Liz all dressed and ready for the first day of school!
Today we went to the Harmons all-grade school. There were 134 kids in the school, 1st-6th grade, and only 4 teachers. Many kids stop going to school after 2nd grade, so by 6th grade the class size is much smaller than it had been in 1st grade. School costs $40/month, so many can’t attend because of the cost. Won By One has started a school sponsorship program though that allows many kids to go that otherwise couldn’t have. The kids all have to walk about 2 miles to get there, and then again 2 miles to get home.
When we got to the school, we met in the principal’s office for a few minutes before she announced that the 6th graders had to take an exam today and she need us to be the proctors. While the kids were taking the exam the principal gave me a copy of the exam and told me to try it. So, I went through and answered the 80 multiple choice language arts questions…not knowing if my answers were right…but just doing it because she suggested for me to, and I had nothing else to do in that moment. After the exam was finished, she collected the papers and then asked me to grade the papers using my answer key. What?!? I didn’t know I was creating the answer key! The exam that they were taking was a mock exam for what they will have to take next week to place them into high school. All kids get placed into a high school based on how well they do in school. There are no high schools in Harmons, so if they end up going to high school, they have to take a taxi to get there….yet another expense that I’m sure most cannot pay. Out of the 22 6th graders, only 10 were taking the exam. The other 12 will have to repeat the 6th grade. And of the 10 who will be moving on, 1 is illiterate and another cannot read past the 1st grade reading level, yet because of their age, they can no longer stay at the school.
During lunch period (which lasted over 2 hours), the kids brought food outside to eat and then ran around. I got to play “red light / green light”, a version of “mother may I?”, “duck duck goose”, and “brown (or for me “white”) girl in the ring”…not sure what to think about that game…they didn’t seem to think anything of it.
Kids surrounding Liz as she tries to write lesson plans...the kids said this was their first time seeing a computer.
Liz met with the teachers to discuss the computer lab and find out their knowledge level of computers. Then, later in the afternoon we went around and met with the teachers to discuss ways in which they can implement computers into their lesson plans. Two teacher seem like they are willing to try it, another seems like she’s going to fight us on anything and everything we suggest, and the fourth we didn’t get to meet with today. It was pouring rain at the end of the school day, so we got a ride back to the Harmony House with the principal instead of walking. Tomorrow we are going to bring software to the school and show them how to use some programs and how they could enhance their teaching. The tricky part is making sure the teachers don’t let the computers do all the teaching/babysitting.
the school
the outhouses
Well, now it’s really time for bed…
No comments:
Post a Comment