My life on the island- Part 3- back in the schools

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Sunday20th
I walked to Kaya Mawa which is the really expensive resort on the island to see what all the fuss is about. I can see it would be a really nice honeymoon location (suppose to be a top 10) but I think I would get bored! I then walked to Mango drift and finally had one of their Pizza that I’d been told so much about but always arrived to late to order one. I talked to 2 people who are working in an Eco-lodge on Mozambique. Then walked back to Cecelia’s with a French Canadian who was walking into town for dinner. I used one of my precious tins of vegetables and had it with pasta- what a treat! I couldn’t stay here they only have tomatoes and onions and the fruit is dependent on what comes off the boat on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Monday21st
Went and taught my lesson at St Peters- To observe what happens when Liquid substances are heated? I’m being watched by 3 or 4 teachers.
“right class I know you learnt last week the two types of changes that happen when you heat something, one is Physical Change, I want you to talk to the person next to you and discuss what the other one is and examples of both”
Silence
“I want you to talk to each other”
silence
“Ok who can tell me the answer”
A few hands go up and I get the answers
“Today we are looking at what happens when Liquids are headed, who can suggest how we could find this out?” (My 7 year olds could tell me that we could heat a liquid and watch to see what happens)
Silence
You can see how the lesson continued-
“What did you just see happen when we heated paraffin?”
Silence (There was a huge great flame they couldn’t have missed it!!)
The problem is they are not encouraged to speak out, they are so afraid of getting the answer wrong and also they don’t understand English very well, even though they are taught everything in English. I don’t think they should be, this is like us teaching from Yr 5 up all topics in French- no wonder they find it hard to learn!!
By the end I did manage to have the whole class on their feet and when I said the floor was very hot they would stretch themselves out and say Expanding and when I said it was cold they would contract.

I though it was a disasterous lesson but the teachers luckily could see what I was trying to do and could see how it would work once the pupils were used to me. I’ve no idea if they will actually use any of my methods.

I spent thhe rest of the afternoon reading Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. I have read on average 1 book every 2 days since being here!

Tuesday 22nd
Today’s lesson went similar to yesterdays but the teacher helped out by occasionally translating to Chichewa for me. I also watched 2 of their lessons and commented on the set up. One of them expected the children to sort roots into there different types- Tap roots, fibrous, tuberous etc. I couldn’t do what he asked because he never told us what the different types of roots were like until the end when he produced a brilliant chart with pictures of each. If he had had this at the start then it would have been a great lesson.
I went for a swim and then came to LMP office to type up all I have been up to since I have arrived in Malawi.

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Photos

The kids
that sometimes I love to see and sometime really bug me that they are in my personal space, waiting for the Illala

Comments

[Mummy the ex teacher]

I wish I'd been there.
Well done Tamsin for aticking at it and it will really help yhou with your own teaching as all pupils will not be like your angels at Nayland. See you very soon xxxxx

[Nancy]

*hug*
hiya honey x x sounds like its been a bit of an uphill struggle but you seem to be making real progress now. Can't wait to see you when you get back, i may even have a job by then, *shock horror*. stu says hello smellyhead x x x