Sept 22, 2008
Today was the “1st day of school” here in Madagascar, and what should have been the most exciting and fulfilling day for my service thus far, was anti-climactic to say the least.
I had been badgering Bonne, the director adjoint of the CEG, for my schedule for the past week and a half. Friday he told me that when it was done he would bring it to my house (remember he is also my neighbor and we all live and work at the CEG). Sunday evening still no schedule and he had been in his office all weekend working, I was afraid to ask. I went to bed thinking, is there school tomorrow, or is there not? hmmm.
School starts at 6am here in Marovoay. So got up at 5:30am (I'm usually already awake, just laying in bed waiting for the sun to come up a bit more. oh how my life has changed.) None of my neighbors are stirring at this point...maybe no school? ugh. I go about my morning business, sweeping, straightening up, making breakfast, and see Bonne, he has news: meeting with the students at 8am. HAZAH! Education will begin today for Malagasy students in Marovoay. I get dressed, do my hair, even put a little mascara on. Whoa! Big day! And at 8am (its Gasy time so I know we won't actually start until almost 9) I gather my lesson plans, notebooks, my activity supplies, h2o, a snack, camera, and a pen and pencil in my new basket that I bought in mahajunga and head out to the courtyard. There is a gaggle of students dressed in their blue uniform blouses, and some teachers standing around. At about 8:45, the assistant principle gets the kids into formation, and they raise the flag, do some military-like drills to commands, and sing the national anthem. After that, Bonne introduced all the new teachers, including myself. I stood up on half a steel, barrel drum thing and the kids cheered. It's chessey, but was a really happy moment for me and felt really included in the school culture.
And then it all went wrong...the PC gives a book called “the First Days of School,” and it is about how to be a professional educator; approaching teaching through attitudes and empowerment to be successful. Most of the rhetoric of the book is putting the burden on the teachers outlook, saying students are only as prepared and motivated as their teacher; also fostering positive behavior and learning through a positive, cohesive classroom structure; it all makes a lot of sense. Any way, the next part of the day's proceeding involve Bonne climbing onto the 'pedestal' and saying that “today we begin studying, the EPP (elementary) and Lycee (HS) are “kamo” (lazy) and not prepared to being classes today.” The students cheer at this point. and then, he goes into a speech berating the students for their poor performance on the BEPC (HS entrance exam) in July. Keep in mind the only students present who took the test of the 2000 kids there are the 3eme students are are repeating the grade. And then tells them to study, study, study. Not the positive perspective on education that the “first days of school” talks about...
From here, students are assigned to classrooms to clean and organize themselves and the teachers file into another classroom. The director speaks for about 15 minutes... 1) I can't hear what he is saying over all the student chatter, and 2) I never really understand when he talks... I sit and watch him politely. Next, Bonne talkes for another 20, and he passes out each sections schedules and the teachers pass them around frantically, jotting down what days and what hours they are teaching. Then they head off to classrooms to give students their weekly schedules...At this point, my head is spinning and I have no idea what is happening. Luckly, Bonne hands me my own hand-written schedule, I teach 6 sections of 5eme, like 7th grade which is the PC max for our first year. Ah. relief. I stand around awaiting further instructions, like classroom #s...then he tells me we are done for the day.
What!? It's just past 10am I am done for the day!? No. I've got a basket full of educational goodies and a schedule that says I teach on mondays! I'm ready. Let's go. I was basically shooed away. So that was that. I walked across the schoolyard and to my house, changed and thought, I might as well go to the market...so I did. ugh. FRUSTRATING!
Today was the “1st day of school” here in Madagascar, and what should have been the most exciting and fulfilling day for my service thus far, was anti-climactic to say the least.
I had been badgering Bonne, the director adjoint of the CEG, for my schedule for the past week and a half. Friday he told me that when it was done he would bring it to my house (remember he is also my neighbor and we all live and work at the CEG). Sunday evening still no schedule and he had been in his office all weekend working, I was afraid to ask. I went to bed thinking, is there school tomorrow, or is there not? hmmm.
School starts at 6am here in Marovoay. So got up at 5:30am (I'm usually already awake, just laying in bed waiting for the sun to come up a bit more. oh how my life has changed.) None of my neighbors are stirring at this point...maybe no school? ugh. I go about my morning business, sweeping, straightening up, making breakfast, and see Bonne, he has news: meeting with the students at 8am. HAZAH! Education will begin today for Malagasy students in Marovoay. I get dressed, do my hair, even put a little mascara on. Whoa! Big day! And at 8am (its Gasy time so I know we won't actually start until almost 9) I gather my lesson plans, notebooks, my activity supplies, h2o, a snack, camera, and a pen and pencil in my new basket that I bought in mahajunga and head out to the courtyard. There is a gaggle of students dressed in their blue uniform blouses, and some teachers standing around. At about 8:45, the assistant principle gets the kids into formation, and they raise the flag, do some military-like drills to commands, and sing the national anthem. After that, Bonne introduced all the new teachers, including myself. I stood up on half a steel, barrel drum thing and the kids cheered. It's chessey, but was a really happy moment for me and felt really included in the school culture.
And then it all went wrong...the PC gives a book called “the First Days of School,” and it is about how to be a professional educator; approaching teaching through attitudes and empowerment to be successful. Most of the rhetoric of the book is putting the burden on the teachers outlook, saying students are only as prepared and motivated as their teacher; also fostering positive behavior and learning through a positive, cohesive classroom structure; it all makes a lot of sense. Any way, the next part of the day's proceeding involve Bonne climbing onto the 'pedestal' and saying that “today we begin studying, the EPP (elementary) and Lycee (HS) are “kamo” (lazy) and not prepared to being classes today.” The students cheer at this point. and then, he goes into a speech berating the students for their poor performance on the BEPC (HS entrance exam) in July. Keep in mind the only students present who took the test of the 2000 kids there are the 3eme students are are repeating the grade. And then tells them to study, study, study. Not the positive perspective on education that the “first days of school” talks about...
From here, students are assigned to classrooms to clean and organize themselves and the teachers file into another classroom. The director speaks for about 15 minutes... 1) I can't hear what he is saying over all the student chatter, and 2) I never really understand when he talks... I sit and watch him politely. Next, Bonne talkes for another 20, and he passes out each sections schedules and the teachers pass them around frantically, jotting down what days and what hours they are teaching. Then they head off to classrooms to give students their weekly schedules...At this point, my head is spinning and I have no idea what is happening. Luckly, Bonne hands me my own hand-written schedule, I teach 6 sections of 5eme, like 7th grade which is the PC max for our first year. Ah. relief. I stand around awaiting further instructions, like classroom #s...then he tells me we are done for the day.
What!? It's just past 10am I am done for the day!? No. I've got a basket full of educational goodies and a schedule that says I teach on mondays! I'm ready. Let's go. I was basically shooed away. So that was that. I walked across the schoolyard and to my house, changed and thought, I might as well go to the market...so I did. ugh. FRUSTRATING!
hi what time does the school day end
ReplyDeleteSchool begins at 6am and ends at 6pm, with a lunch break from noon until 2.
ReplyDelete