Back to High School

Part of my PGCE requires that I have 'School-Based Experience'. This means I get to inflict myself on a High School for 3 weeks in April and 5 weeks in July/August.

The University gave me Supplies for my April Adventure:
1 x packet of white chalk
1 x chalkboard duster
1 x lever arch file for my Business Studies and Economics portfolios.  (I had to buy the second file)
20 x plastic sleeves (in case I don't have a hole punch for the lever arch file)
7 x sheets of A1 paper (in case the school has a flip chart)
1 x 650mm T-square (must be for drawings graphs on the board in Economics.  I tried. I gave up.)
3  x packets of pencil crayons. (I still can't work out why)

I had to bring my own red pen.

So at the start of the second term, I sat in the staff room of the local High School, feeling very conspicuous, being introduced as a 'mature student teacher'.  That feeling didn't last long though. I met the Business Studies and Economics teachers, who were both very welcoming and patient.  And willing to unleash me on their Grade 10s.

The blackboard in the staffroom added a touch of humanity to a room which has traditionally :been out of bounds to me:


1) TEMP COPIER in old copier room (where microwave is!) (Even School copiers break down)
2) Squash Results (19/4/2015 tournament) (Proud Coach)
3) Looking  for my apple and naartjie! (That food thief is everywhere)

The bell on the left is rung every morning, to announce the arrival of the Principal, and the start of the Staff Meeting

 One of the first things I noticed was that teachers are still saying the same things they said 30 years ago: "Where's your book? What's it doing at home?" "Why can I still hear talking?" And pupils are still saying the same things: "No Ma'am, it wasn't me." "Are you talking to me Ma'am?"

But a lot has also changed.  Apart from the fact that the schools don't offer subjects like Woodwork, Domestic Science and Metalwork any more, they now offer fancy new subjects like Business Studies, Economics, Life Skills, and Maths Literacy.  Except 'my' school doesn't offer Maths Literacy.  'Proper' Maths only.

Teaching aids have also changed.  Gone are the days of fancy overhead projectors with different coloured kokis to emphasise the important bits on transparencies..

And move over Data Projector - Hellooo Smartboard!

It felt like Christmas with a brand new toy.

Basically, an ET-style camera (the middle stalk thingy) reads from the page on the desk and displays the image on the PC monitor, at the same time as displaying the image on the Smartboard:

Old meets New:  The pull-down screen for the Overhead/Data Projector is still in place (at the top).  Don't you love that old intercom? Beneath it, the black strip is the speaker for the Smartboard, so that the class can watch educational Youtube clips.

Use your finger to point at something on the actual page, or use your PC mouse if you don't have a photogenic finger. Or even better, use your finger to write on the Smartboard. Whatever you write on the Smartboard is also displayed on the PC monitor.  How cool is that!

And no need for the intercom any more.  At the end of the day, in Register class, you login to the Intranet on the PC, and all the notices pop up on the Smartboard for everyone to see.

Unfortunately, the day my assessor was there, Eskom decided it was a good time for load-shedding.  So I had to abandon all my fancy plans and resort to chalk and talk.  Thanks Eskom.

During my three weeks, one of the classes did an assignment on devising an HIV/AIDS Workplace Programme. I was quite impressed when they were handed in.  Presentation is obviously important - cover sheets are required, and many of the assignments were typed.

There is a strong emphasis on academics, and many of the teachers give up their school holidays and weekends to give extra classes to help those who are falling behind.

Sport also plays a big role, with the teams travelling long distances to compete (East London is 220km away).  During my time at the school, one of the athletes was chosen to represent South Africa at a competition in December.  I felt so proud!

And of course you get the kids who are good at everything.  Imagine running our of space for your merit badges.

One of the topics we covered in Business Studies was Corporate Social Responsibility, which included Volunteerism. I asked if anyone had ever volunteered at an orphanage, animal shelter or old-age home. Only one put up his hand - he'd spent a few hours at an orphanage.  

The concept of an old-age home was unknown - traditionally, the aged are cared for by the community.  So the thought of someone being abandoned or surrendered to a home was totally foreign. They did not even know that Mthatha has such an institution. So I arranged an outing to Empilweni, an old-age home with 120 residents.

Well.  After a bit of hesitation (it's disrespectful to question your elders), the kids were chatting away to people with diverse backgrounds, histories and situations.  All with stories to tell.  One of the girls was moved to tears.

One of the more sprightly residents willingly entertained us with a delightful song and dance routine.  She is from Lusikisiki, and booked herself into Empilweni a few years ago, because she knew her family would not be able to look after her properly.

Now it's nearly the end of the term, and these kids are writing exams.  I wonder if the work I covered is in the papers, and if they remember anything at all about Production Possibility Curves and Contemporary Socio-Economic Issues?

I guess I'll find out next term when I get back in the ring for Round Two.

More School Stuff

I've been spending a bit more time at the local primary school, standing in for teachers who are sick or otherwise occupied, and rehearsing for a Grade Project on the Rainbow Nation (more about that later).

Apart from the two hours when I had to occupy 100 (yes, one hundred) Grade Threes while the teachers were busy with inspectors and parents, my most challenging time has been taking the Grade 6 and Grade 7 classes for Maths and Science.  For three whole days.

I swear I only started learning algebra in high school

My home base for those three days was the Science Lab.  Bonus!.  When last did you see these things?

Nowadays you usually see bottles like this in display cabinets in pharmacies

These bring back memories of colourful and peculiar smoke and smells from my own school days

One of the teachers claims that her appendix is in one of these jars.  Not so sure what the toothpicks are doing on the shelf though.

Typical science teacher's desk. I particularly like the toilet roll.  My surname is apparently quite difficult to pronounce, so I am called Mrs G.  Or ma'am.

Remember the day each year when school came to a standstill for class photos?  And those signs for each photo where each letter had its own special shade of off-white?

The school celebrated its 20th birthday during September.  As you can imagine, getting this picture together in close to 30 degrees Centigrade was quite a feat in patience and discipline.

The walls around the outside of the school are painted green, yellow and black. For the first few months in Mthatha I thought that this was because Mthatha is an ANC stronghold.  Needless to say, I felt rather silly when it dawned on me that the colour scheme is a reflection of the school colours.

How cool is that!

Last Tuesday, during second break, Umtata High School Band came to play for the kids.  Here's a sample of what they played:

There is no band teacher at Umtata High - the pupils pass their knowledge on to the new band members each year. Very few of them can read music. Proof that if you want to do something badly enough, you will succeed.

It is particularly appropriate that the band is playing R Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly'"

(When you watch it for the second time, have a look at the audience - singing and dancing.  The kids at the back on the right are in Grade Three.  They've just learned how to knit [boys and girls] and some of them are knitting while dancing.)

The more time I spend at this school, the more hope I have for this country.  There are some extremely bright young sparks coming through the system, and I look forward to watching them as they follow their paths to success.

All Mlungu look the same

Drove my car for the first time today, after arriving in Mthatha over a week ago.

I decided to practise my elementary Xhosa on the petrol jockey, and all was going swimmingly until he mentioned Hellen Zille. I asked him to repeat his question in English.

"Are you Helen Zille?"

He looked skeptical when I said no, because Helen had been in Mthatha just before the elections and she can speak a smattering of Xhosa.

My voice is quite croaky (like Helen's), my hair is the same length and colour (sort of) as hers, and we both wear specs. But I'm sure that is where the similarities end. Oh, and we both drive cars with a CA registration (very rare in Mthatha).

I think he still didn't believe me, because when I left, he asked again, "Are you sure you're not Helen?"

Just call me Ma'am.