Help Urgently Needed!!!
We need your ideas Please!!! http://www.tong-len.org/
Ok so I have always thought teachers must be just a little more than totally crazy but now I find myself volunteering in a slum tent school and I begin to wonder what that makes me... and even if I am not now fit for a looney bin, I will be very soon!!
Yesterday was the day the doctors visit the camp. This means they use one of the two available tents so that all the children are taught in the other tent. That means that 92 children ranging in age from 18 months to 10/12 years all squeeze into a space around 4metres by 4metres with one qualified teacher Nandini and the excellent, patient classroom leader,Veeru, a former shoe shiner (who lives in the camp also), plus two of the camps young 16 year old girls (married and pregnant) as helpers, plus us.
They learn mainly by rote, sitting in lines on the strips of carpet that cover the concrete, repeating nursery rhymes, poems prayers and jingles. They do this in English, Hindi and one of the many other Indian languages. Surprisingly they keep coming even when they have to go through long waits till it is their turn to say their little piece. This is mainly the way teaching is done in India. There is nothing to keep them at school. The parents would prefer if they came begging with them but they dont mind if they just hang out. There is no encouragement to get an education and yet it is obvious that in order to break the cycle the children need to be exposed to another world.
At the moment their knowledge is so small that they can not even start at the government schools, but it is the goal to make the learning more exciting and to keep bringing them up to that level so that they are motivated to and could attend school if they wish. Then the very lucky who get a sponsor are chosen out of the children (one from each family) that are capable and they go to live at the hostel where they can keep clean, eat well, and are given encouragement with their studies. These children come back to camp occasionally bringing their learning and the families slowly, slowly begin to see the benefits of the children's education.
Meanwhile it is our task to give Veeru and Nandini ideas for activities that make school fun and educational at the same time! Today we did some of the games we played at Abbey's birthday party and also a dice addition game I remember from watching Annette at Peregrine once. But we need ideas. Two hours of ideas each day!!!! We are off to do some googling but would be most appreciative of any ideas from any of you...
They begin the morning with the beauty parlour...washing and hair brushing at 10.ooam. Then they are educated and entertained until 1.00pm when they are given a nourishing hot meal. We havent been to an afternoon session yet but apparently the children are more knowledgeable and easier to manage. Veeru seems to want our help particularly in the morning. We hope to take a look at both the afternoon session and the hostel but so far we are exhausted by lunch time and glad to head back to Mclo.
Hey I could probably think up some things you guys could do. We play lots of games in drama at school so I should be able to remember some.
ReplyDeleteHi Camille
ReplyDeleteI am in Tassie staying with your mum, and have just read your blog. I know very well how difficult it can be to keep coming up with new ideas. Don't worry too much about this - the children love activities that have become familiar. I spoke to Jamyang a couple of days ago and he said how much he appreciated all you are doing to help.
Kind regards
Anna
How about memory games where each person chooses something they are 'buying from the shop' say vegetables, tools, clothing anything.......then you have a starter sentence e.g 'I went to town and bought...' and that person names one item, the next person names an item plus the last persons item and so on until they can't remember any more of the other persons choices and names the next person to carry on...you can also do this with addition i.e. 'I went to the jungle and I saw........3 monkeys, 2 tigers, 4 snakes.....you know and the sum is..........will try and come up with some more...........what about naming and miming the emotions hilarious fun and you can ask for silence or sound, soft or loud etc. and add in elimination if desired.........still thinking..........Zzzxxx
ReplyDeleteThere is a game that I played at school once and there are two people who are it (you could do it with lots of people sitting in a circle, it doesn't matter) and they have to talk to each other only in questions. So for example if someone asked: "What is your name?" the other person would say "......(Insert name), what is your name?" so you are only allowed to answer with a question. If you don't ask a question then you are out.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of us are still thinking for more.
Hope you have enough things to do.
Esther
OK try theez.........
ReplyDelete1. TOOTHPICKS+PEANUTS (for dexterity and large limb mobility) players have to push an unshelled peanut across the floor with a toothpick. Make sure the peanuts are the same size. This can be played individually or in teams.
2. SWEEPING RACE (a variation on toothpicks +peanuts) each player has a small whisk or broom and has to sweep a piece of paper the length of the room.
3.NEWSPAPER/BRICK/PIECE OF FABRIC OR WHATEVER RACE
Give each player two sheets of newspaper. They have to race by stepping on to the newspapers only.the player must put down one of his sheets, step on it, put down the other sheet, step on it, reach back to get the first sheet and move it forward, step on it without touching the floor and so on to the finish.
4.COOPERATION RACE
Divide the children into pairs. Each pair stands back to back arms linked. They then have to run to a line and back again so that one player runs forward the other backward.
5.SPELLING RELAY RACED
Divide the children into teams. Place a stack of letters for each team at the opposite end of the room. The MC calls out a long word. The first runner finds the first letter and lays it face upward and returns to their place. The second runner finds the second letter etc. until the word is spelt. The teams help their runners to learn what to look for so that all abilities are involved.
6.SERIOUS COUNTING
Everyone sits in a circle. The first player says 'HA', the second player says 'HAHA', the third 'HAHAHA' and so on, each player saying one more 'HA' than the one before. No one must smile or laugh while saying her 'HA' but must speak them as deliberately and seriously as possible. If she smiles she is out. Others however can laugh as much as they like, until it's their turn.
Still theeekeen............. Luvya missya read all aboutcha Zzzxxx