Today started off with air conditioning, a hot shower, a
filter coffee and pastries. I feel like a king. Don’t worry, I haven’t moved to
French Guiana and started working for the space agency (it happens), I stayed
over at Mael’s last night and he lives in a gorgeous apartment above Oasis café.
School was like a dream yesterday. I taught circuits to form
3 (the “dreaded” year nines) and I think
it was their first time using the equipment: I forgot their books so told them
that the group with the most bulbs lit up by the time I got back would win. By
the time I got back NONE of them had managed to get one bulb lit but they were
hilariously engrossed in the gadgets in front of them. By the end of the lesson
we were conducting electricity through their pencils and throwing paper balls
(aka. Electrons) to each other.
Last lesson was with my fifth form (year 11) geographers and
went so easily. They presented, fed-back, had group discussions then wrote exam
questions; I felt like I didn’t even teach them. Their exam answers were
brilliant again. I got the students to mark them, then peer-mark them, then I
marked them to check. I wasn’t sure how the students felt about the lack of
teacher talk in the lessons because normally students complain if there is too
much student-centred learning, they think they are not learning and would
prefer didactic chalk and talk. So this morning in assembly I asked one of the
fifth formers how they felt and they replied by saying how happy they were with
the depth of study; just to reiterate, I haven’t taught these guys anything
about Niger or Russia!
After school and marking, I decided to head to Mael’s so I
went to Gift Land (a shop that resemble the board game, Mouse Trap) to buy some
shorts. The Guyanese accent is so unique. It is fairly easy to understand and I
think I understand most conversations now but the trouble comes when you are
the one talking. I went into a shop on the way to Gift Land and asked the guy, “Do
you sell shorts?” Now this didn’t work at all. He screwed up his face and
looked at me as if I was a piece of modern art. So I realised that I needed to
turn it slightly Guyanese, “Yuh sell shaaart pants?” And he immediately
replied, “Oh, oh, oh, male shaaart pant? Nah, we na gat.” So I left.
School was like a dream yesterday. I taught circuits to form
3 (the “dreaded” year nines) and I think
it was their first time using the equipment: I forgot their books so told them
that the group with the most bulbs lit up by the time I got back would win. By
the time I got back NONE of them had managed to get one bulb lit but they were
hilariously engrossed in the gadgets in front of them. By the end of the lesson
we were conducting electricity through their pencils and throwing paper balls
(aka. Electrons) to each other.
Last lesson was with my fifth form (year 11) geographers and
went so easily. They presented, fed-back, had group discussions then wrote exam
questions; I felt like I didn’t even teach them. Their exam answers were
brilliant again. I got the students to mark them, then peer-mark them, then I
marked them to check. I wasn’t sure how the students felt about the lack of
teacher talk in the lessons because normally students complain if there is too
much student-centred learning, they think they are not learning and would
prefer didactic chalk and talk. So this morning in assembly I asked one of the
fifth formers how they felt and they replied by saying how happy they were with
the depth of study; just to reiterate, I haven’t taught these guys anything
about Niger or Russia!
After school and marking, I decided to head to Mael’s so I
went to Gift Land (a shop that resemble the board game, Mouse Trap) to buy some
shorts. The Guyanese accent is so unique. It is fairly easy to understand and I
think I understand most conversations now but the trouble comes when you are
the one talking. I went into a shop on the way to Gift Land and asked the guy, “Do
you sell shorts?” Now this didn’t work at all. He screwed up his face and
looked at me as if I was a piece of modern art. So I realised that I needed to
turn it slightly Guyanese, “Yuh sell shaaart pants?” And he immediately
replied, “Oh, oh, oh, male shaaart pant? Nah, we na gat.” So I left.
ps. it is 'casual' Fridays and I am wearing a t-shirt to school for the first time in 2 years. I wasn't told of by the Head this morning and it's freaking awesome!
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