Week 11

I’m grinning from ear to ear as I write this, having just returned from a safari in Murchison Falls!! Now I have notoriously bad luck with spotting animals; I’ve been on a three hour whale watching tour where I saw only seagulls, drove from Vancouver to Northern British Columbia and didn’t see a single animal, spent three days in the Rockies and saw exactly one elk (and nothing else) and spent two days in Yosemite National Park without seeing anything more than deer! Needless to say I was a little worried that my bad luck would rear its head again, and my safari would consist of birds and little else. THANKFULLY that was not the case!

We drove up to Murchison Falls on Sunday with five other travellers and were up early at 6am on Monday to head out on a game drive (sunrise in Africa is beautiful, but I wish you didn’t have to get up so early to see it!). We’d been driving for only ten minutes when we came across a family of elephants right at the side of the road – I couldn’t believe how close we were to them, it was incredible. Soon after we came across a big herd of giraffe, as well as hundreds of baboons, oribu, kobs, bushbuck, waterbuck, Jackson’s Hartebeests, buffalo and warthogs (which point their tails straight up in the air as they run – hilarious!). I’ve probably left out tons more animals (especially all the different types of monkeys and birds), but these were some of the main ones that we encountered. We stopped by a lake halfway through to stretch our legs and watch the hundreds of hippos basking in the shallow water. There were also two men out fishing in a very rickety-looking canoe; hippos are well-known to be very dangerous and kill more humans each year than any other mammal, but fishermen here still risk their lives every day as lots of fish are found around the hippopotami. Our driver was nearly having an apoplectic fit as he watched them, waving his arms and screaming warnings (which were duly ignored) and telling us how foolish they were.

 

Seeing such a variety of animals in such a small area was amazing, but one of the highlights for me was seeing the lions. We had been warned that it was quite unlikely to see them, but we would spend a little time at the end of the drive searching. However, less than halfway through the game drive our ranger got a phonecall telling him lions had been spotted and after about a 12-point turn our bus hurtled down the road to find them. We were lucky enough to find two lions, a mother and son, who had just caught a kob and were devouring it in a ditch at the side of the road – literally about 8 feet from our bus!  I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty disgusting - a lot messier than I had ever imagined :S. Still, it was an incredible sight to watch, especially since the lions were not at all fazed by our arrival and continued to sit and eat for a further ten minutes.

In the afternoon we went on a 2 hour boat safari, seeing hundreds more hippos, elephants and even a few Nile Crocodiles. When the cruise  reached Murchison Falls we jumped off and hiked up to see the falls from above (my hiking boots that I bought solely because they had some pink in them were finally put to use!). The hike normally takes around an hour, but our group had a few keen-bean walkers (clearly not either me or Rachel) and we made it up in less than 40 minutes – phew! Our driver met us at the top of the falls and we drove back to our camp, sitting on the roof of the bus and plucking fruit off the trees to sample J

Today on the way back to Kampala we stopped at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary - rhinos have been extinct in the wild in Uganda since the Idi Amin years, but Ziwa currently has nine rhinoceros in their 60-acre sanctuary and hope to eventually re-introduce them to national parks. As we left our bus and started to track the rhinos on foot, it didn’t occur to me how potentially dangerous these creatures could be. It was only when our guide Raymond told us to be ready to climb a tree (with my bandaged hand this might have proved difficult!) and a male rhino stood up and looked straight at us that I realised how vulnerable we were. Weighing about 3000kg and reaching speeds of 40km/h, (that’s the rhino, not me), I wouldn’t have fancied my chances against it! Luckily he didn’t feel threatened, and we were able to get within about 15m of this male rhino, a mother and her one-year old baby.

I haven’t really got much other craic to tell you about, except our very dramatic bodaboda crash on Thursday night. Now Rachel and I find the rules of the road in Uganda hilarious. They seem to go something like this:

1)      You ALWAYS have right of way. Do not give way to anyone else.

2)      Rule Number 1 applies to every vehicle.

3)      Rule Number 1 never applies to pedestrians – don’t be ridiculous.

