So yesterday, Wednesday, the preschool teacher took the class outside to continue lessons on addition (Jumlisha). This is a challenge, as some of the children still can’t hold the right number of fingers up when you count with them. It goes 1, 2….4, puzzled look. As I love them, I think this is lack of motor co-ordination rather than stupidity, but I have to own that the class is VERY mixed ability. The ages range from 5 to 9, and the ability ranges from needing help to write the date to whizzing through each exercise and getting bored.
At the moment I am just helping this class, not in charge of it. I came with glorious ideas of having my own class etc but actually, I am finding it surprisingly soothing and rewarding just being a teaching assistant and helping the children count and write. I don’t feel that it’s not enough, because they need so much one to one help that they get more of when I am there. The teacher totally rocks. She stretches them and is very kind to them at the same time – it is very impressive.
We all trooped outside and went to a sandy area away from the classrooms. Ashura, the teacher, put them all in a circle facing her and then we all did sums in the sand. First, we did it just with little bits of wood – so we had a pile of two, a “pile” of one and a plus sign in the middle scratched in the sand. We then pushed them together and counted the total and held up the right fingers. I know this sounds ridiculously easy, but there are three children in the class who struggled even with that. The next step was a significant jump – we wrote the numbers of a simple sum, like 2 + 3 = and then put bits of wood under the 2 and the 3. The children had to push the wood together, count, and then write the number next to the equals sign. And just as I was thinking that it was doomed, hopeless and how are these poor children ever going to survive, sneef, choke etc etc, they could all do it! Even the ones who honestly can’t count beyond two normally suddenly got it. It was sunny – not even one cheeky little cloud - and warm, there were chickens running around, palm and papaya trees waving in the wind…and the children were so happy and excited by all the teachers’ excitement and praise that it was one of the best moments I’ve had here.
Here are some snaps…the first two are of my favourites, Amina and Joyce (I know I shouldn’t have favourites).
At the moment I am just helping this class, not in charge of it. I came with glorious ideas of having my own class etc but actually, I am finding it surprisingly soothing and rewarding just being a teaching assistant and helping the children count and write. I don’t feel that it’s not enough, because they need so much one to one help that they get more of when I am there. The teacher totally rocks. She stretches them and is very kind to them at the same time – it is very impressive.
We all trooped outside and went to a sandy area away from the classrooms. Ashura, the teacher, put them all in a circle facing her and then we all did sums in the sand. First, we did it just with little bits of wood – so we had a pile of two, a “pile” of one and a plus sign in the middle scratched in the sand. We then pushed them together and counted the total and held up the right fingers. I know this sounds ridiculously easy, but there are three children in the class who struggled even with that. The next step was a significant jump – we wrote the numbers of a simple sum, like 2 + 3 = and then put bits of wood under the 2 and the 3. The children had to push the wood together, count, and then write the number next to the equals sign. And just as I was thinking that it was doomed, hopeless and how are these poor children ever going to survive, sneef, choke etc etc, they could all do it! Even the ones who honestly can’t count beyond two normally suddenly got it. It was sunny – not even one cheeky little cloud - and warm, there were chickens running around, palm and papaya trees waving in the wind…and the children were so happy and excited by all the teachers’ excitement and praise that it was one of the best moments I’ve had here.
Here are some snaps…the first two are of my favourites, Amina and Joyce (I know I shouldn’t have favourites).
And here is most of the class scratching away – I think they liked having space and not having to do the numbers properly in little boxes in their exercise books.
And finally, I have put these two even though they are not really showing you anything new because it was such an achievement for these two. These are the ones who can’t even copy the date normally (which reminds me that I have to try to find out what happens with eye tests at the school ….I wonder if I really want to know the answer. Hardly any children wear glasses, out of 240. Seems too good to be true, and being able to read the blackboard is absolutely essential for them) and I was SO PLEASED when they managed this. The first girl is Aziza, and the second is Myasa (Hammerhead Shark Child, although you can't really tell from this photo).
This all sounds most idyllic, so I thought I would also share with you something I found most amusing yesterday. Being fat here is seen as a good thing, and so the following took place. I do not think it would happen in an English school.
Ashura was teaching the letter “n” and the word for fat is “mnene”. So she dragged a normally skinny little boy, Lucas, up to the front of the class, and also Calvin, who is very chubby. She stood next to them doing a “skinny” sucked-in-cheeks charade for Lucas and then a big pushed-out-cheeks Michelin-man charade for Calvin - who burned up a few calories by grinning merrily. Being burned up must have been a great shock to the calories in Calvin's body. This to me was very funny – and my amusement increased at precisely the same rate as my effectiveness decreased as she then draw a caricature of a fat boy on the board and wrote “mnene” next to it and got the class to try to say it, pointing at Calvin all the time. Can you imagine in England? And the sweet thing was that although the children were laughing, it was definitely nice laughter, not bullying. I am finally seeing that here, big is a sign of robustness and health. Which is interesting, as I am fading away because I no longer drink, or eat crispies, nutsies, starters, puddings, butter and chocolate…and I think it will end this posting on a nice note if I tell you that as a result, my previously ferocious wind is now merely a feather on the breath of God. Good news for all!
Ashura was teaching the letter “n” and the word for fat is “mnene”. So she dragged a normally skinny little boy, Lucas, up to the front of the class, and also Calvin, who is very chubby. She stood next to them doing a “skinny” sucked-in-cheeks charade for Lucas and then a big pushed-out-cheeks Michelin-man charade for Calvin - who burned up a few calories by grinning merrily. Being burned up must have been a great shock to the calories in Calvin's body. This to me was very funny – and my amusement increased at precisely the same rate as my effectiveness decreased as she then draw a caricature of a fat boy on the board and wrote “mnene” next to it and got the class to try to say it, pointing at Calvin all the time. Can you imagine in England? And the sweet thing was that although the children were laughing, it was definitely nice laughter, not bullying. I am finally seeing that here, big is a sign of robustness and health. Which is interesting, as I am fading away because I no longer drink, or eat crispies, nutsies, starters, puddings, butter and chocolate…and I think it will end this posting on a nice note if I tell you that as a result, my previously ferocious wind is now merely a feather on the breath of God. Good news for all!
1 comment:
"A feather on the breath of God". I shall write that one down and use it instead of "excuse me" in future. Nice to have an unexpected digestive tract update... T x
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