Week Four - Professional Blog

28th February 2012

As I stood before a class of eighty-one children, it is not surprising that I found my first few days in City Parents a bit daunting. Rows of children stared at me as I introduced myself. “Teacher Ashleigh” some responded as they caught its pronunciation, whereas some simply stared at their new teacher. Immediately I felt that the class were excited to have the presence of a new face, yet unaware of what I would bring to their classroom. I experienced a mixed range of emotions; excited to finally be teaching in Uganda, nervous of the large amount of pupils I had to motivate, yet apprehensive of how my class would respond to my lessons.

Having observed the style of teaching within our classrooms, Lynsey and I immediately knew that our approach towards teaching would be completely different to what we had seen over the first few days of our new school. Given the impression that City Parents Primary School focused highly on the performance of the pupils, I felt that the end result of learning had much more emphasis than the actual process.  It can be said that “A guiding principle is that learning is a social activity.” Schools must therefore create an environment which will provide, “an intellectual, creative and stimulating environment.” (Hansen, 2000)



Some of my P.3 Class

Lynsey and I lost count at the amount of workbooks each child had in our classes, and most lessons incorporated the exact same style of teaching. P.3 classes in Northern Ireland would not have the same complex writing skills, yet at home, our learning focuses on the skills learnt throughout the process as a whole. Structured lesson plans including an introduction, development and plenary seemed non-existent here, and what is written in chalk, is exactly what pupils copy into their books. Focusing on a method of rote learning and memorisation, the learning process in Uganda did not allow for children to think for themselves.  Repeatedly in Mathematics I would hear, “A set is a collection of well-defined objects or members.” Yet when I challenged the pupils what this actually meant I received numerous responses. Some stared blankly as if they were hearing the words for the first time, a few mumbled what they thought the phrase meant, yet overall the class were unable to grasp its real concept. 

Taking on board that these methods were not what we were used to, I noticed that these methods did not allow for the different learning styles of each pupil. Active learning plays a huge part within Northern Ireland yet there was no evidence of this in Uganda. I was surprised to find that thematic units are in place. Teachers explained to me how they like the idea of sticking to a particular theme, yet through observation, there is no clear evidence of teachers following this. Taking a closer look at the schemes, I personally felt that there were weak links and were often found pointless. My lesson theme for maths should be “My sub-county” yet I found this meaningless for the content I was expected to cover.



Teaching P.3.S

 As ‘Teacher Lynsey’ and I begin to introduce our experience of teaching, it should be interesting to see what the children grasp from these lessons; how they react to new styles, how we structure each lesson and how we vary our techniques. From experiencing only a short time in P.3.S, I can sense that the children are excited to learn in a way which is new to them.

ReferencesHansen, S. (2000) “Project assessment as an integrated part of the learning process” SEFI Annual Conference, Copenhagen.

Week Three - Professional Blog

21st February 2012

Previously experiencing a short trip to Uganda a few years ago, I had the opportunity to work amongst children in a local school. Having some experience of what I was going to endure during my international semester, I was surprised at the standards of the school Lynsey and I would be teaching in. Having previously experienced a small, lower class school on the suburbs of the main city, it was a far cry from City Parents Primary School.

City Parents Primary School is a very large school which hosts over 3500 children. Having around seven classes for each year with an average of seventy children per class, I felt anxious at the thought of teaching and controlling such a large amount of pupils. As I made my way through each of three main classroom blocks, I was overwhelmed by the size of the school and the amount of children squeezed into each classroom. Many of the classrooms I peered into resembled a cramped room containing numerous rows of children complete with a teachers’ desk hidden at the back of the room. One blackboard fixed on the wall seemed to resemble the only immediate resource available.

As I reached the lower end of the school, I was pleasantly surprised to find a colourful building. With classrooms facing into each other over a large porch, the majestic building rivalled any schools present in Northern Ireland. Feeling more at home at this end of the school, I was happy to find I would be teaching a P.3. Class. Ugandan schools begin their school year at the end of January and so arriving at school on the first day of term allowed Lynsey and I to mirror the feelings of those starting school for the first time. As I stood in front of my class of eighty-one children, I knew that learning names this time around on placement may be an issue!

Key Stage One in City Parents Primary School

City Parents is a private school, meaning it does not allow each pupil to move into the next stream automatically after each school year. Pupils would only enter a P.3 class therefore if they were to pass their P.2 exams. The wide range of ages in each class was foreign to me yet knowing that most children had roundabouts the same ability level meant that it was very different to any school in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Curriculum states how our curriculum is one which “meets the needs of individual children.” As we have such a focus of meeting each child where they are in relation to ability, and so I am keen to see in the next few weeks how the large numbers of pupils in the class will show this.

Being seen as one of the better schools in Kampala, a large fee of around £400 has to be paid each term to allow children to go to school. Having explained the differences of lifestyle throughout Uganda within my last blog, I was surprised at the amount of children that would attend a school with such a hefty fee. City Parents School is seen as middle to upper class school and so for many families in Uganda, being a part of this school would be seen as a huge social status.

Upon experiencing this school briefly, I have already picked up on the limited amount of resources, the vast amount of pupils and the varying age groups within each class. Already I know that this experience will be one which is completely different from one I have endured in Northern Ireland, yet one I am most looking forward to.

Outside my P.3 class

References

Northern Ireland Curriculum (2007), CCEA, Belfast.

