Sunday night I went to bed after grading many chemistry notebooks. Since meeting my fellow volunteers in the north during a reunion, I decided to try something drastic, as many of us trying to increase our student learning and participation, by having weekly quizzes and weekly homework Why is this drastic? Well. Firstly- I only meet with the kids twice a week, which actually is an overstatement because if they didn't come and clean the school on Saturday it is cut in half. Those kids that didn't participate in cleaning are not allowed to study all day on Monday. Secondly, rarely do I have a high attendance during first or second periods, or last period of the day (which tend to be my hours) as they leave early and show up late. This could be a result of them having to walk to school anywhere between 30 min to 2 hours each way, bad weather, or not being penalized for absences.
By asking more from the kids and grading it weekly, I have increased work on them and for myself. But, I have also been able to keep kids excited and fairly attentive almost every class period. Now they seem to understand that everything we practice in class, or what they practice at home, will be tested on the same day or next time we meet. I will keep up with this at least through out this trimester and hopefully will see an improvement in kids desire to continue learning, whatever subject it may be. Already, I am seeing improvements in some of the kids that tended to slack last trimester. They are coming to see me during free time to take another quiz and improve their quiz grade, as well as copy the homework problems that they missed the week before. Right now, in chemistry setting, I really believe that some of the kids are not at the levels they should be, but can be, as a result of an avalanche effect. Where at some point they gave up on understanding or hating one thing and from them it kept escalating. It could have been a math fraction or a simple/hard idea of at atom. From my part, with extra work, I would love to reach as many as I can. I do understand that my strong drive is only a result of having few distractions, allowing me to focus on this problem at hand. ADD medicine would not sell well in Africa.
Having let off some steam about one of the problems at hand, let me go on and talk about this Monday, May 15th. There is nothing special about today. Just a little insight into one of my days here in NOMBA (which is the name of my neighborhood). Like almost everyday I wake up with the sun, this time of the year it's a little before six. The window in my room faces east and sun shines brightly even through the curtain. Today I brewed some tea and was off to school a little before six-thirty, it takes 5 minutes for me to walk there. I tend to be the first teacher/person at school and relieve the night guard. I get to school early to open up the computer lab, which I use to entice a few students to come early and practice using computers (mouse and keyboard), listen to music or sometimes actually type up a paper. But most of the time kids use computers to transfer music between their memory cards to play on their phones.
Before the 7 am daily morning meeting at the outdoor gymnasium, I input the kids grades in the excel sheet and prepare lessons for the day or homework. At the morning assembly students lead the mozambique national anthem, which i also proudly sing. It's extremely catchy. Most of the time I tend to be one of the only teachers, with rare appearances from the administrators displeased with low attendances, lack of uniforms, or at times other important announcements.
On Mondays, I have 1st period with one class and a double period (2nd and 3rd) with another. Offiially first period starts at 7:15am and supposed to last 45 minutes like every period. But, it is extremely rare for me to be able to start as I did today before 7:25am. During our 2+ months of training for secondary school teachers in Namaacha, Mozambique we were taught and encouraged to design classes around 4MAT. 4MAT includes 4 parts that I will now would have to look up on google to remember, but something like: Motivation, Explanation, Practice, and Application. For me as a 12th grade chemistry teacher this format is just not suitable. Firstly, I do not have enough time and secondly, I have way too much material where my practice alone sometimes is the whole period as I have to go and reteach algebra (quadratic formulas) or calculus (logs and its derivative ln).
Having started little late I went on to review a similar problem that they solved for homework and will see on the quiz at the end of the hour. Having completed it with their help, I allowed them time to copy it into their notebooks as they are able to use them during all the quizzes, though not the tests. I had another 20 minutes to cover some new material that would rush through. I of course went over as quite often happens and as almost as many times as I go over the teachers are not on time and I was able to finish it off and even write up two quizzes on the board. As kids are very fond of copying, I find it very helpful in writing up two different but same material quizzes on board and assigning each the first or the second one by writing 1 or two at the top of the page and initialing - I initial it as a result of multiple cheaters even the very first time around.
Sometimes collecting books is like pulling teeth but if you do walk out and not let them turn them in one time around, the next time it is a lot easier. The second class I had a double period and on average that class is much better behaved. I think it is a result of having more nerds, and they do exist in Mozambique. One of their braniacs is representing the province at the national math olympiad this week. And will hopefully bring the trophy. By far my and probably school's best student. And, he walks over 2 hours each way to school, leaving his house well before sunrise.
I return the notebooks to the kids and we began with going over another similar problem on the quiz and I point out similar mistakes like squaring means multiplying by itself and not two, or 3 x 3 is 9 and not 8. But I bet that doesn't just happen with my students here but even those in Albuquerque. After the quick overview I continue with new material and crazy example that shoots over most heads. That sometimes I do on purpose, just to make them scared but bring it back with something easier and leave on a positive note. I have a blast teaching and explaining, which sometimes I even have to do with some crazy drawings, which maybe one student gets.
