Exams Are Over

But Correcting Them Goes On

The learners have all left - they won't be back till the new term starts on May 26th. Yesterday Lisa was able to get a ride to Keetmanshoop on Pay Day so she was able to pick up food and a warm fleece blanket and slippers (both purple of course) since she's fighting a cold already and it's just starting to get cold in Namibia! She also picked up a mat/towel since she has a hot shower she hopes to take warm showers and fight the cold germs this year-  but she needed something to step on after coming out of the shower since her floor will be unheated and Icy!

Turns out she has to pay ATM fees when it's been over 4 weeks since her last withdrawal, and though it isn't much ($14 Namibian) it's still annoying to her. As she complained "It's not my fault I can't get to an ATM every 4 weeks - they need to put one back in Aroab!" It's a different word she's growing accustomed to. She really hopes she'll get back to Keetmanshoop over the next 4 weeks before the next term. If only to stay sane!

 

Exams Were A Mixed Bag

With only 2 more sets (I think that's all she has left) to correct by next week - Lisa has noticed an unusual pattern - not a nice regular bell curve but sort of a reversed bell curve - with a fairly large number of learners doing very well and a fairly large number almost getting zeros and very few in between.

What a surprise - the A learners study, behave, ask questions and participate - the near zeros include many students who Lisa claims would still talk even if she "taped their mouths shut with many layers of tape". She feels nothing would halt their talkativeness one tiny bit.

She's going to try and match up some of the top learners with those needing help in a mentoring/tutoring relationship and see if they can work together. It's sure worth a try! The biggest problem may be finding matches for the, shall we say, least performing learners, since they don't rank high on the popularity scale among the other kids. I wish her luck!

In general her 7th graders did well - only 3 failures in her classes, the 9th graders did great on Life Science - over 1/3 got A's so the test she created may have been a little to easy (though there were those bottom dwellers too), all the English learners did well, but 10th grade was a real mixed bag. But her learners told her they thought the test was fair!

Seems like 10th grade separates the learners who will make it from those who won't. Both the course content becomes much tougher than 9th grade level work, and the grading scale changes - you need to do 10 percent better just to pass - a tough combo for those on the edge. Notes went home with the kids as they left for the break indicating that the learners really have to apply themselves more if they want to pass the 10th grade exams and get into 11th grade - ie High School.

 

Odds and Ends

Lisa is reading Shakespeare's Henry VI - so she and her Dad talked a lot about the history of that time period. She still considers Henry V her favorite - but is getting into this play too. She's finished 47 books so far this year. But she says after she gets through the Shakespeare she'll probably slow down - for her Shakespeare is easier to read than many novels - all her former English teachers everywhere must truly be delighted! -GRIN- I blame all those PSB British Dramas etc. - GRIN -

 

Hotmail Issues

Since Hotmail has changed it's format she can't read or send e-mail at all from her cell phone. Her Dad tried giving her a link that should work from mobile devices but only time will see if she can still connect to the world that way. It is so funny - we grow used to one level of technology, then we can get used to a lesser standard when required (ie when living in Africa - GRIN) but when the simple connections we have grown accustomed to are tampered with it's a real kick in the gut.

It just reminded me how during my year after college teaching in Finland I only had snail mail - I didn't even speak once with my parents since long distance was EXPENSIVE then and my family would have been shocked if I had even tried to call. Of course I wrote home weekly which is something Lisa would never do. We've just gotten that one very short note way back from Mozambique (mommy is whining - sorry - GRIN -)

I was thinking about Finland this week since I ran into my college roommate who taught there the year before I did - twice. Once at the Russian Ballet Theatre at Proctor's and once at an Earth Day Concert at Siena. Small world.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is Arriving!

Lisa has received one Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - my friend Debbie (who taught in Finland the year after I did - the world is even smaller than we think!) sent her own childhood copy to Lisa. Lisa was very very touched and will make sure her learners appreciate the generosity of these book's donors!

Several more copies are on route and others are planning to send a copy or two. I'll make sure to keep you all up to date on their arrival - since Lisa won't start the novel in class till the end of May early June there is more than enough time for the sent books to arrive. And anyone else who wishes to help her out still can! Your donation will become part of a class set that will remind Aroab of America generosity! And since they are supposed to be teaching British English in Namibia Charlie is a great choice for them.

 

That's about all for now - Enjoy spring wherever you are!

 

Susan Rothman