Week Two - Cultural Blog

14th February 2012

“Muzungu! Muzungu!” Is a phrase often shouted at Lynsey and I as we venture into the busyness of Kampala. Being white in a predominately black culture, we have found that we are very easily recognised. “White person! White person!” is used to grab our attention; for us however, it points out the fact that we are ‘different’ from those we are surrounded by.

Being brought up in the prominent white culture of Northern Ireland, I’ve found the main differences between myself and others, pointing towards religious and political aspects. Although these issues are also present in Uganda, I’ve found that they are of no relation to my stay here. ‘Westerners’ are faced with the stereotype of being ‘rich’ and within Uganda I have found that it is a common belief that we are only here to give to those who are poor. Although this is the case in some situations, I have found myself feeling ambushed by others who are in dire need of it.

Being a student, I have found this quite hard to adjust to. In Northern Ireland I am usually addressed with a completely different stereotype; that students are seen to have little money.  Being in a third world country however, I have immediately felt humbled of what I actually do have at home, that I can be thankful that I am be surrounded by a society which is fruitful and plentiful.

 Being in the capital city of Uganda, I have also found it difficult to comprehend the dividedness of Kampala. Although each country has divisions in relation to wealth, I feel as if Uganda has these problems on a much wider scale. As one path leads to swimming pools, spas, restaurants and supermarkets; another leads to penniless mothers, orphaned children, and those who are hunger-stricken living on the streets. Aware that this is the case for many in Uganda, and touched by many stories of children’s poverty, Lynsey and I have decided to get involved with a programme named “Tomorrow’s Heroes”. This programme works with young boys who have lived in the ‘slums’ throughout their lives without any schooling. The programme allows for these children to have an opportunity to receive sponsors for receive appropriate education and living situations.  


Some of the boys getting food at "Tomorrows Heroes"



All boys on the programme have had extremely difficult backgrounds and many have grown up orphaned without any family. As once said by Mother Teresa, “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” Believing this applies to most of the boys we meet at the programme, I am encouraged to build friendships with them. Although I may only be a small, small fraction of these boys’ lives, I am admired at what some have been through in such a short space of time.  

Although some of the aspects I have mentioned seem unapproachable for some, I have found that in the last few days we have begun to feel a lot more at home. I am really enjoying getting into Ugandan life. As we begin to build relationships with the street kids mentioned, it is interesting to find out more about their lives yet experience the culture they are brought up around first-hand.

Some of the street kids

References

Costello, G. (2008) "Spiritual gems from Mother Teresa" Twenty-Third publications, New London, USA.

Week One - Personal Blog

7th February 2012

Upon being in Uganda before, I was surprised at how I was feeling before setting off on my International semester. My initial feeling of excitement and thankfulness for this opportunity was incapacitated with fear and worry for the next few months which lay ahead.  Being here on two separate occasions, I had originally fallen in love with the country, its culture, and its people. However, being ‘under the umbrella’ of an organised team with people I was familiar with, meant that I was situated well within my comfort zone. I knew that this upcoming experience would be one which would be totally different to one which I was used to, even though I had briefly experienced Uganda before. Although most likely enjoyable, there will be times where this trip will challenge me. Yet, Henry Barnard highlights, "A challenge is an opportunity to prove your ability to yourself, and others."


I was glad to be travelling with Lynsey, as I knew her feelings mirrored mine. There were times where we would give each other ‘that look’ on the plane, as if to say, “What have we got ourselves into?!” However, talking over the next few months as our plane journey began allowed me to realise that we were in this together; that through each situation, there would be an experience we could learn from.

Arriving at Entebbe airport, I was relieved to find two of our university lecturers standing with a huge poster, “Ashleigh Gault and Lynsey Brown! Welcome Makerere University Guests!” I knew that Ugandans were easy-going, and contacting them often proved to be difficult at home. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see they had made a lot of effort for us to feel welcome.

Upon reaching our accommodation for the next few months, we were very lucky to be greeted by a familiar face (all the way from our ‘wee’ campus of Stranmillis!) Being here on an alternative placement, we were both very thankful to have Suzi Finlay with us for our first few days in Kampala. Showing us around the hustle and bustle of the city, we were able to see our surroundings which we would be living in for the next few months. Feeling overwhelmed at the craziness of the city, I was reassured that it resembled ‘organised chaos’ and eventually we would make some understanding of where we were going. Each dust path looked the same and the endless amount of tin shacks, ‘boda boda’ drivers and the smells of small hot plates cooking on the side of the streets made each location appear exactly the same as others. 

Typical Ugandan Street

Our basic accommodation is what I remembered to be ‘typical Africa’. However, it is far from what we are used to at home, especially when our shower consists of a cold tap! Nana Hostels is a large student accommodation which caters for a lot of Makerere University students. Lynsey and I are excited to meet a lot more people within the upcoming weeks. Once University begins, I believe that we will have that chance to meet more students, both local and international. Most Ugandans speak a little English, so there isn’t a huge language barrier, although I’ve found my accent may need adjusted!



Nana Hostels - Our accommodation for the next few months

As University does not start until next week, we have spent a lot of time getting to know the city of Kampala and our local surroundings. Even this week I have been overwhelmed with the craziness of the city, the friendliness of people, and been reminded of the relaxed attitude that Ugandans have towards everyday life. Although being here before, I already realise how different this experience is going to be, however I am excited to see what it has to offer!

References
Barnard, H. (1977) "The American journal of Education", Colorado.