Hello from a very wet Nepal, where the monsoon rains have started and are turning the streets of Kathmandu into raging torrents of mud. But in the schools, the classrooms are all bright and colourful.
Thanks to the help you’re giving, the teachers I’m working with are really taking control and gaining confidence in the new style of teaching, and the children here are getting the better education they so badly need – so thank you.
Baskets of tricks
If you’re wondering what these teachers are holding, let me introduce the ‘guru basket’. We’ve purchased them with a VSO grant I applied for, and they’re actually brightly-coloured plastic boxes packed with stationery items. The teachers here are using them to make their own flash cards, quizzes and memory games which are helping students learn and remember key facts. Teachers also use the basket to store their materials safely and carry them from classroom to classroom. The guru baskets are being a huge success and teachers are seeing how, when they get the children involved, they’re much more switched on to lessons and better able to learn.
An amazing transformation
And it’s not just the young children who are enjoying lessons more – it’s been wonderful for me to see morale growing among teachers too. One particular teacher, Saraswati, was very shy and nervous when I first started working with her. She was quite abrupt with the children and her lessons were very formal and dry. But as we’ve got to know each other, and I’ve shown her lots of simple teaching techniques and new ideas, Saraswati has really blossomed.
She now starts each lesson by asking the children questions to recap on previous learning and doing fun speaking and listening games. Saraswati has started to love making her own resources using the materials in her guru basket – you can see from the picture that she’s been busy – and every time I go in the classroom there’s a new display or an exciting new game going on.
Learning by dancing
For example, when I recently popped into a lesson, Saraswati had made a word game with key verbs written on brightly-coloured cards. She held these up and the children either had to act out or say the verb (in Nepali or English). When she held up the verb ‘dance’ it was funny watching the children wiggling their hips and doing some wonderfully elaborate moves! After the game, Saraswati instructed the children to write their own sentences using the verbs. She now has the confidence to move smoothly from one activity to the next, and to add her own activities to bring to life what were once dry facts in a text book. The children in her class are doing really well, and it’s a real joy to spend time in Saraswati’s lessons these days.
Teachers take ownership
Something that’s really important about the guru baskets is that they let teachers take the lead, which wouldn’t be the case if we delivered ready-made games and flash cards. And because teachers I’m working with put the time and effort into creating their own resources, they’re much more likely to use them, and to share what works with other teachers. In other words, thanks to your support, teachers are taking ownership and a real pride in the lessons they’re now able to deliver.
Mums and dads join in
So as you can see, the teachers and children here are embracing the new teaching methods enthusiastically – but it’s important that we get parents on board too. Sometimes the mums and dads are resistant to the idea of more interactive learning. They expect their children to spend all day practising writing letters or numbers and some get anxious if they hear their child is ‘playing games’. To overcome this we encourage mums and dads to come and join us in the classroom and see the activities we’re doing. I’ve also held several meetings to show parents how effective play-based learning is. We do have to strike a balance though, so we make sure that the children still get enough ‘writing practice’ to dispel their parents’ fears.
Children learn about good hygiene
Spreading the word
I’ve also been busy preparing for a big education conference in Kathmandu, which is a great opportunity to share good practice and encourage teachers in other schools to use the new teaching methods. In particular I’ll be talking about the workshops I’ve been running over the last few months, and showing how these have helped teachers move away from the traditional method of ‘teaching the text book’ to the more creative and interactive approach that’s working so well. Because of your continued support, the VSO placement is long-term, which allows volunteers to do things like this that can help make an even bigger impact for people that so badly need it.
Better education… for years to come
So the next stage for me is about making clear plans to ensure that the improvements in teaching continue well into the future, and that the schools really take control of their own development. That means I’ll be having lots of talks with parents and staff so we can make sure schools keep on sharing good practices and supporting each other.
So, busy times – and plenty still to do – but as interesting and rewarding as ever. I hope you feel really encouraged to see the changes in the classroom and how teachers like Saraswati are now gaining the skills and confidence to deliver great lessons.
Thank you again for making this possible through your generous donations, and thank you too for all your kind messages of support and encouragement.
Beth
