Beginning of School

We started at our schools on Monday. I am at Sir Samuel Baker Secondary School, which is about a 15 minute boda boda ride out of town. Between the two teachers that I am working with, I have a full schedule, which is good because it will keep me busy. On Monday and Tuesday, I sat and observed. It was so BORING!! Their main teaching method is called “chalk and talk,” which means they stand at the chalkboard and lecture. It explains why this teacher exchange is so important; we are here to share alternative teaching methods that they can then use in their classrooms. That is what the “exchange” is all about. It is an exchange of ideas to help the Gulu educational system.
I have made some observations about education; however, my only perspective at this point is Sir Samuel Baker.
The classroom is very basic: it has a desk attached to a bench that sit 2-4 students and a chalkboard. That is all. Because of the push for math and science, each child gets his/her own textbook to keep in those subjects. However in English, 3 streams (or classes which equals about 120 students) share about 25 books. The students stay in class, and the teachers rotate. The class schedule is set up like a college schedule; classes meet 2-3 times per week for either 40 or 80 minutes. The teachers literally teach to the test (national examination).
Teachers check work by using a red pen. They give a check if the answer is correct; the checks do not mean anything, but the students LOVE them. The only grades that they receive are the midterm and final grade. The students here are so different in terms of behavior. Grace said today that she thought the students were bad; I was shocked and told her that I thought they were great compared to American students. They remain on task, and even when finished, they sit silently or help their classmate. They are sweet, polite, and so interested in learning. The classes get smaller as the streams get higher; some students stop coming, some have other obligations, etc.
The bell that rings sounds like a dinner bell, and it is only a suggestion. Teachers don’t necessarily begin or end class on time. If a student is late, he knocks on the door, and asks “Madam (or Sir), may I come in?”
The student’s education is truly up to him/her. They are responsible for getting and learning the material. If they do not complete the work or pass the test, the teacher is not necessarily criticized. This attitude is so refreshing and so different from the American attitude where the children can do no wrong.
On Wednesday, I finally got to get up in front of a class. In S4M (Stream 4 Middle- roughly 10th grade), we are working on If clauses and sentence inversion. It is so boring, and I was really trying to figure a way to liven it up. Grace began the lesson by reviewing the rules and corrections from their homework, and then she let me take over. I created a group exercise where they got to be a little creative and practice at the same time. The students really enjoyed it and got the lesson at the same time. I was so pumped at the end, and it makes me so excited to continue working with Grace and these students.