Teaching the Teachers

May 5, 2014

Today, Gretchen, a special ed teacher with the AIDSpirit team, met with Agnes, the literacy teacher who is tutoring the two Scovia's sponsored in school during their school break, and Maureen, the nursery school teacher. She has found the students are reading at level P 4 and P 5 fairly well, except for some more complex words. Their phonics with certain letters put together such as, "ch" in chases, they want to pronounce with like a "ka" instead "cha". The leave off the "es" on the end and well as anything with an "s" and "ed". Certain pre fixes and suffixes, like -ily in luckily throws them off and the meaning is not understood either. Certain words with "ou" also is difficult. Gretchen suggests writing all the words down they do not understand when reading, then looking them up and practicing and owning the word, so then they now have it in their vocabulary. She suggests also developing word lists in like groups of phonics and pronunciations. The students are also taught to memorize exactly what will be tested exactly what will be on the national exam and these concepts are not seriously taught until P 6 or P 7 when they must take the exam. Stories therefore are not understood all too well, nor do they know how to tell a story or sequence a concept like, "water cycle" in meaningful sentences that can tell about the concept or story.

Gretchen is amazing and I learned a lot from her as well! She gave the teachers some good ideas, like writing a sentence with a blank in it and having the student write in the correct word for the nursery students by picking from a group of picture words for example. I had bought some books for both the nursery and primary students and she worked with each teacher on how to use them effectively. I had also brought some flash cards from home for the nursery students, bought some picture books here etc. The other difficulty is the teachers also speak in stilted english and they also talk in their native language while trying to teach english. Just getting them to teach in english will be a large break through. Gretchen stressed that if the foundation is layed well in nursery and kindergarten and early P levels, the student will be much more successful when reaching the higher P levels as well as in secondary school!! They will still need to memorize for the national exam however. It appears only the most gifted go on successfully, as they must learn innately, rather from much of what they are taught. Peter, for example, at Tender Mercies, is extremely gifted. He is a walking encyclopedia. He has memorized the entire bible and can recite verse and chapter, as well as recite correctly most anything you as him in regard to a science topic, etc. I also bought Rogers some workbooks and Peter was more than happy to work with him on these after I moved up the the farm. Oh, how Rogers needs his mind stimulated and with the illness missing so much school and the incredible different teaching system in Uganda, he has lost a lot of ground.

I was able to buy duplicates of the early P level english and science workbooks for the primary students that are far behind their actual level, and we hope they can improve especially during each school break learn more so that in school they will continue to move forward without repeating. The challenge for the nursery school is there are 37 students!! Books are relatively expensive and not provided in schools in Uganda. We may be copying some things from the set I bought and Ranae can also see next time she comes what to do about this. AIDSpirit donated some teaching manuels that have some good word lists and stories that can be cut up and put together for reading materials. We are so grateful!! So, as was the case, with the times I taught the tailoring teaching how to place a pattern along seams and sew an apron or purse, even though I am not a seamstress...I will now be charged with teaching the teachers, since the teacher Gretchen, also taught me.

Teaching the teachers was one of the missing pieces of the matrix of the PRESM community development model. With the literacy program developing over the last year under the direction of Ranae Parker and visiting teachers we look forward to seeing it's fruit!

The women are so so busy with their gardens and children home from school break, the adult literacy is not in session so far.

In the afternoon, we moved on to the vocational school. The ladies have been busy making the rest of our order. There was a misunderstanding so the tailoring teacher had the ladies stop after making two aprons. They turned out beautifully! The AIDSpirit team loved them and placed an order for buying for their grandkids and children, so back I was to the bustling market to buy more fabric for Aprons!! Ranae sent some patterns for headbands from the scrap material and "poof" 20 were made within an hour or so....these went back with AIDSpirit team so I had room for Aprons!!

All in all, there is great hope....

Nadine (not a teacher....ha)