February 15, 2011

   Yesterday my friend I taught two little girls some English and math in their village. Though the same age and enrolled in the same grade and school, it was immediately apparent that the two learn at very different paces and in different ways. I realized the impossibility of having them both engaged had I been the only one there to instruct. I’m facing challenges with one student, who is eight years old, and I’m convinced has some sort of learning disability or an attention span problem. She has failed her school exams twice, and still cannot make it through the alphabet without losing interest after five or six letters. I realize the importance of developing a strong foundation for English at an early age here, as all their schooling is done in English. It is obvious that she is not receiving any additional help in her school. I plan to go speak with her teacher next week to help address the matter. I haven’t done any research about disability support or education in Botswana’s public schools. Services are available at the university level, but I’m unsure if they implement them at lower levels for students that need services. Her mother told me that her teacher is in charge of forty children, and has the sole responsibility of all the children without any teaching assistant or additional help. Her mother and grandmother also speak very little English,  so she is unable receive much help from home.

I’m amazed abyt the learning pace of one of my students, however. While it is challenging to instruct some students, it is also challenging to keep students interested and challenged who learn quickly and easily. I continue to learn from the kids long after teaching them. I’m also learning through the way they play and interact with one another, as well as with me.