Due to a teacher shortage, I've spent two hours each morning teaching in the B (middle) class of pre school. The routine was an hour and ten minutes of teaching, then assisting with taking them (and the other two pre school classes) for porridge and then supervising them playing.
I originally thought I was teaching four and five year olds but they're actually seven to nine and one boy is ten. Pre school here is actually for making sure have some basic English language skills and are ready to be taught in English when they enter formal schooling (the kids can already speak their tribal language and Juba Arabic). Children go to pre school when their parents can afford to send them and when they can get them into a school, hence my students being older than they should be. I'm feeling really grateful for free schooling in Australia!
It's been like no other teaching I've ever experienced. Since I'm female my students call me madam, males are teacher. There were 63 children in my class, crammed four or five to a desk. I'd complain but A (baby) class has 72, most of whom have never been in a structured environment before. Also the teachers tell me that many local schools have up to 150 students in one class, so they think the class size here is relatively good! The dynamics of such a crowded room are challenging. I let the kids draw with paper and crayons one day and all the papers had to placed in portrait orientation as it was the only way they could all fit on the desks. My favorite student names were Nelson Mandela and Emanuel Freedom.
It has been a great way to learn firsthand about the South Sudanese education system and I'm hoping will be helpful when I'm helping in teacher training next week.
I've also been tutoring some older girls in the afternoons instead of them going to their "games" lesson, which is great to learn about their curriculum and get to know some kids a bit better.
One afternoon I also facilitated free drawing time for the compound pre schoolers at the request of a girl in my class, it was very cute to see them so excited to be told they could draw anything they wanted and have the paper in any orientation they wanted.
My class waving to Australia!
Some Australian visitors made a rainbow to teach the students basic colors.
I originally thought I was teaching four and five year olds but they're actually seven to nine and one boy is ten. Pre school here is actually for making sure have some basic English language skills and are ready to be taught in English when they enter formal schooling (the kids can already speak their tribal language and Juba Arabic). Children go to pre school when their parents can afford to send them and when they can get them into a school, hence my students being older than they should be. I'm feeling really grateful for free schooling in Australia!
It's been like no other teaching I've ever experienced. Since I'm female my students call me madam, males are teacher. There were 63 children in my class, crammed four or five to a desk. I'd complain but A (baby) class has 72, most of whom have never been in a structured environment before. Also the teachers tell me that many local schools have up to 150 students in one class, so they think the class size here is relatively good! The dynamics of such a crowded room are challenging. I let the kids draw with paper and crayons one day and all the papers had to placed in portrait orientation as it was the only way they could all fit on the desks. My favorite student names were Nelson Mandela and Emanuel Freedom.
It has been a great way to learn firsthand about the South Sudanese education system and I'm hoping will be helpful when I'm helping in teacher training next week.
I've also been tutoring some older girls in the afternoons instead of them going to their "games" lesson, which is great to learn about their curriculum and get to know some kids a bit better.
One afternoon I also facilitated free drawing time for the compound pre schoolers at the request of a girl in my class, it was very cute to see them so excited to be told they could draw anything they wanted and have the paper in any orientation they wanted.
My class waving to Australia!
Some Australian visitors made a rainbow to teach the students basic colors.
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It must be hard to learn names Rachel!
ReplyDeleteEspecially since they all have two names. I learnt the four orphanage kids, several naughty boys and one girl who didn't have a uniform!
ReplyDelete