Week 4 – 24/02/14

Professional

As our peers at home started week one of teaching practice, across the world in Uganda Nicola and I were welcomed into City Parents School, Kampala. The excitement and amazing welcome we were met with was overwhelming, classes sang songs to welcome us and children giggled with delight that they would be having a white teacher.

Day One as Teacher Naomi

I was placed in P2Y, to teach 73 bright and crazy children. The pupils aren't afraid to sing, dance or even rap and we have enjoyed interactive lessons which have motivated them to learn, have required them to think for themselves and have been fun for the pupils and also for myself. 

Kung Fu Punctuation - Question Mark

Kung Fu Punctuation - Full Stop

As you can imagine managing a class of 73 children is difficult and so I have implemented some strategies to aid classroom management. Each day I award a prize for ‘Star of the Day’ and at the end of the week the boy and girl who have worked hard and behaved well are awarded prizes for ‘Star of the Week’. When pupils are reminded of the opportunity to receive such prizes, instantly a change of behaviour and attitude is noticed. Hopefully as the weeks progress pupils will independently see the merit for working hard and behaving well. ‘Skinner asserted that positive reinforcement can often solve problems more easily and quickly than punishments if a student is receptive and reasonable and not too firmly entrenched in a years – long pattern of classroom  disruptions.’ (Eric,2009,p.151)

 

Stars of the Week

Cultural

Owino market

On Saturday we got up early to head with friends to Owino market in Kampala. What we experienced there was unbelievable. My typical opinion of Uganda was that life was slow for people but I came realise that in Owino market everyone seemed to be in a hurry. As we entered the market we were hit by pungent smells of food and were overwhelmed by the relentless noise. We were pushed out of the way and had to dodge men carrying large sacks on their heads or pushing wheelbarrows. Our arms were grabbed or pinched as stall owners desperate tried to get us to come and buy from them. We were even used for advertising as stall owners shouted ‘Come shop were the white people are shopping!’ Barker and Cwikowski (1999) described the market perfectly as a ‘never – ending bustle’ (p.156) Realising that to purchase from some of these people would allow that person to feed their family was extremely humbling. 

Personal

Outdoor hut for cooking and washing

Having spent summers on caravanning holidays I thought hand washing all my clothes wouldn't be a problem.  I was wrong. Firstly, I underestimated how time consuming this process was and secondly it seems that our method for hand washing clothes is quite hilarious to the locals. As we stood scrubbing our clothes in the outdoor hut at Red Chilli a crowd of local Ugandans begun to gather, one telling another to come and watch how the Mzungus wash their clothes. Apparently our technique is all wrong! As they stood in amazement watching us wash clothes, I realised that so often I stand watching and taking in with ‘child – like wonder’ this country, it’s people and culture and Bryson expresses  “I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.”  (Bryson,1992,p.135)

Each day I think I've seen it all, but with each new day I realise there is so much more I have to see.

References

Barker,J. & Cwikowski, A (1999) Street-level democracy: political settings at the margins of global power,  Canada.:Between the Lines.

Bryson, B. (1992) Glamour,USA: Condé Nast Publications.

Eric, G. (2009) The Everything Classroom Management Book, A teachers guide to an organised productive and calm classroom, Adams Media:USA.