4)      Roundabouts are a type of game – can you get on without being hit by someone already on the roundabout? Extra ten points if you make them do an emergency stop.

5)      Zebra crossings are just to decorate the road. Nothing else.

6)      Red lights are optional – if you don’t wish to stop, by all means drive on.

Naturally these rules mean that bumps and collisions happen hundreds of times a day; we’ve had a few minor crashes before, including us driving into a car on a roundabout and another boda driving into my leg and foot. On Thursday evening we were invited to go Scottish dancing and jumped on a boda outside our hostel. Chatting away to the driver in the few Luganda phrases we have learnt, we approached a busy intersection – one of the biggest and busiest in Kampala, especially at rush hour. Since our light was red and there was traffic crossing the junction, we assumed our driver would stop like any sane human being. Instead he hit the accelerator and zoomed out into the intersection straight into oncoming traffic. Before Rachel or I could even scream we hit another boda, our bike fell and we were dragged along the ground under it. Incredibly neither of us hit our heads, despite not having helmets, and all of the other bodas and cars managed to avoid us as we lay in the middle of this huge junction. We got up as quickly as we could and ran to the side of the road, where about thirty people crowded round us shouting “mzungu mzungu!” and “Sorry sorry sorry!”. They very nicely tried to take us to hospital, but we declined and hobbled slowly home where the hostel nurse patched us up. Rachel had a few cuts on one arm where she hit the ground and I have cuts down my arm, leg and back where the boda dragged me along the ground. With unsightly and painful bruises, cuts, plasters and a swollen bandaged hand/claw, I was feeling a little sorry for myself until my boda driver the next day casually remarked “Hmm, you were lucky. Most people who crash at that crossroad die straight away.” This brought back to me how miraculous it was that we escaped so lightly, and managed to avoid hitting our heads and the other vehicles. Getting back on a bodaboda was a little scary, but with no other real alternative means of transport we just have to get used to them again.

Naturally Rachel and I like any excuse for a restful day, and so spent much of the following morning in bed before going to Bubbles to work on our coursework (everyone needs fuel to keep them going!). Then Saturday was spent at two rugby matches before heading out for dinner with some friends and some very last-minute packing for safari! And that about sums up my week! Hope that you all have a lovely Holy Week at home and enjoy your Easter weekend J

Love Suzi

Professional Development

As I draw near the end of my time studying at Makerere University, I have been considering how different my experience here has been to a semester in Stranmillis. In an average week I have around two to three hours of lectures; technically class is from 8am-10am on a Monday and Thursday, but the relaxed African attitude to time and attendance means we rarely fulfil this schedule. When I compare this to the busy timetable encountered at Stranmillis, I have to wonder how the students here can cover the necessary material with so little time. The undergraduate course in the School of Education is three years, although we were placed in the post-graduate class as the head of department was concerned that the undergraduate course would be too simplistic. Our small PGDE class has been so welcoming and helpful, ensuring we know our way around the School of Education and inviting us to some of their other classes so they can hear more about the Northern Irish education system. I have appreciated this, as there is no programme for international students to help us integrate into university life. This has made me consider how much of an effort I make with international students at home, and how I should do much more than just smile and say hello in the corridors.

The PGDE class has fourteen members, with a range of ages and former professions. Having chosen to pursue a career in teaching, most of these students are committed, attentive and focused during class. In comparison, the large undergraduate courses are full of students who wish to be elsewhere. Teaching is not a particularly respected job in Uganda, with a large workload, long hours and very low wages. The majority of students in the School of Education do not have an ambition to be a teacher and are there because they have been forced by their parents, or did not achieve the grades to get into a better course. The lecturers admit that these classes are very difficult to teach as students are so unmotivated and inattentive. I find this situation so surprising when I compare it to Stranmillis, where the undergraduate courses are hugely over-subscribed and such a negative attitude to teaching is rarely encountered.

