Digging deeper into my role
on Marika VSO-ing in Namibia (Namibia), 01/Mar/2010 18:36, 34 days ago
As I continue to observe teachers and meet more interesting characters, I am also getting a different perspective on things. As the lessons continue to be of a concern for the previously mentioned reasons, I seem to be questioning the bigger picture a bit more. I might be repeating myself here, but many of the teachers have worked with the previous Mathematics trainers/volunteers and have been exposed to different teaching methods and ideas already. So the question is more, why have I not seen any of these in practice? Why are the efforts of previous volunteers not being implemented? Resources have been left behind, workshops (INSET) have been held full of demonstrations for classes, assessment, writing of examinations etc. It is as if all of this has been ignored. It has become expected that each volunteer will be replaced by another and another and so on, yet despite all the praise of past volunteers, their work is not being implemented. I question my role once again.There is an air of dependence. There is an air of‘you need to do this for us, because we can’t’ (or don’t want to). In some instances this is a lack of self belief, but others just a transfer of responsibility. Several times already I have had to direct many conversations with Principals (Headteachers) towards more sustainable attitudes. For example, sometimes I am just wanted for immediate improvement of results (as the Principal continues to regularly pull his teachers out the classrooms during lesson time for meetings); one Principal wanted me to observe the teachers without warning them, highlighting the point that he wants me todo his job of maintaining standards on a day-to-day basis. I have emphasised the pointlessness of observing teachers and making suggestions that they already know of and are just not prepared to implement, rather than seeing them performing at their best and making suggestions from there. Maybe what is present everywhere and I should have expected to find is a lack of motivation on teachers’ behalf for self-improvement. Especially if it involves more work. This is a big barrier and should help me channel my energies more efficiently. No point flogging a dead horse as they say. On the otherhand, it is the most disinterested teachers that need the most work. I would question many of the motives for getting into teaching, especially when you see this lack of motivation (often seeming like laziness) in the newly qualified teachers.