I met with Mary, the Director, who was meeting with some folk from Sweden that were looking into starting a Swedish-Ugandan network of sorts to send volunteers over. My class was "prepared" for me by Teacher Juliana, who walked me towards the door and turned away.
I was on my own.
I took a deep breath and walked in, at which point there was a sudden shuffle of feet as all the students stood up to greet and welcome me. It was odd standing there infront of 50 or so little chaps looking up to me.
We exchanged pleasantries, so to speak and I went staright into a short introduction about myself, explaining who I was, what I was there to do.I scribbled the date on the blackboard, and below that, my first name. I have always imagined this what a new teacher does? Haha. I need not say even by the end of the lesson, my blackboard handwriting was horrific, to say the least!!
I remember thinking how vain it was of me to make a fuss over what I should dress up in, only to realise some of the students didn't even have shoes, and inso could care less about the coordination of my tie and shirt etc. Hmmph!
I mentioned that I thought it would be great if we all got to know one another, and would shortly ask each individual to stand up and introduce himelf/herself, telling us alittle about who they are and their hobbies (a statement I soon discontinued for a more simplistic what games you like / what you like to do ) and to point out a best friend and future career.
I'll note that my lesson plan, of sorts, was to "grade" the childrens grammar and spoken English.
This I figured would be done coyly through my "get to know one another" strategy where I would write down each students name and a basic note on their spoken English capabilities plus a side note on something about them e.g Jane the Doctor with english 7 (My grades were 1-10).
For grammar, I would have them write out what they had said, i.e name, best friends, hobbies (best game) and a short one page story on theior best animal (favoourite animal).
The spoken section of he lesson, went fairly well and was quite an ice breaker as we all got to share a laugh/clap now and then when someone mentioned an odd future profession or a a best friend as the opposite sex. I was impressed by the spoken English, not that it was impeccable, buut it was betterthan I had thought it would be, save for three or four cases.
I also came to note that I had a mix of students from Primary Two up through Primary Seven (Ugandan primary/junior school is divided into seven classes). This was a good and bad thing, withthe good thing being the younger students were inevtably forced to catch up withthe speed of the older more eloquent students and a bad thing that sometimes the younger students felt too pressurised and closed up.
I plan to deal with this in later lessons, by diving the class into groups.
The class also had what I could call the safe class cocktail. The quiet one, the loud mouth, the joker etc.
At the end of this, I asked if anyone had any questions about me, seeing as I had asked about them. Hands shot into the air, asking about everything from my religous beliefs to my "best games" to my best songs/singers. That I hesitated on as I almost mentioned my rather odd (read: very white! haha) taste in music like the Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows or Blink 182 !?! Rather than endure odd blank stares, haha, that even my suI resorted to mumbling a more commercial 50 Cent and Micheal Jackson. At this point I was asked if I could dance like MJ, towhich I lyingly replied in the affirmative and was forced to perform a horrible signature crotch-grabbing-hand-in-the-air MJ move that lasted barely 15 seconds! haha.
From spoken, we moved into Grammar, I handed out the books and pens to happy-to-have-new-stuff students and we went into the writing session.
This was rather unevetful, with the class getting quiet as the students filled their books.
Tea break beckoned and we broke up, with the students going out and I staying in to review their work. Someone brought me porridge (liquid maize mill), which i hadn't tasted in nearly 6 years ... I took a sip that aside from burning me instantly teleported me back to the last place I tasted this drink...and where I happened to be now : School!
The students came back in and we moved on into each one reading out their story infront of the class (yes, I am trying to get them to speak English as much as possible) withthe class lsietening and asking questions / making corrections.
This went well, and was hilarious as some really odd stories had been penned, and the authors got bashed by the classmates asking how animals could speak, if all dogs wre vicious and other disrepancies in the tales. I made sure there was a nice handclap at the end of every one's story.
Lunch beckoned, and I had a small outro, because I felt the need (as was pointed out on some internet forum) to let the students see the need for them to take the oppourtunity and learn as much as they can.
I pointed out that they had all mentioned future plans / careers that all had one thing in common. English language. I noted that one would indeed need English grammar to pass test / interviews and spoken English to express themselves eloquently when at a verbal interview for the respective jobs. Lastly, I made note of the fact that I had travelled all the way from Kampala (the capital city) early on a Saturday morning to healp them learn (note the word play, haha, not to teach them but to help them learn!! hehe) noting that I could be cuddled in bed right now, but I had made an effort and they should see the oppourtunity and use me to learn. I concluded by thanking them for a being a great class and promised to see them again next weekend.
CLASS DISMISSED!!
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