Well after the fun of going to Etosha last weekend, I knew I had a busy week coming up. I was reminded in my E-Mails that it was half-Term in England and Miss Culley updated me on the normal things that were going on at Parkside, without the pupils.
I had organised myself three workshops, and two senior management consultation meetings in the two schools I was working in. I had also promised to do a film night for the learners at Nuuoma on Friday night; I think it will be the first Harry Potter film, as long as it doesn’t rain! This gave me a pretty full week.
The workshops at Mupewa Junior School on Monday and Tuesday went really well. They were about including all children in your teaching, or ‘differentiation’ in England. They call it compensatory teaching here, but like most things, nobody knows what that means, even though they are meant to do it. The Mupewa teachers were very receptive to the idea of changing their teaching styles to include more learners. However, it was a different story on Wednesday at the Secondary School, where only half of the teachers bothered to turn up to the training. This is a general approach here, and a number of teachers don’t bother to get to their lessons on time or at all sometimes. Those who were at the training, really appreciated it, and I received very positive feedback from them.
On Thursday, I met all afternoon with the Senior Managers of the Secondary School and the Principal who had asked me to be honest with them. I had been given their inspection report from March 2008; if any school had received this report in England, it would have been closed. I analysed the report and looked at areas that had improved in twelve months; there weren’t many. I had to tell them that the worst part of the school was the professionalism of the Teachers. I am not sure how much good it will do, but we agreed the key areas to tackle and I said I would write-up a Development Plan to work with.
Friday morning was meant to be meeting with the Principal at Mupewa, who had asked to see me about the next workshop. Unfortunately, although he had set the day and time, he had forgotten, and had gone somewhere else. This is another common issue here, people forgetting things. They don’t seem to keep diaries, or don’t bother to use them, which is a problem! There are a lot of good intentions in Namibia from all concerned, but the practice is still very poor. It is the transfer of theory into practice, and then ensuring it happens, that seems to be the main problem.
I think you can probably note from this ‘Blog’ that there are many frustrations for me here. However, I am confident that this is a developing and ambitious country and most of the people, especially the children, are fantastic. If I can ‘sow a few seeds’ of inclusive teaching it will be well worth it, and the future for some children may be improved.
Well ‘Film Night’ went very well and Harry Potter is now known in Oshakuku. I think we will try to do another one soon; however, it does depend on the weather, as we have to hold it outside. It was great to see up to five hundred children watching a film outside, with just Bonnie and myself looking after them. Another bonus on the night is that I saw a Firefly for the first time, sitting on our makeshift screen glowing away. Maybe it thought the projector was a mate!!
Well I was fed-up with not being able to print anything so I went in to Oshakati and bought a very cheap very simple printer, which I can use at home. The only problem I always have is getting things back to Oshakuku using a hike. These hikes are interesting, and the one I used was no exception; I have seen better cars in a scrap yard. However, the printer and me made it back safely to Oshakuku.
The pictures this week are: My housemate Bonnie, (right) and Pennie who I have mentioned, Mupewa Junior School Playground, Some Mupewa Teachers at my training, a group of senior Nuuoma Learners and a group of local children who like visiting me most nights.
I had organised myself three workshops, and two senior management consultation meetings in the two schools I was working in. I had also promised to do a film night for the learners at Nuuoma on Friday night; I think it will be the first Harry Potter film, as long as it doesn’t rain! This gave me a pretty full week.
The workshops at Mupewa Junior School on Monday and Tuesday went really well. They were about including all children in your teaching, or ‘differentiation’ in England. They call it compensatory teaching here, but like most things, nobody knows what that means, even though they are meant to do it. The Mupewa teachers were very receptive to the idea of changing their teaching styles to include more learners. However, it was a different story on Wednesday at the Secondary School, where only half of the teachers bothered to turn up to the training. This is a general approach here, and a number of teachers don’t bother to get to their lessons on time or at all sometimes. Those who were at the training, really appreciated it, and I received very positive feedback from them.
On Thursday, I met all afternoon with the Senior Managers of the Secondary School and the Principal who had asked me to be honest with them. I had been given their inspection report from March 2008; if any school had received this report in England, it would have been closed. I analysed the report and looked at areas that had improved in twelve months; there weren’t many. I had to tell them that the worst part of the school was the professionalism of the Teachers. I am not sure how much good it will do, but we agreed the key areas to tackle and I said I would write-up a Development Plan to work with.
Friday morning was meant to be meeting with the Principal at Mupewa, who had asked to see me about the next workshop. Unfortunately, although he had set the day and time, he had forgotten, and had gone somewhere else. This is another common issue here, people forgetting things. They don’t seem to keep diaries, or don’t bother to use them, which is a problem! There are a lot of good intentions in Namibia from all concerned, but the practice is still very poor. It is the transfer of theory into practice, and then ensuring it happens, that seems to be the main problem.
I think you can probably note from this ‘Blog’ that there are many frustrations for me here. However, I am confident that this is a developing and ambitious country and most of the people, especially the children, are fantastic. If I can ‘sow a few seeds’ of inclusive teaching it will be well worth it, and the future for some children may be improved.
Well ‘Film Night’ went very well and Harry Potter is now known in Oshakuku. I think we will try to do another one soon; however, it does depend on the weather, as we have to hold it outside. It was great to see up to five hundred children watching a film outside, with just Bonnie and myself looking after them. Another bonus on the night is that I saw a Firefly for the first time, sitting on our makeshift screen glowing away. Maybe it thought the projector was a mate!!
Well I was fed-up with not being able to print anything so I went in to Oshakati and bought a very cheap very simple printer, which I can use at home. The only problem I always have is getting things back to Oshakuku using a hike. These hikes are interesting, and the one I used was no exception; I have seen better cars in a scrap yard. However, the printer and me made it back safely to Oshakuku.
The pictures this week are: My housemate Bonnie, (right) and Pennie who I have mentioned, Mupewa Junior School Playground, Some Mupewa Teachers at my training, a group of senior Nuuoma Learners and a group of local children who like visiting me most nights.
