set up yet. Mr. Fungo is
hopeful that the computers and internet hardware will arrive next week. This,
along with everything else that is missing, is frustrating to many
teachers. There are just barely enough
chairs and desks for all of the learners. The staff room has just enough chairs
for almost all of us to sit during staff meetings (if we take all of the chairs
from every room in the administrative wing).
There are no tables or chairs in the dining hall. Text books are here, but not yet distributed
to learners or teachers. I think this
was my biggest fear/negative expectation: that the school would not be ready
yet. I just hope that stuffs will be
here before I leave, so that I can hopefully make use of them, and help set up
good practices with learners and staff.
The
learners and staff are very excited to be here.
There is almost a camp like feel amongst the girls in the hostel next to
my flat. Most of the grade eight
learners are from all over the country, so new friendships are being forged
here. The grade eleven girls are mostly
from the surrounding Kavango region—some know each other, some do not. All of the children I’ve talked to are very
proud to be here. They definitely get that this school is going to be a big
deal, and they want to be a successful part of it.
I want
to do three major things while I am here, beyond teaching computers. First, I
would like to set up some sort of careers/college counseling and fair. Learners here have very lofty goals, which
could be attainable, but don’t know what it takes to get from here to
there. I would like to help bridge that
gap in knowledge, perhaps through working with the school counselor. Right now, though, he seems caught up in
dealing with homesick children. The kids
will not leave here until the school year is over, so some are very overwhelmed.
Second,
I would like to help teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. I would like to work with the biology
teachers to use the internet to look up information about HIV/AIDS and other
health related topics, geography teachers to use Googlemaps and other online
mapping tools, history teachers to make interactive timelines, and English
teachers to incorporate word processing into their writing curricula. Right now, the teachers try to make their
classes interactive and more student-centered, but haven't had much opportunity
to practice asking good leading questions or design activities that directly
engage students with the material. But I
think the drive and effort is there on the part of the teachers.
Third,
I would like to involve students in some sort of theater group talking about
teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS—especially the grade 11’s. The Kavango region has a super high rate of
teen pregnancy, and the HIV/AIDS rate is 25%.
Involving students in getting the message of goal-driven safe sex,
abstinence, and faithfulness out there would be great for this community. Part of me wishes I were in the community
more than this more secluded school. On
the other hand, we’ve been given a lot of really bright students, and I get to
help them find their potential and figure out how to make it a reality.
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