Like Stranmillis, students at Makerere study aspects of child development and education studies, and also select a specialist subject. One of the main differences is that students here are always taught through lectures, and do not split into smaller seminar groups for more in depth study and discussion. I think that smaller classes with discussion and activity are very beneficial, as it is easy to become distracted during a two-hour lecture and not retain the information. Lecturers here do not have a powerpoint or overhead projector, and so notes are dictated orally as the lecturer paces up and down the room to ensure he can be heard.

I found it quite amusing to hear the Ugandan idea of university in Northern Ireland. Both staff and students admitted that they had imagined that each student would receive laptops to use for lectures and would be given an abundance of textbooks and resources. They were very surprised to learn that students in Stranmillis are expected to provide their own resources and we also use the library to access textbooks, just like in Uganda.

Despite some large differences between Stranmillis and Makerere, the training at Makerere is of a much higher standard than that found in more rural colleges in Uganda. Last week, Rachel and I were invited by a friend to visit the teacher training college where he volunteers. This college is in the tiny village of Kabulasoke, approximately two hours from Kampala. Despite its relatively close proximity to Kampala, most students have never visited the capital and have rarely seen white people. While teenagers who achieve good grades in high school will attend Makerere University, students who do not achieve such qualifications will often study for two years in a college such as Kabulasoke to gain a teaching certificate. Some of these students will have left high school as early as Senior Four (approximately equivalent to G.C.S.Es), while others will have completed high school but failed to get into university. At these colleges students do not learn about teaching methods, child development, the curriculum or theories of learning; instead they attend mathematics, English, science and social studies lessons. This is because their own ability in these subjects is not high enough to be teachers - in a recent mathematics exam the pass mark had to be lowered to 20% or the majority of the year would have failed. As with the undergraduate course in Makerere, the vast majority of attendees do not want to be teachers. They have either been sent to the college by their parents, or are attracted by how short the course is before they can get a job. Considering this attitude, and the ability level of the teachers produced, it is little wonder that many schools in Uganda are not very efficient or effective in educating their pupils.

Kabulasoke Teacher Training College

Most of the students in Kabulsoke are aged 18-25, just like Stranmillis. However, the similarity ends there; students are required to wear a uniform, and have to surrender their mobile telephones when they begin college. All students must live on campus, and have laborious outdoor tasks to complete each day, even when it is raining. Mealtimes are dictated by bells, and students receive beans and posho (a white maize and water mixture) everyday .Staff have very little respect for the students, rarely know their names and treat them as children. Walking around the campus and visiting classrooms, I could not believe that many of these students were the same age as me but had so little independence. My experience of teacher training here is making me appreciate Stranmillis more and more!



A Year One mathematics lesson



Week 10 - Personal blog

Being on an island means internet isn't always so easy to come by...hence the lateness of this blog. Photos to follow hopefully!

To the often-asked question ‘what three things would you take to a deserted island?’ I have finally found my answer: Rachel McNair, a good book and a cup of tea. I’m currently sitting on Itambira Island in Lake Bunyonyi in south-west Uganda, which is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. We started our journey in Kampala yesterday morning, by catching the 8am bus to Kabale. When the bus rolled into the station at 10am, we let out a silent inward cheer that it was only two hours late. Our hopes were soon dashed however, as we sat sweltering in the carpark until noon. The journey was long and boring (although we did manage to pass time by watching some of Rachel’s stash of Gossip Girl dvds!) but the highlight was definitely seeing a zebra eating grass at the side of the road, which made all the potholes and near-crashes worth it!

Arriving in Kabale at 7pm, we each jumped on a bodaboda to take us the final 9km to Lake Bunyonyi. Believe me, balancing on the back of a motorbike going through mountain roads with an enormous rucksack on your back is seriously tough! As we came over the summit of the mountain, I was absolutely blown away by the sight before me. Lake Bunyonyi is a crater lake found at 2000m above sea level, and is 100m deep at parts, making it one of the deepest lakes in Africa. There are 29 islands dotted through the lake, and it is surrounded by steep mountains and volcanoes. Arriving at dusk with the evening mist swirling around the mountains, I was literally left breathless by how beautiful it was. Rachel and I both commented that it seems like a scene from one of JR Tolkein’s fantasy novels. However, I was soon brought back to earth with a bump as my boda driver Henri free-wheeled down the mountainside one-handed in typical Ugandan care-free fashion, while texting and veering horrifically close to the precipice edge. I totally forgot the view and think I prayed virtually the whole ride! Upon arriving at Rutinda port, we made the final leg of our journey to Itambira Island by motorboat, under a star-studded sky. This was definitely another one of those moments where I can’t believe I’m really here experiencing this. It amazes me that so few people at Stranmillis apply for Erasmus and international placements; I wouldn’t give up my time here for the world!

