Class Update

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.