Once I leave them with homework I return to Computer Lab, which I use as my office and sometimes closet or bedroom. Those times when I leave a few of my shirts behind or forget my keys in the city and can't get into my house until the next day, so I make an uncomfortable bed out of some cloths and pretend to guard the computers. During most of the day I pass my time there and leave the doors open for the kids to come in, use the computers or talk about chemistry and much more preferred topic, English. During that time I attempt to grade notebooks and allow my students to make up their quiz and homework grades. And this trimester many more have come to embrace it., as I have become a little less strict and fun to hang around.
Computer classes for 11th and 12th graders is like PE. They are after school and even though graded, they are not necessary to pass or graduate. I have 6 computers and am probably better off teaching the 20 kids that actually have time and would like to learn than accommodate all 50 and probably not get much computer time for any of them. Last trimester right off I started off hands on. I gave them tables to replicate in Excel, which also included practicing English with little translation. We also practiced and quizzed typing without looking. But this trimester I am trying to go big and get the kids really doing some fun stuff, not just with computers but with their minds. Firstly, each student will write at home at least two poems, stories, songs, plays or some sort of written scripts that they will digitize outside of class. Secondly, in July I will receive two great hand held cameras, gifts from (name withheld). Students will use them to learn how to operate it, transfer files from it to computer, and modify it using basic free software (picassa). After they will present to class using projector and discuss the subject of their photos, the modifications they did and anything else they would like to include. Next trimester, for each class, as a class will use their written assignments and the modified photos to put together a digital book. Perhaps even something like yearbook as I have yet to see or even hear someone talk about something like that here.
During this trimester if we receive an unlimited internet modem, each student will create an email account and a facebook account. We are pretty far out of the city and do not have a hard phone line so we are looking to acquire a 3G USB modem that I can route into a wireless router and therefore connect all the PCs to the internet. As well as promising all the fun activities, I got the class to write up short autobiographies and copy down the keyboard, as there will be a quiz on a few key letters next week. I stick around a lot after my class, sometimes covering for the other computer teacher, but mostly giving many students an opportunity to practice a little more or write up their projects for other classes. By doing that, I sometimes learn quite a lot about all the other disciplines and how cool somethings are. They are learning about the importance of food safety for example, or that local witch doctors pass on their traits to their nephews when they are old, or the small and big differences between Brazilian, Mozambican, and Portugal's Portuguese.
I got home sooner that usual, around 1600, clocking in almost a 12 hour school day. I made some lunch/dinner combo and continued to grade the notebooks as the tv was blasting. Local tv is very interesting, its government controlled so the news are always bios for single party but the entertainment before the Portuguese and Brazilian telenovelas is music box. Basically, Mozambican music videos and rap freestyle. Before my time ends here I hope to understand most of it and perhaps attempt to rap myself. I brushed my teeth at about 9pm and am usually in bed before 10. Tuesdays are sometimes even more exciting as I get to school same early time but only teach in the afternoon. But about my tuesday I will write next week. If you would like to hear more about something in particular, write me. I'll include a little side note here or there. Also, I am sorry for not proofreading but I will try to edit when it's not about to be my bedtime. Boa noite! e obrigado!
Sometimes collecting books is like pulling teeth but if you do walk out and not let them turn them in one time around, the next time it is a lot easier. The second class I had a double period and on average that class is much better behaved. I think it is a result of having more nerds, and they do exist in Mozambique. One of their braniacs is representing the province at the national math olympiad this week. And will hopefully bring the trophy. By far my and probably school's best student. And, he walks over 2 hours each way to school, leaving his house well before sunrise.
I return the notebooks to the kids and we began with going over another similar problem on the quiz and I point out similar mistakes like squaring means multiplying by itself and not two, or 3 x 3 is 9 and not 8. But I bet that doesn't just happen with my students here but even those in Albuquerque. After the quick overview I continue with new material and crazy example that shoots over most heads. That sometimes I do on purpose, just to make them scared but bring it back with something easier and leave on a positive note. I have a blast teaching and explaining, which sometimes I even have to do with some crazy drawings, which maybe one student gets.
Once I leave them with homework I return to Computer Lab, which I use as my office and sometimes closet or bedroom. Those times when I leave a few of my shirts behind or forget my keys in the city and can't get into my house until the next day, so I make an uncomfortable bed out of some cloths and pretend to guard the computers. During most of the day I pass my time there and leave the doors open for the kids to come in, use the computers or talk about chemistry and much more preferred topic, English. During that time I attempt to grade notebooks and allow my students to make up their quiz and homework grades. And this trimester many more have come to embrace it., as I have become a little less strict and fun to hang around.