Itambira Island itself is just as stunning as the lake where it is found. There are dozens of hiking routes, and dug-out canoes can be hired for the day (we haven’t attempted it yet, but there’s still time!). The brightly-coloured birds and butterflies are swooping around, and there is no noise except for the chirp of insects. The guesthouse uses solar power, so there is no electricity at night (Lonely Planet didn’t mention that one!) meaning we have to do everything by candelight or torches (including visiting the compost toilets – this is undoubtedly the most eco-friendly place I have ever stayed!). Even on our days off in Kampala, we always seem to be going somewhere or doing something; on this island there is literally nothing to do. And it’s heaven. Whether curled up reading, enjoying the view, eating apple fritters for lunch or exploring the many scenic areas of the island, Lake Bunyonyi is blissfully relaxing. With coursework due next week for Makerere University, sitting here definitely takes the sting off getting started – and it’s infinitely better than sitting at a desk in Belfast!

Now that our teaching has finished and we have only 4 hours or less of class a week, Rachel and I are finally getting a chance to do all of the things we wanted to do in Kampala, including visiting the Baha’i Temple and Gaddafi Mosque. Both of these places of worship were absolutely stunning, and it was very interesting finding out about these two major world religions and how they compare to Christianity. The man who showed us around the mosque was so welcoming and friendly, happily answering all of our questions and even taking us to the top of the mosque tower so see the view of Kampala. In contrast, the lady at the Baha’i Temple became quite hostile when she discovered we were Christians, and it left me feeling quite uncomfortable as she tried in vain to show us that our faith was archaic and completely irrelevant to today’s world. While the Baha’i faith states that it accepts people from all walks and beliefs, I didn’t get this impression during my time at the temple.

 We’ve also ventured further out of Kampala and spent Friday in a tiny village called Kabulasoke, around 2 ½ hours away from Kampala. Our friend Tommy volunteers in a teacher-training college there, and invited us so we could see the vast differences between the School of Education in Makerere and a rural college. Tommy is only the third white person to have been to this village, making me and Rachel the fourth and fifth; needless to say, we attracted some curious stares! This weekend we were back in Kampala for our choir concerts at Namirembe Cathedral on Saturday and Sunday night. This marked the end of our time with Kampala Singers and I was a little tearful as I said goodbye to the other members. I literally cannot praise this choir enough, they have all gone out of their way to welcome us into their ‘family’ and the concert was one of the memories I will never forget from my time here – even if I couldn’t ‘shake it’ as well as the rest of them during the gospel songs!

I can’t believe that I’m already down to my final few weeks in Uganda; every time someone asks when we leave it hits me with a horrifying thud that it’s only 2 more weeks. Thankfully we have lots more exciting trips planned to soften the blow, including another return visit to Jinja and a safari – eek! But for now, off to enjoy some more time doing nothing J

