Blog Eleven - Professional Blog

19^th April 2012

This week Lynsey and I had the privilege of being invited to a farewell assembly at City Parents Primary School. Overwhelmed to be invited to a school assembly dedicated towards us, we were excited to see what CPS had planned for our arrival. Our normal routine of organising our classes in the courtyard for assembly seemed distant; this time we were seen as ‘special guests’.

Our farewell assembly at school involved what we expected from City Parents; singing and dancing! Arriving at 7:30am, we had numerous speeches from the headmaster and head of department about our time in City Parents. Numerous kind words were shared and knowing that we were leaving our placement school for the last time meant that emotions were high. Both the classes we had been teaching, P.3.S and P.3.N had prepared songs which we taught them while on placement. Hearing these songs made us realise how much they had enjoyed them, yet it was rewarding on our behalf. It was also clear that they had spent a long time preparing numerous handmade cards, gifts and letters for us to open. Completely overwhelmed at the amount of presents we had received, we realised that our classes were going to miss our presence as much as we were going to miss them.

Receiving our gifts

 Since finishing teaching practice, we have had the opportunity to reflect on what we have learnt during this time, and also what university has been like compared to that of home. Makerere University is a large university which is well established as being one of the best in Uganda. Its education department is made up of two buildings, and although there are many undergraduate students, Lynsey and I have been placed in the ‘PGDE’ education class. Our class consists of ourselves along with twelve other students. Although small, we have felt that we have really bonded with our classmates and they have made a special effort to include us in their class. It has been interesting to look at the different perspectives of these pupils, and how their opinions compare with ours.

Our university course focuses on looking at the instructional methods of teaching, and the use of technology which can be implemented within the classroom. Our tutors have been really useful at giving us an insight of how Ugandan schools operate, and they have been really interested to find out more about our curriculum and teaching methods. It was interesting to note that theoretically their methods briefly mirror ours, yet I found that upon observation and being on placement in a Ugandan school, they were actually somewhat contrasting. The tutors and students were keen to take on board our ideas of interactive teaching, likewise the teachers we met at City Parents; however with the large number of pupils and limited resources, I feel that this could be an issue.

The GTCNI Competences highlight how teachers should develop, “a knowledge and understanding of a range of strategies to promote and maintain positive behaviour , including an acknowledgement of pupil voice to establish an effective learning environment.” With this in mind, I have recognised how our tutors have included us, and allowed us to voice our opinions in relation to different classroom strategies. In doing this, they have shown us the importance of including our own pupils’ opinions and in turn, I have realised how the learning environment can be maximised. Overall I feel I have gained most experience of the education system in Uganda from my placement in City Parents. However, university has been very enjoyable and it has been interesting to note how the students and tutors were adamant to include our opinion and make us feel welcome in the classroom.

Outside Makerere University

References

GTCNI (2005)  “Teaching: The Reflective Profession, Incorporating the Northern Ireland Teaching Competences.” Routeledge, London.