Friday 15th October
Wow this week has absolutely flown by. I have managed to get a couple of afternoons off this week so that I could have some block time to finish off some of the bits I have been doing ‘behind the scenes’ for the school. We now have student tracking sheets being trialled in English and Maths, a behaviour policy (with new expectations/rules, report cards etc being started on Monday), all the reading test data logged electronically, the start of a stepped phonics programme that we can roll out on mass rather than one to one, a new timetable that has less lessons in the afternoon and more in the morning, a stepped reading programme that we can systematically put the kids through, and new reading books (including some Kiswahili books as really want the kids to know the joy of reading in their own language as well). Apart from that….nothing's happening!!
This is all really exciting, and it is funny how things work out in life. For me to have come here, and be placed in Precious at this particular time in its journey where rapid change and improvement can be affected (or not) and have the opportunity to input to the staff team here is I’m sure what I was destined to be doing. The combination of volunteers and staff is amazing – Michelle (the great cook), Rachel (Aussie) and Katie (staff i/c Precious) in particular are phenomenal to work with and the cumulative energy from us all is quite something!
My kids in S4 are doing really well. We are progressing well with our maths – I’ve now unpicked where my flyers are in maths and who has some deep routed issues, mostly around the literacy needed in maths to be able to understand. I have about 4 complete non-readers in my class, and I am managing to do quite a bit of one-to-one within my lessons to support them. It is interesting that now ‘they know that I know’ they can’t read, they have stopped some of the inevitable ‘cover behaviour’ they have become quite proficient in such as poor behaviour, cheating/copying, avoidance etc, and are now really trying to decode the English language with me. I just hope I can stop them being ‘put down’ to standard 1 or 2 because of their inability to read – socially it will be the worst thing for them if that happens. I am trying to persuade the staff here, and ultimately Madam Jayne to put a system of vertical teaching in English and maths from January when the new school year starts so we can assist those who need help but also push those who can fly. But clearly vertical teaching does not feature in the Kenyan education system, so it might be a step too far too soon.
In English, we went out into Shauriyako this week to draw our map – hilarious….we caused quite a stir really. I don’t think there has ever been a ‘field trip’ out, especially with a ‘mzungu’. I took Mr Ben with me just in case (Madam Jayne’s wish) but there were no issues - -just loads of curiosity as to what on earth we were doing. The end result were one or two good maps, and some very bizarre ones also, not that I can talk as my ability to draw, coupled with a terrible sense of direction (thank goodness the kids knew their way back to the school from the side streets!) did not give the kids much hope or direction! Importantly we managed to get some sentences constructed about the experience which both they, and I was very pleased with! Forgot to take my camera along which was a shame as would have liked to share the experience with you – never mind.
Manners are coming on very nicely still, not calling out answers is vastly improved, getting on with work immediately it is set is now more commonplace than the inordinate amount of ‘African minutes’ that kids could take to get a pen out, open their book and connect the two up! Lots of positive behaviour management going on, ‘Catch them being good’ names going up on board, rewards (stars, smiley stickers which they almost still riot for) etc. Our target for next week is less physical fighting. I’m back to ‘it is what it is’ with this – this is learnt behaviour from the adults around them, and to turn round and whack someone if they’ve done something to you, or annoyed you seems to be just how it is. But reckon if I can sort out the manners I can have a go at cracking the fighting. Mind you, do have to hide a smile when I see a girl (I only have 3 in my class) who has been annoyed by a boy, absolutely sock them one and not flinch when a ‘fisty cuffs’ commences and gives as good as she gets. There’s never any tears, or fuss from other students….. no ‘fight, fight, fight’ chants as per UK and I just want to shout ‘Go Girl’!
The kids here are innately deferential and so, so want to please and learn. One volunteer was telling us yesterday that she couldn’t find the board rubber for her classroom, and a girl just took off her shoe and her sock, walked up to the board without saying anything, and then cleaned the board with her sock, walked back, put her sock and shoe back on and carried on with her work. Well I have to say we were rolling around with laughter last night on this one - what else can you do? What do we buy more of? Board rubbers or socks?
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