Lots of love, Suzi

Weeks 8 & 9: Professional Development

After having a bit of a nightmare with internet last week, this blog is covering both week 8 and week 9. I can’t believe I’ve reached this point in my trip already, time is slipping away too fast! Today is the 1^st April, and I have to leave Uganda at the end of this month L Before I left Northern Ireland 12 weeks seemed like such a long time to be in Africa, but it definitely has not been long enough. I’m just glad I have 4 weeks holiday after to work on this tan a bit before I get home!! The past week has been amazing, just like every other week here. We finished teaching last Friday, and amid lots of tears, hugs and gifts (Ugandans are an INCREDIBLY generous people) we waved goodbye to our classes and jumped onto our favourite bodaboda for the last time (the driver insisted on having his photo taken with us so he could remember his mzungo clients which was very sweet!). After the quickest packing-time ever, Rachel and I headed back to Jinja for the weekend; it is such a chilled-out fun place that I would happily go there every weekend if I could. We decided to pass on a second chance at rafting, and instead opted for a quad-bike safari with three friends. Banter to the max, I absolutely loved it J Now, anyone who knows me will know that both my coordination and steering skills leave a lot to be desired; turns out my quadding is even worse than my driving and I have the bruises to prove it! Like the horse-riding, we started off going along the edge of the Nile before heading into the bush and through lots of tiny villages. To be honest I’m glad I had done the horse-riding to enjoy the views, as we sped along the bumpy roads far too quickly to take in what was around us. Seriously, I could barely stay on my quad and dodge the potholes as it was, let alone taking time to look around me! However, we did have one un-planned rest, when Rachel’s quad ran out of petrol and she came to an ungainly halt in the middle of a village. While our guide siphoned petrol from the rest of our quads into hers, the entire village (including some animals) decided to have a community meeting in a circle around us, peering at the strange-looking (and very dirty) people before them.

That night, we were all sitting around in the backpackers playing card games (we have now introduced Jungle Speed to Uganda!) when an absolutely ENORMOUS thunderstorm started – like I’ve seen big storms before but this was massive; roaring thunder every couple of seconds with lightening that lit up the whole sky like daylight. Undeterred, around 30 of us threw plastic bags over our heads and traipsed out to the bus in shorts and tshirts at 1am to head to a nightclub – I love how crazy life is here, that just wouldn’t happen at home! With lots more practice of African dancing and a powercut partway through, we had an absolutely brilliant night.

After a horribly early start on Sunday morning to head back to Kampala, we went along to the streetkids project, Tomorrow’s Heroes. These kids are just incredible, you get more and more attached to them every week and I genuinely want to bring some of them home with me. This week, rather than staying at the church we split into our groups and the boys took us round some places that were special to them. My group, the Lions, took me to the place where they collect scrap to sell for 500 shillings per kilogram (around 15p), where some of them go to school and where they collect cardboard boxes every night to sleep in. This last place was the bit that hit me most; while I knew they were streetkids, it was very hard to realise that while I was going home to a warm room and bed these boys would be lying on cardboard all night. I don’t think we’ll be able to visit them this weekend, but I definitely want to go again as soon as possible.

This week has been so relaxing; without school everyday you might think Rachel and I would struggle to fill our time but we’ve managed to keep ourselves busy.... a spa on Monday, out for coffee on Tuesday, shopping on Wednesday and the Uganda museum on Thursday. As for this weekend, plenty of time at the beach (come on rainy season, leave us alone for two days!). Of course, we’re thinking of all our friends at home on teaching practice... I’m sure you’re glad to know we’re as busy and stressed as you!



My last day with P3Y



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Having now finished my time as ’Teacher Suzi’ in City Parents’ Primary School, I feel that this would be a suitable time to reflect on how my period of school-based work in Uganda has differed to those I have completed in Northern Ireland. There are some obvious differences which I have mentioned in previous blogs; large classes, few resources, discipline and different teaching methods. However, the most difficult aspect of teaching here has been catering for all of the learners in my class.

There are seven streams in each year at City Parents’, in which pupils are grouped according to ability. In theory, this should make it easier for teachers to meet their learners’ needs, as all pupils should be at a similar level of understanding. However, the pupils are allocated into these streams at the beginning of Primary One, before they have even encountered teaching. They remain in these classes until another test in Primary Four, after which they are re-distributed into appropriate streams. Research by Piaget revealed that all children develop at different rates - physically, emotionally and intellectually. The clear implication of this finding is that while my pupils may have been at a similar ability in Primary One, I can see huge differences in their development two years later; in their understanding of various subjects, in their independence and in their social and communication skills.

