May 2013 - Lions Clubs New Zealand

We have just received this update from Rosina with reflections on her first term teaching and thebeginning of her holiday. A late Happy Easter to everyone!I have been away from my placement an entire week now as schools in Malawi have a month’sbreak. Well not entirely as the Malawian government announced a day before the holidaysbegan the schools break would only last two weeks, as the student’s exams are close and theydecided they should remain in school.The ending of the school term caused me to reflect a lot more than I had before on the events ofthe term and my reactions, things I couldn’t or shouldn’t have done, but most of all the things Iwish I had. For whatever reason I came here with the impression that the students would beimpeccably behaved and appreciate the opportunities for their education they were being givenby having a fluent English speaking teacher.When we first arrived the school assigned us with the classes that we would teach; Grace wasgiven Life Skills Form 3. Unknown to us they were a difficult class and with the non-existentteaching and disciplining skills neither of us was fit for the task. Grace started well and gavethem respect, but they lacked the maturity to return it. Unfortunately Grace had not adjusted yetto our new situation, and their misbehaviour proved to be overwhelming. The best decision wasfor her to focus her attention on the other classes. Of course I took it as a challenge and hopingto settle Graces nerves about informing the headmaster she no longer wished to teach theclasses, I offered to take it on.It turned out to be a good decision originally as the headmaster was not incredibly happy she didnot wish to continue teaching the class. He said ‘But who else will teach it’ this was the first timewe were informed of the trouble other teachers were having with the class. However this is notwhat we first thought when we heard this. My excuse for this misunderstanding would probablyhave to be that we were experiencing a lot of culture shock, as we thought the other teacherswere too lazy to take up more work willingly and the headmaster was too lazy to convinceanyone. From our limited knowledge of Malawian ways we had oversimplified the problem.So it was my turn, before my first class I re-read through all the information we had been givenon disciplining. My first class went well but as I was finishing my last few sentences the studentsbroke into their own conversations. I wouldn’t have it. I thought if I tolerated any misbehaviour itmight only encourage it in them.Now I wonder if my expectations were simply too high. The students didn’t understand why Iwanted to punish them for this. I think this kind of behaviour is usually tolerated. Possibly this iswhen I lost their respect or was never able to get it, either way it seems classes with them aresimply a power battle. When I entered the class a student once said ‘madam we are busy’ andother students like to critique my learning techniques by questioning the reasons why I amshowing or explaining something to them. Although that in itself I wouldn’t want to entirelydiscourage, the purpose behind these questions doesn’t seem to be general interest but more anexcuse to waste time, or express that they are not happy with my teaching.Silverstream Lions Lines Page 15 May 2013