Several teachers have mentioned peer learning and group work when we’ve asked about their teaching practices. Group learning is new in these schools. The science teacher for P4 and P6 at Mother Care said, “They aren’t afraid to give wrong answers to their peers. We correct them later. They are more attentive and learn better when they speak.” It’s exciting to see this movement from all top-down teaching.
The container is in Kampala but hasn’t been cleared yet, so we’re only
handing out photo items this week. Our first stop was Mother Care, which was our first red back-pack school last year. The Head Teacher prepared a full agenda for our visit, including a marvelous thank-you song for Green Lake Elementary School. The Head Girl said, “We promise to be academic giants! Through your support, Mother Care will shine!”
As part of our evaluation, we’re determining how the supplies you donate are distributed at each school. Are they handed out to each child? Given as rewards? Kept in the classroom? At Mother Care, they distribute basic supplies, like pens and pencils, to children who don’t have them. Other supplies, such as markers and reams of paper, are kept in the office and given out to classrooms as needed. They also trade some supplies, such as paper, with other schools in exchange for printed exams. The schools like to give their students multiple opportunities to take practice exams so that they can learn and revise. Printed exams are too expensive to purchase often, though, so the supply trade works out well. Just another example of the innovation and creativity we see here every day.