It is not that a mixed-ability class is a huge challenge in itself; virtually all classrooms in Northern Ireland contain a vast range of diverse languages, cultures and abilities. In comparison, my class in Uganda was surprisingly uniform; all pupils spoke English and were from relatively similar social, economic and cultural backgrounds. In addition, there were no pupils who have been officially diagnosed as having a special educational need or behavioural problems; in general, children with such a diagnosis are not educated in mainstream schools. The challenge was that teachers do not attempt to cater for the variety of abilities within the class, using the now-familiar excuse that there are too many pupils. In Northern Ireland it is expected that teachers will consider how to make learning accessible to all pupils; the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland states that “teachers should employ strategies that motivate and meet the needs of all pupils” (2007:14). Similarly, the Northern Ireland Curriculum outlines that teachers should provide opportunities for all pupils to take part in lessons fully and achieve success in learning (CCEA, 2007). This is achieved through the process of differentiation, which Peters (1992) defines as the technique by which teachers adapt work to meet every learner’s needs. There are many ways to provide differentiated learning; for example, through task, organisation, support and catering to different learning styles.

I can honestly say that in my entire placement at City Parents’, I did not see any form of differentiation used.  Every lesson followed the same pattern whereby the teacher would explain a concept at the blackboard, the children would recite it back and would then complete an activity independently, with no support from the teacher. The occasions when I would walk around the classroom helping individual pupils during a task, the teacher looked at me with a bemused expression and told me to sit down and start marking.

The implications of having no differentiation strategies were obvious; some pupils would finish a given exercise in ten minutes, and proceed to talk or create havoc for the rest of the lesson. On the other hand, some pupils would spend forty minutes struggling to complete a single question, or if they did manage to finish the questions would invariably receive zero for their efforts. Despite large numbers of pupils failing to grasp a concept, the teacher would insist there was no time for re-teaching and would continue onto the next topic on the scheme of work. While there are seven streams for each year, every class follows an identical scheme and completes the same exam twice a term, after which results are compared. Naturally, teachers feel that this reflects on their own abilities as a professional, and so strive to ensure that their pupils achieve top marks. Rather than personalising the learning for each individual to ensure they understand a concept, teachers resort to rote-learning dozens of definitions and answers, so pupils will perform well in the exam. What does this result in? Children who can recite answers like a parrot, but don’t understand what they are saying and cannot apply their knowledge to any problem or situation. Coon and Mitterer (2010) suggest that while rote-learning can be efficient, the learning is not as lasting or as flexible as when other methods of learning are used; witnessing this teaching strategy leads me to agree with their opinion.

While my teacher was open-minded about some strategies we use in Northern Ireland, he was very reluctant to consider using differentiation. Of course there are obvious challenges to differentiation; it takes a considerable amount more preparation and planning time before the lesson, and the teacher needs to be available to support individuals or small groups during the activity. However, it is extremely disheartening to mark dozens of books every day and see that large amounts of children have not grasped a concept. I genuinely do not understand how one can consider him or herself a successful teacher if their pupils are not actually learning while in the classroom. The one occasion where my teacher agreed to let me use differentiation and set a different mathematics task for high-ability pupils, he then criticised the task for being too advanced as, “This is what they will learn in Primary Four”. It did not matter to him that every one of these pupils were concentrated, focused and completed the activity successfully; the only aspect that mattered was that they were not following the Primary Three scheme exactly. Coming from an education system in which all pupils are encouraged to achieve their full potential (CCEA, 2007) it was frustrating to see that children here are not given the same opportunities to stretch their minds and develop their abilities and intellect.

Differentiation is a vital part of teaching which I have learnt about and tried to put into practice since beginning my course at Stranmillis. As with active learning (which I discussed in a previous blog), experiencing an education system in which this concept does not exist has helped me to realise how beneficial it is to children’s learning, and what a vital role it plays in the classroom.

References  

Coon, D. and Mitterer, J. (2007), Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to mind and behaviour, USA, Cengage Learning Inc.

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

General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (2007), Teaching: the Reflective Profession, Belfast, GTCNI Publication

Peters, M. (1992), ‘Differentiation’, British Journal of Special Education, Vol.19, Issue 1, Blackwell Publishing.