Completely In Awe

By Carole Wilson,

Before departing Uganda, I had the privilege of observing several classes in two of our Fields of Dreams Uganda partner schools. At the Wakiso Children's School of Hope the first class I observed was the top class and baby class. One teacher was teaching both levels. She was at the board teaching a math lesson to the top class, children from age 4 and

5.  They were working on numbers between two numbers. They did two problems with the teacher. Then she passed out their writing books and these 4 year olds sat at their desks and quietly did 10 problems. While these children were working their problems, the teacher worked with the students in the baby class, about 3 years old. They were working on reading sounds, matching words, and writing words. These children were sounding out and reading words.

Then I went to a primary 3 class where the teacher was teaching a class on germination. First the teacher taught the lesson with the students orally repeating the information and writing it in their study books. She then had them turn around so they could not see the board and asked them questions. Because they had both recited and written the information, these students knew the information.

The next class I observed was at New Kabaale Busega School. There I observed a primary 4 class with 70 students and one teacher. He was teaching a social studies lesson. Again he had information on the blackboard. He would read the question, then the students would read the question, and he would ask for the answer. It was obvious he had previously taught this information. A student would answer the question, he would write it on the board, and the students would repeat the answer. They then wrote the questions in their notebooks.

At both schools, each teacher had one textbook and a blackboard. The students had a notebook. Having taught school, I was in awe of how these teachers and students did the excellent job they did with so few supplies. Not only were there hardly any supplies, there were four children sharing one bench and desk. In all the classes the students were involved in active learning and not listening to a lecture. The teachers all showed respect for the students and the students showed respect back. All in all, I was completely in awe of the teaching and learning in these two schools.