From a professional point of view, I can see that there is a great need for development opportunities for the teachers I have been working with. I have found them to be very aware of the poverty of their professional circumstances, and deterred from making improvements due to the enormity of the challenges they face. The challenge for me in the short time I am to be here is to try to encourage my colleagues to see that if they are open to new ideas they can make changes that will improve the teaching and learning environment for themselves and for their pupils, and to accept that change takes time.
“My days have fallen into a pattern of waking with the crow of the cockerel and the smell of wood smoke drifting into my room.”
Maureen’s host mother Mrs Kamphinga
“The group village headman offered me a plot of land to build a house on so I would stay for longer!”
Compared to life in Malawi and in Malawian schools, life in Scottish schools is lived out at a frenetic pace, and I can see that my expectations of what is going to be achievable will have to be tempered by a greater understanding of how time is viewed in Malawi.
Settling in What an interesting weekend my first weekend has been. On Friday, which was a school holiday, I got an insight into village life on a tour with my hosts. Saturday’s trip to Ntengawagwa market on the Mozambique border was one of the highlights of my whole experience in Malawi. Accompanied by the head teacher and two of our teaching colleagues we set off to the market. I came to realise that the Malawian concept of distance, like their concept of time, is not as it is in Scotland. The journey which was going to last about two hours, took nearly four hours - on the back of a bicycle with no suspension! My seat was the carrier on the back of the bicycle, made of metal and generally used for carrying
to
firewood, bags of maize, pigs, sacks of flour and sometimes Malawian women, or very occasionally Scottish teachers! I was very grateful for the padding provided by my very thick Keiss School fleece!
t on the Mozamb arke iq u aM eb gw or a de w a r g n e t
The tr a nsp or t
the short five minute walk to school. My work in school this week has been spent observing lessons and discussing feedback with the teachers, including the challenges that face them daily, and meeting some of the school committees and village headmen.
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Global Teacher Over the last two weeks I feel I have developed a good working relationship in school and with the head teacher. By Wednesday I had observed all classes and felt the time was right to have a preliminary meeting with the head teacher to agree the developments I feel I can support during my placement. It was a good meeting and though there were sensitive issues for the head teacher to address, he didn’t disagree with any of my points and agreed the agenda for a full staff meeting to discuss these issues the following day. The other staff were generally in favour of the developments which I have highlighted following my observations, although there were a few comments made about extra work.
Discussions and observations this week have highlighted for me the gulf that exists between the training Scottish teachers receive and our imaginative and creative classroom practice, and that of our colleagues in Malawi. I believe that with a background understanding of Malawian education, there is an ongoing need for Scottish teachers and others to share our expertise with our Malawian colleagues.
Fun & games After the evening meal on most evenings this week I have spent time playing the games I brought with my hosts and some of the children from the village – who are now all ‘Snap’ experts! Most of the villagers now know about my camera and everywhere I go people are asking to have their photograph taken, the results are always met with great
shrieks of delight. I continue to find the language difficult. My attempts at Chichewa are often met with great laughter. I have not figured out yet whether they laugh because I don’t quite get the Chichewa right or because they are so delighted at my attempts at getting it right! Either way I don’t find it offensive, as they are such friendly and welcoming people.
This has been a busy week at school with a number of agreed developments beginning to take place, as well as one day being given over to the celebrations for the National Day of Education. My workshops on early reading and phonics, and formative assessment were met with varying degrees of interest and enthusiasm. The day I spent with the head teacher going over record keeping and administration has proved to be useful. He has identified that there is a need for his practice in this area to be much sharper. The school start time has been changed to 8.15 to take account of the fact that many children were not turning up for school at 7.15, because it is so cold during these winter months. Another development that staff agreed to, was that a shelter belt be built for one of the classes that is taught outside. It is good to see some of the developments planned and discussed with the staff taking shape.
Taking stock Life at home continues to be very Educational Institute of Scotland 21