Week One of our now
highly prepared Teacher workshops were finally here…...and of course on day one
I was ill!! Aching head and body be gone…we had the world to change….oh how
naive I was!! Qacha’s Nek United here we come….who are you, what workshop did you
do in April, what resources, what Phonics??????????????????????
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! We quickly reviewed that no Phonics had been taught
in our absence and so we reconfigured our “follow up” “support” session into a
motivational workshop on the importance of teaching Reading.
Day 2 was in my old
school, Hermitage Primary School with my lovely colleagues (no bias!!) and it
was an absolute pleasure to be sat in my old classroom developing my teachers
knowledge and having a chance to discuss issues and concerns regarding
teaching, planning and assessment. Of course, Phonics had not been taught fully
so we reviewed, recapped and gave them new interactive methods of delivery.
Day 3 was a journey up
the mountain to Qacha’s Nek Government Primary School with our Mosotho Mother,
Mme Makopano. We had a larger workshop today as all the trainee teachers
attended too. Sometimes its hard to judge if what your saying is of interest or
concern sometimes…but the evaluations at the end always help…
“I hope to see our learners read fluently.
…Thanks for the books, our learners will progress in English now….I think the
learners will be very committed in their learning since the teaching will be
child centred and more attractive”
Day 4 took us to St.
Josephs Primary School where the smiles and hugs from the teachers are always a
treat, along with seeing our little friends from the Orphanage. The teachers
were the first to really, really interact with our reading workshop….we hope
they can do this with the children with their new reading books!
Day 5 was a
re-scheduled visit to our favourite semi-rural school….Waterfall Primary
School. What a view, what a happy atmosphere and so good to see so many engaged
teachers, not only with Phonics, but with the new Child Friendly School Policy.
A welcome pilot project introducing caring, child centred approaches to school
and class management without corporeal punishment. Our workshop was received
with genuine warmth and commitment. A lead school for the Qacha’s Nek area me thinks!!
No comments:
Post a Comment