More on my teaching experience

School is out

In the short time since I last wrote about teaching in the school, things have changed.  Primary 4 are gradually becoming accustomed to my ways and are therefore easier to teach.  We still have times when they are noisy, but not to the same extent.  Brenda has passed on her Primary 5 class to me as she is about to leave, so my workload has doubled.  Primary 5 were more used to having a western teacher to begin with and are therefore not nearly so excitable.  For both classes I am following the textbook but with modifications to make life more interesting and challenging.  I hope to boost their general understanding of English as well as following the curriculum.

Here is a sample of what my more successful lessons look like:

Primary 4 were due for a spelling session.  I dictated a single word to the class, and asked for volunteers to try to write it on the blackboard.  I think asking them to write on the board was key.  It made them feel important.  The lesson was intended to teach not only the spellings, but also about phonics.  They have never learnt phonics so this is a real struggle for them.  However, they persevered in spite of their difficulties.  Afterwards I asked them to write all the words down and learn them.  The very next day I repeated the procedure and found that they were far more accurate, and just as excited about writing on the board.

Primary 4 textbook (sponsored by
the UK government)

Primary 5 were due to learn about hard and soft ‘g’s and revise hard and soft ‘c’s, e.g. give and giraffe, cake and celebrate.  I divided the class into two teams, girls and boys.  I drew girl and boy columns on the blackboard.  Then I asked the teams to come to the board to write as many g and c words as possible in their columns.  At the end the boys were the clear winners.  We then worked on pronunciation and spotted the soft and hard letters.  I taught them the ‘rules’.  Then, as there was still time, I read to them from a story book which Brenda had started previously.

This is all very different from my teaching experience in Sudan, where I was moving from class to class the whole time and therefore didn’t get a chance to give continuity and work with the same pupils over a longer time.  The methods I am using are the same and continue to work well, because I am still coping with the same lack of resources.

I now have a short break from teaching as Monday and Tuesday next week is the Eid holiday (the Muslim celebration of the sacrifice of Abraham).