School Days

So finally I’m going to get around to what I’m actually doing here, which I’m sure you might have been wondering.

Well first of all, for the first three months that we are living in our villages we are just supposed to observe and learn. This is so we can learn village dynamics and needs before starting projects, etc.
I’m currently in the process of completing a fairly extensive portfolio about my schools and the village I live in.

My main project here is to work at the two schools in my village. One primary school and one secondary school. One class for each grade. That gives you an idea of how big my village is. I spend all day, every school day at one of the schools, alternating days. I’m interviewing teachers, observing classes, developing rapport with teachers and discovering how the SA school system works.  Not to mention I have reorganized books in the staffrooms so that teachers can actually see what resources are available to them.

I’ve also done a bit of working with teachers to plan and deliver lessons, but I hope to do more of that. I started a long term journaling project with Grades 5 and 9. I write individual questions in English to them and they write answers back. This provides a safe space for them to practice reading and writing English on topics they know and at their level.

Sometimes when I notice that a class has been left alone I go in and do extension activities, like English and Math games with the students. I also tutor small groups, do read alouds, and am trying to make sure every secondary school student gets a lesson on test taking strategies. We are also creating artwork for World AIDS Day which is December 1!

The most exciting thing I’ve done with the students happened this week! The school year here goes with the calendar, so they start in January and end in December. The secondary learners (as they are called here) have already started their final exams… Thus, if the students aren’t taking an exam that day, they don’t really have any teachers teaching them. So this week the Art and Culture teacher asked me to teach some ballroom dancing lessons. I started teaching swing dancing to Grade 8 and 9. They absolutely LOVED it! After the lesson was over they were still practicing on their own and Grade 9 stayed after school to learn more. Everyone participated and they are fairly good. They keep asking me to teach them more, and I have. My fellow Peace Corps volunteer and dance partner on multiple occasions, Howell, suggested that I try to use dancing as a way to model appropriate cross-gender interactions, so I’m trying to throw in that kind of thing as I teach them basic swing dancing.  Its going really well! Howell and I are throwing around the idea of hosting a dance workshop during a school break in 2012, so hopefully that will come to fruition.  There is definitely enough interest.

So that’s what I’m currently up to in the schools. I hope it helps you to see what exactly I’m doing. I hope that I will be able to do more working with teachers to improve lesson plans and diversify their teaching methods. I’d also like to start some out of school clubs for girls, reading, and/or dance. I'll be starting up more official things in  January when school begins again.