Week 3 – Professional

 After the professional shock I received during my first week of teaching, I feel that it is only appropriate that I develop my reflections on the Zambian Education system.

As Jenna and I finished our second week of teaching, I finally feel that we have developed a routine in our lesson planning and teaching, allowing us to put our Northern Irish teaching methods to good use. The fact that we have been placed in one classroom has most definitely improved the quality of teaching we have been able to provide, as one of us can act as a classroom assistant – working with groups of children to provide differentiation, writing information of the blackboard (a huge time saver during lessons) and simply being a reassuring face at the back of the room when lesson are not going to plan – while the other teaches. Furthermore, it has provided professional development, in the form of liaising closely with another teacher and developing my ability to “deploy, organise and guide the work of other adults to support pupil’s learning” (Competence 16) (GTCNI, 2011, p.14), skills which will be easily transferable to the Northern Ireland (NI) schooling system.

As with the NI curriculum, the Zambian curriculum is divided into a number of areas/subjects – these include: Mathematics, English, Science, Creative and Technology Studies (C.T.S), Social Development Studies, Chitonga (the local language), Literacy and Community studies – however, the similarities end there. As the NI curriculum places an emphasis on the importance of developing “links between different aspects of learning” (CCEA, 2007, p.10), the Zambian system opts for subject separation.  After the little time I have spent observing and teaching in Holycross Basic school – seeing the opportunities to provide links between subjects - and my experience from school based work in NI, I personally support Cohen et al’s (1996) suggestion that compartmentalising subjects can prevent important links being explored, resulting in key concepts which straddle subject boundaries to be neglected.

Vanessa - Our Star of the week.

During my time in school, I have observed a number of teachers and been in a range of classrooms, all of which have been completely different experiences. Each teacher has their own methods, similar to the way teachers in Northern Ireland differ. Many of the teachers do the best they can with the little they have – making visual aids and resources to aid the children’s learning – but this is a very difficult task, as I have found out over the last week. I am doing my best to make suitable visual aids and wall displays, with the aim of developing the children’s learning and making myself feel more at home in the classroom.

Our table rewar chart and Star of the week award, which are working very well.

An image used in the making of a 'sound story' during an English lesson.

Jenna and I had the opportunity to attend a Literacy training session which took part in our school; this was an experience that I will never forget. The course was due to run from 8.00am to 5.00pm, a very long day in the boiling heat. From what I was able to understand, the course leaders were pushing the idea of differentiation of children into literacy groups, with the aim of improving the reading standards in the schools. It was promising to see this type of training taking place. However, I am not sure how seriously the teachers will take the recommendations as the seemed more concerned about deciding on the group names (spending over half the time disusing this), than the core literacy skills required. Nevertheless, it is a step in the right direction to improving the reading skills of the children and I have seen my class teacher implementing a number of the techniques suggested.

After my third week of teaching, I am really enjoying the challenges and rewards which come with teaching in Africa. The children are starting to open up in the classroom, warming to me as a teacher (which is a really amazing experience for me) and they are beginning to work well in groups – Which is the strategy I have decided to implement for the basis of my International Study Project.

 

 

References

CCEA (2007) Northern Ireland Curriculum- Primary: Belfast, CCEA.

Cohen, L, Manion, L and Morrison, K (1996) A Guide to Teaching Practice (4th Edition). London: Routledge.

General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland. (2010) Teaching: The Reflective Profession, GTCNI, Belfast.