So we’ve started another year of Secondary School. I’m teaching math and biology to Form 3. But I’ve added a little something-something
to my personal curriculum for my own amusement.
Every week (or more than once a week if I don’t feel like actually
teaching) we will write for 20 minutes on whatever prompt I choose. This little exercise will work on a number of
levels. It’ll encourage them to write
their thoughts and think about things they wouldn’t usually think about – these
guys are in desperate need of critical and creative thinking practice. It’ll also require them to write in English,
which I can then correct and help them with on an individual basis. And it is a perfect excuse to get them to
tell me everything I’ve been so unbelievably curious about but can’t ask in any
normal conversation since I’ve been here.
For example, I can’t wait till they trust me enough to honestly answer
the question “explain local initiation ceremonies and how you feel about them”
or “why don’t you think men and women are equal in Malawi” or “do male teachers
really take advantage of their position with the female students” or “write
about a rumor you’ve heard about someone with AIDS” or even just “tell me some
Malawian sayings or proverbs”. I know I’ll
get at least a few honest answers out of them.
And I told them that I’ll be only one reading them (unless they
expressly tell me not to read a particular entry), that I’ll keep them locked
in my house when we aren’t using them, and that I won’t post anything they say
online without their permission.
This week’s was a tame prompt, to get them used to the
idea. The question was “what do you want
to do with your life after you finish Secondary School”. I got a lot of “I want to be a doctor” or
teacher or car mechanic. But I also got
one girl saying that she wants to be a medical assistant in a hospital. However, she is worried she is setting her
goals too high because she is an orphan living with her aunt and many other
children, all of whom depend on her aunt’s single income. Even if she can pass her national exams and
get into University, school fees will be unattainable and she’ll have to stay
in the village and get married. Another
guy in the class had very realistic expectations, which I really appreciated
after ten future doctors couldn’t spell “doctor”. He wants to become a soldier, have a good
family, and then he wants to build his own house. If he has money left over, he will buy a
bicycle to ride to work. Solid. Way to go, kid.
Any prompts you’d like to suggest??
