Holidays Season Begins
The Ugandan school year follows the
calendar year. At the end of November, the kids take their exams and,
hopefully, move on to the next level. School starts again the
beginning of February. So, school is in the process of coming to an
end here. As such, my classes with the school have ended for the
break and my other classes have an influx of school kids coming.
During the break I will continue the classes that are not done
through the school. I will be changing them up a bit to accommodate a
different group in attendance. I also hope to develop some of the
educational materials I have been wanting and focus on language
learning. I find that while I can get to know basics and express a
lot despite the language barrier, I need to have more language to be
able to counsel and build deeper relationships.
Academics - The Report Card
Pece Bible Club -
It took me a while to get into this
class. We started with some basics then started Bible Storytime.
There is a pretty regular group that comes. When school is not in
session, there are significantly more. I am planning to go topical
for a while during the break.
TLC – Tegot Learning Club (sounds
more positive than Unschooled Kids Class)
Slowly the kids are making progress.
They can sing the whole alphabet but are still pretty spotty on
recalling which is which. Writing skills are pretty low – as to be
expected from kids with little to no exposure. Math has progressed a
lot more – most are getting their numbers; we are beginning
addition. There are many kids who have never attended school and many
that are pretty young. I am focusing on the school-aged kids but
allowing the young ones to try things out and get exposure to the
concepts. I have 6 (esp. 3) that I have begun to pull out for some
more advanced practice.
P1 &P2 @ Tegotatoo Primary School
This class has been challenging with so
many students (over 200 tightly arranged on the floor of the
classroom) but also a lot of fun. They have been moving forward
quickly. I'm sure this is partly due to the support of their regular
teachers. On their own they decided they wanted to be a part of the
class too. I've enjoyed getting to know them. They are great!!! I had
concern that since I was doing things differently and not according
to curriculum, I may not be supported by the teachers. God gave me
favor. They seemed to really appreciate the class and accept the
lessons. The P1 teacher even decided to include parts of it on the
exam!
P7
This class was also a challenge but
good. These kids are various ages (all teens) in their last year of
primary school. The school year ends a bit earlier for them than the
rest of the school. Their exams are a pretty big deal here. The rest
of the school is cancelled on those days; certain streets in town
even closed to help create a quiet environment. So, for me, this
class was also shortened. I have been asked to do it again next year.
After my short trial run, I hope to be better prepared for next year.
I'm really excited to create a fuller class and curriculum... grammar
exercises, readers' theater, reading groups... get ready!!! I've been
collecting some easier reading books (easier for English learners)
but have yet to get a classroom set of anything (or find a book worth
it). I miss book options!!!
Sponsored Kids
Its fun to have a class with students I
have known for a long time and are secured into the class. I have
split this class by level and am trying to teach everyone P1-P4. The
P3-4 students recognize a few words but aren't really reading yet.
We've been practicing sounding out words and making sentences. It is
going well! They seem to be picking up on it. I am teaching reading
in their language first. Acholi is so much easier to read! The vowels
actually make consistent sense! It is interesting - phonics is not
taught here. Reading can be slow at any age with a low literacy rate.
Some educated people can read English but still struggle with Acholi!
***I was told the other day by an
educated adult that they wished they had been taught this way
(phonics). I've been told that before. “It builds a strong
foundation”. I look forward to seeing the strength built up in
these kids.
