School Visit

I was invited by one of the lecturers at college to visit the school outside Kampala that he owns along with his brother who is the Headteacher. They are keen to improve the school and the methods of teaching. They wanted some in-service workshops and observations of the school as a learning environment. The first visit was a bit scary as he had just suggested that maybe I could do some teacher training workshops and arranged for me to visit. We arrived and I should have realised straight away that this was not just a preliminary visit! I was shown around the school and as you can see they are busy constructing some more permanent classrooms. The wooden 'shed' in the second picture behind the Head wih Primary One class still acts as the staffroom! Lunch was served - including the usual posho, beans and matooke but also meat, a mixed salad with avocado and sodas.....this meant that I was being welcomed as something more than a casual visitor! Lunch finished, the staff were given notebooks and I was introduced as the presenter of the first workshop! No planning, no notes, no teaching aids....aaarrgh!!! I talked to them about my experiences of teaching and learning in Uganda, good and not so good student lesson observations and gave them the lecture on learning styles I give to the students to show that 'chalk and talk' alone is not the best way to teach. Then I asked them what would be the most helpful topics to cover in future sessions....... I think I managed OK! I have been invited back twice and when I asked for evaluations they were not bad. I planned a demonstration lesson on the sun and shadows and took them outside for a short practical session for workshop 2 and in the last workshop we looked at some of the models and learning aids the students in college make. They still want me to go back again.

I also gave the children in Primary 1 and 2 some of the pencils sent by kind friends back home which always causes great excitement. It is great to see their faces and I always get a round of applause.

These photos were taken at lunchtime. The first shows the cook peeling the matooke ready for steaming. Then the children waiting at the 'canteen' they queued with great good humour for ages. You can see into the canteen and the last shot shows how the food is cooked for over 400 pupils!

It is a real privilege to be asked to help a group of teachers who are trying so hard to give the best education they can with so few resources. The enthusiasm of the children, who really want to be in school and think education is important, is wonderful!