Computer classes for 11th and 12th graders is like PE. They are after school and even though graded, they are not necessary to pass or graduate. I have 6 computers and am probably better off teaching the 20 kids that actually have time and would like to learn than accommodate all 50 and probably not get much computer time for any of them. Last trimester right off I started off hands on. I gave them tables to replicate in Excel, which also included practicing English with little translation. We also practiced and quizzed typing without looking. But this trimester I am trying to go big and get the kids really doing some fun stuff, not just with computers but with their minds. Firstly, each student will write at home at least two poems, stories, songs, plays or some sort of written scripts that they will digitize outside of class. Secondly, in July I will receive two great hand held cameras, gifts from (name withheld). Students will use them to learn how to operate it, transfer files from it to computer, and modify it using basic free software (picassa). After they will present to class using projector and discuss the subject of their photos, the modifications they did and anything else they would like to include. Next trimester, for each class, as a class will use their written assignments and the modified photos to put together a digital book. Perhaps even something like yearbook as I have yet to see or even hear someone talk about something like that here.
During this trimester if we receive an unlimited internet modem, each student will create an email account and a facebook account. We are pretty far out of the city and do not have a hard phone line so we are looking to acquire a 3G USB modem that I can route into a wireless router and therefore connect all the PCs to the internet. As well as promising all the fun activities, I got the class to write up short autobiographies and copy down the keyboard, as there will be a quiz on a few key letters next week. I stick around a lot after my class, sometimes covering for the other computer teacher, but mostly giving many students an opportunity to practice a little more or write up their projects for other classes. By doing that, I sometimes learn quite a lot about all the other disciplines and how cool somethings are. They are learning about the importance of food safety for example, or that local witch doctors pass on their traits to their nephews when they are old, or the small and big differences between Brazilian, Mozambican, and Portugal's Portuguese.
I got home sooner that usual, around 1600, clocking in almost a 12 hour school day. I made some lunch/dinner combo and continued to grade the notebooks as the tv was blasting. Local tv is very interesting, its government controlled so the news are always bios for single party but the entertainment before the Portuguese and Brazilian telenovelas is music box. Basically, Mozambican music videos and rap freestyle. Before my time ends here I hope to understand most of it and perhaps attempt to rap myself. I brushed my teeth at about 9pm and am usually in bed before 10. Tuesdays are sometimes even more exciting as I get to school same early time but only teach in the afternoon. But about my tuesday I will write next week. If you would like to hear more about something in particular, write me. I'll include a little side note here or there. Also, I am sorry for not proofreading but I will try to edit when it's not about to be my bedtime. Boa noite! e obrigado!
Good morning how are you?
ReplyDeleteMy name is Emilio, I am a Spanish boy and I live in a town near to Madrid. I am a very interested person in knowing things so different as the culture, the way of life of the inhabitants of our planet, the fauna, the flora, and the landscapes of all the countries of the world etc. in summary, I am a person that enjoys traveling, learning and respecting people's diversity from all over the world.
I would love to travel and meet in person all the aspects above mentioned, but unfortunately as this is very expensive and my purchasing power is quite small, so I devised a way to travel with the imagination in every corner of our planet. A few years ago I started a collection of used stamps because trough them, you can see pictures about fauna, flora, monuments, landscapes etc. from all the countries. As every day is more and more difficult to get stamps, some years ago I started a new collection in order to get traditional letters addressed to me in which my goal was to get at least 1 letter from each country in the world. This modest goal is feasible to reach in the most part of countries, but unfortunately it’s impossible to achieve in other various territories for several reasons, either because they are countries at war, either because they are countries with extreme poverty or because for whatever reason the postal system is not functioning properly.
For all this I would ask you one small favor:
Would you be so kind as to send me a letter by traditional mail from Mozambique? I understand perfectly that you think that your blog is not the appropriate place to ask this, and even, is very probably that you ignore my letter, but I would call your attention to the difficulty involved in getting a letter from that country, and also I don’t know anyone neither where to write in Mozambique in order to increase my collection. a letter for me is like a little souvenir, like if I have had visited that territory with my imagination and at same time, the arrival of the letters from a country is a sign of peace and normality and an original way to promote a country in the world. My postal address is the following one:
Emilio Fernandez Esteban
Avenida Juan de la Cierva, 44
28902 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain
If you wish, you can visit my blog www.cartasenmibuzon.blogspot.com where you can see the pictures of all the letters that I have received from whole World.
Finally I would like to thank the attention given to this letter, and whether you can help me or not, I send my best wishes for peace, health and happiness for you, your family and all your dear beings.
Yours Sincerely
Emilio Fernandez