6-9 October

6 October – One week until Judgement Day, grade 10 writes their physical science next Friday. That evening I plan to invite them for a movie, probably The Ring and The Grudge, you have to watch scary movies on Friday the 13 th right? So far my offers for help studying have been thoroughly rebuffed, but considering how everything here happens last minute and that every student I've ever known is prone to procrastinating I'm not too worried yet. I have encountered a new and unexpected difficulty though. My triage approach to teaching has been useful through much of the year, when certain students are not attentive I let it go, others I've been more proactive in keeping them on task. It seems like the ones that had a chance from the start are in good position to pass their exam and ones that were too far behind haven't hindered ones that could pass. Now that exams are coming though the triage is becoming problematic. Even the worst student could theoretically make about a 70% on this exam and pass for the year. So when a kid that hasn't tried all year comes and asks a question while the others are silent, its impossible to turn them down. Just this week two of the best soccer players in the school and the worst academically came asking about atomic numbers and mass numbers. They struggled with the addition necessary to calculate mass number but when they left they had an air of optimism. Frankly its a false hope, but I can't deny that to a kid. By my estimates 14 should pass (they need to make a 50% or less on the exam), 28 will fail (they need above a 60% on the exam) and 24 are in between. To give a bit more perspective on these numbers only 5 kids made above a 50% on the exam at the end of the second term. I think that exam was difficult, and they will be more prepared for this exam so I am hopeful. Considering that 20% of the grade 10 passed last year and Physical Science is considered one of the more difficult subjects I would be pleased if 14 of 66 passed my subject and thrilled with anything better. Overall I would really like to see our school hit the national average (last year 48% pass rate) but any improvement would be great.

 

And still with exams looming, school across Namibia closed early on Thursday to celebrate Teachers' Day. It seems like we take off for an awful lot of commemorative days but at least this one was enjoyable. Lucky for me the test I had scheduled for that day still happened because of some good fortune with the timetable. Thursday afternoon we had a mostly friendly soccer match between the teachers (plus some hostel staff and school board members) against the students. The kids put together a really good team and it was obvious we never had a chance, but we only lost 2-1. And yes the referee was appropriately biased towards the teachers. After the game some of the teachers went out into the bush to an abandoned shelter with a concrete slab and had a small braai. That part wasn't quite so fun because like most social activities no one will talk to me for more than two sentences and after too long I run out of conversation starters. So I mostly sit quiet and try to pick out isolated words that I understand in Otjiherero.

 

The big news though is that the mosquitoes are biting and right now we are having a nice thunderstorm. We got a small rain a couple weeks ago and last week another shower but this one is for real. Lots of rain last fall and early spring showers now. It helps break the heat which is building and I get to carry around my umbrella, my big red and white golf umbrella.

 

9 October – Monday was a Monday. At least at first it was. This morning it was raining which means no assembly. That is actually a good thing because usually morning assembly deprives first period of its first 15 minutes. And it is day 7 which gives me my register class for first period. But the kids would not stop talking. Twice I firmly reminded (scolded, yelled, berated, etc.) them of the necessity of hand raising but they persisted, so instead of discussing my brilliant new idea they sat quietly for 30 minutes. The rest of the classes all day did fine, one reminder to raise hands and they could do it. Now you're wondering what the brilliant idea was. This weekend after a soccer game I was talking to another teacher who had a pamphlet on the history of Grootfontein. After discussing it some I mentioned that we ought to have something similar for Coblenz, and we need it now because the school's 50th anniversary celebration is at the beginning of November. My colleague mentioned that some of the workers at the school were actually some of the first students all the way back in the 1950s so we talked about trying to get some of their stories on paper about the beginning of the school. Then the lights went on. What about in another 50 years? Life expectancy has dropped significantly in recent years, its possible that none of our current learners will be alive when the school has its 100 th anniversary. Solution? We are going to make a time capsule. Initial reactions have been fairly positive although some were convinced that the capsule would be stolen even if we kept it in the school safe. I think this could be really interesting and enjoyable, compiling some of the history and preserving this time until a couple generations pass and the school (hopefully) celebrates 100 years of education or something vaguely resembling education.

 

Finally a couple of students have come asking questions in preparation for their exam. I think some of them are still waiting for me to spoon feed answers their way. It looks like I'll need an extra measure of energy and patience this week to help kids with their last minute cramming. Its hard to complain about that though, as little as one test can tell you about a person, these exams can determine a lot for these kids and helping them to do their best is my job.