I can’t quite believe we are in the middle of the project already! Read on to find out about how the project book, a project update, a brief insight into school life, a couple of stories and some photos…
It’s Finished!
Last time I wrote we were working on the final draft of the English and Malagasy of ‘Modern Teaching Methods’. Optimistically I thought the book would have been ready a long time ago, however the final revisions, proofreading and corrections took days of work!
Celebrating the finished book with my translator at a local kebab and pate (pasta) restaurant
So what was the point of 3 months of work writing the book?
Firstly, it helped me think in depth about the course content. As a result the courses I’m teaching now are much more refined and high quality.
Secondly it’s is an excellent reference for local teachers once they’ve finished the course.
However the main reason for writing the book was to give a resource for local teacher trainers to use as a basis for their courses.
You can read it here:
- Malagasy: fomba-fampianarana-moderna-1-0 (3.0 MB)
- English: modern-teaching-methods-1-0-english (2.26 MB)
Comments, corrections and suggestions are welcome.
Shortly the website http://www.mada-enseignants.org will be up and running for teachers from Madagascar. It will include the latest version of the book to download and a number of other web resources. Additionally a facebook page and group will be added as many people here think the internet and facebook are the same thing…
Classes
Classes focus on giving teachers experience of active, engaging lessons. They also include a lot of theory that can help teachers understand what they are doing.
Active learning activity with teachers
I’m teaching 133 students at the moment and expect to teach two more courses. Teachers must attend 8 out of 10 sessions and complete four homeworks to a good standard to pass the course. Those who don’t pass will still receive an attendance certificate for the sessions they attended. The subsidised cost is £3.50/student and includes the course book and certificate. The real cost is nearer £25/head.
Classes have been going well. I’m encouraged that most teachers feel the course is worth attending (and are willing to put their money and time into it). Teachers are really enjoying more interaction with their students in class and include more active learning. Initial evidence is that teachers who implement the course ideas see improved exam results and student motivation.
Since the book has been finished I’ve started observing lessons in schools and I was very encouraged by a school where teachers are embracing the active learning style. Teaching has moved from a very didactic style to a more active style, with support for the change at all levels in the school.
School day in Madagascar
The school day in Madagascar is really long! To give you an idea, many secondary schools have a morning session from 7:30 – 11:45 (4 hours teaching, in 2 periods), and then from approximately 1:30-5:30 (another 4 hours teaching in 2 blocks). Wednesday and sometimes Friday is a half day. Not all of that time is taken by lessons, there is usually a little ‘study’ time where students waste time and chat.
A few interesting things from schools:
- ‘James, write down the names of people who are talking’, as a behaviour management strategy. Managing classes of up to 100 pupils where the teacher spends quite a bit of time with their back turned writing on the blackboard is a challenge.
- ‘Copy the two French sentences from the blackboard. Ask your friend to check to see if you made any errors. Then rewrite the bits you got wrong.’ This is a 15 minute activity in a lesson.
- Dictation, where the teacher reads the ‘lesson’ to the students and they copy it down. The ‘lesson’ is what students write in their notebooks, not the two hour period students are in the class.
- The ‘lesson’ is in French, while the explanation is given in Malagasy in many secondary schools.
- Students are naughty, though the extremes of bad behaviour are not seen as these students will have dropped out of school.
- The national anthem is sung as the flag is lowered at the end of the week.
- Students with more serious learning difficulties are not seen in school because they have dropped out. There is no understanding and support for learning difficulties here.
- In many schools, teachers turn up for lessons when they feel like it. In some bush schools the office that pays the teacher’s wages is a few day’s walk away. So every month the teacher is absent for at least a week to collect their wages.
- Many students drop out when moving from primary to secondary school as secondary school is taught in French, a language that many students do not know. Primary schools are supposed to teach French but the reality is that many primary teachers do not know more than a few words of French.
The future
One of the aims of the project was to train teacher trainers to deliver this course. This requires teachers to have completed the course, and as a result it is unlikely I’ll be able to deliver this objective before Christmas.
So I am considering whether to return and continue the project, or attempt to support teacher trainers from the UK while working part time.
Pray I know what is the right thing to do!
One other story…
After moving house I struggled to find my normal washer lady. Clothes are washed by hand here and I’d rather provide local employment than spend half a day washing clothes. I prayed I’d find her and went hunting near my old house. I failed completely and was on the way home and felt I should ride up a small side street. I found a shop selling local yoghurt and bought a pot. While eating it a lady came along with reasonable French looking for work. She is now my washer lady!
Help out the project:
- I’m looking for a book on educating children aged 4-8. If you know one you think is outstanding, let me know!
- If you pray, please pray for continued safety and health. I’m more healthy here than when in the UK at the moment. Also pray I know what to do after Christmas.
- Get in touch! It’s hard to stay in touch when overseas but I’d love to hear what you are up to…
- Get in touch if you’d like to support the project or donate via Paypal at http://www.paypal.me/RobertMacGregor.
A beautiful malagasy backstreet. The wall on the right is made of woven bamboo.
A beautiful malagasy backstreet. Only the main roads are tarmac.
Moving house by pousse pousse (cycle rickshaw). Most of my stuff and my translator is on this rickshaw!