Week 7 – Professional

This week brought with it our final teaching days in Holly cross Basic school which involved a rollercoaster of emotions, from the ‘stress’ of the assessment by our International Coordinator – Patrick – to the upset of saying our last goodbyes to the class.

The week began like any other, with a Monday morning assembly. However, Jenna and I were not prepared for the goodbyes to begin so soon, as a group of teachers stood up to sing a traditional farewell song for us. This was a very unexpected and touching moment which made me feel as though I had been accepted as a full member of the teaching staff and that we helped “contribute to the life and development of the school” (GTCNI, 2010, p.15).

With Wednesday approaching I began to prepare for an assessment visit from Patrick, making my resources and organising my lesson. However, the nerves and pressure I usually feel when preparing for an assessment at home were absent and I entered the classroom on Wednesday morning without a care in the world. This was a very bizarre experience for me and I am unsure if it was my new African attitude towards pressurised situations or the fact that my professional confidence has developed, or a combination of the two.  I feel that this new attitude towards pressure will be extremely beneficial in the stressful Northern Irish classroom environment.

The lesson ran smoothly, with the children fully engaging with the multiplication topic, along with the ‘Group Work’ strategies that had been implemented over the past number of weeks. However, there was one minor issue, as Patrick was caught up in a stampede of children while they rotated between the different work stations, due to the limited classroom floor space.

The assessment ran behind schedule due to Patrick’s African concept of time which resulted in a great deal of improvisation before his arrival. Professionally I feel that my newly found improvisation skills are one of the most beneficial qualities I have acquired whilst in Zambia, as they will be extremely useful when it comes to teaching in Northern Ireland.

 Our class preparing to show Jenna and I a traditional Tonga dance.

Our class beginning to preform 'Rock the Boat'

As Friday arrived, a mixture of emotions kicked in as Jenna and I prepared of the Grade Six leaving party. The day was filled with singing, dancing, games and tears from a number of our pupils as we said our goodbyes. On a personal level, the day was upsetting as I knew I would never see my class again. However, from a professional point of view, the day was extremely difficult , as I knew that on the following Monday morning my class would be returning to ‘Rote’ learning methods and all the active learning approaches the children had  become accustom to, over my six weeks, would be pushed aside due to the pressures of the end of year examinations (Westwood, 2006).

Our goodbye messages!!

The children excited about their presents

The time spent in Hollycross Basic School has been a professional eye opener, with the lack of resources, limited space, strict curriculum and completely different attitude towards education. Before arriving in Zambia I could never have envisioned the professional experiences I have had and skills I have developed. Furthermore, I have surprised myself in the classroom by implementing strategies successfully, which I would have already been in place or I struggled with in Northern Ireland- such as behaviour management.

Our final farewell!

With the arrival of the weekend, myself and the girls decided to relieve the stress of our six weeks of lesson planning and resource making by visiting a remote island in the middle of the Zambezi River know as Bovu Island. The lack of electricity, noise and people made the stress of placement wash away, along with our sunset cruise in dugout canoes and a visit to Lzazi village – were we had the pleasure of visiting a primary school which was surprisingly well managed and resourced. The perfect relaxing weekend came to a close as we watched elephants bathe on the opposite side of the river, before being driven home in the back of a pickup truck.

The view from our bedroom on Bovu Island

The village classroom

The schools resource store which contains more literacy materials for one class than I seen in my whole six week placement for all Hollycross Basic School

References

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

Westwood. P. (2004) Learning and Learning Difficulties: A Handbook for Teachers, Victoria, ACER Press.