Upon arriving at Emfundweni, the learners in Grade R were singing and saying their morning prayers. In South Africa, students are referred to as learners and Grade R is the equivalent of Kindergarten. Everyone was so welcoming. The learners immediately showered me with hugs and greetings of hello. Many speak to me in English and quickly teach me that "molo" is the Xhosa word for hello. The principal, deputy principal (assistant principal) and teachers are all receptive of my arrival and are excited to welcome me. The school houses approximately 900 learners throughout the year. Class sizes are around forty in the sixth grade. The school plants a garden to supply food for the learners. Parent volunteers come to cook for them each day. At recess, they are allowed to visit the shop for snacks and drinks. The learners have access to a computer lab containing about 15 computers with internet access.
The learners are putting an end to the school year by testing for each subject. They are completing final exams administered by their teachers and will soon be taking standardized tests. After testing, I met my partnership teacher Mr. Fudu. He was eager to introduce me to his sixth grade class. The learners all stand following my entrance into the classroom. They also stand to answer questions. Introducing my self to the class and telling them about America was a lot of fun. They had a great deal of questions and wanted to make connections between what I do in America and what happens here in South Africa. They were excited to know that I will be teaching them. The classroom was bare. The students do not have text books but the learners have workbooks and are using interactive notebooks to complete assignments. I was surprised to see this technique being implemented here. There are posters on the walls and each student has a desk and chair. All of the learners are eager to learn and seem to be hanging on to my every word. I can't wait to begin teaching them.
Upon arriving at Emfundweni, the learners in Grade R were singing and saying their morning prayers. In South Africa, students are referred to as learners and Grade R is the equivalent of Kindergarten. Everyone was so welcoming. The learners immediately showered me with hugs and greetings of hello. Many speak to me in English and quickly teach me that "molo" is the Xhosa word for hello. The principal, deputy principal (assistant principal) and teachers are all receptive of my arrival and are excited to welcome me. The school houses approximately 900 learners throughout the year. Class sizes are around forty in the sixth grade. The school plants a garden to supply food for the learners. Parent volunteers come to cook for them each day. At recess, they are allowed to visit the shop for snacks and drinks. The learners have access to a computer lab containing about 15 computers with internet access.
The learners are putting an end to the school year by testing for each subject. They are completing final exams administered by their teachers and will soon be taking standardized tests. After testing, I met my partnership teacher Mr. Fudu. He was eager to introduce me to his sixth grade class. The learners all stand following my entrance into the classroom. They also stand to answer questions. Introducing my self to the class and telling them about America was a lot of fun. They had a great deal of questions and wanted to make connections between what I do in America and what happens here in South Africa. They were excited to know that I will be teaching them. The classroom was bare. The students do not have text books but the learners have workbooks and are using interactive notebooks to complete assignments. I was surprised to see this technique being implemented here. There are posters on the walls and each student has a desk and chair. All of the learners are eager to learn and seem to be hanging on to my every word. I can't wait to begin teaching them.
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