School Time!

So we just finished our first week of the new school year! It is so exciting to be IN the class with the leaners and such an amazing feeling to finally be working! We have truly enjoyed the Phase 2 part of our service (observing and helping.) We have had the rare opportunity to observe our working environment for 3 months before having to jump into the routine. We know our co-workers, we know where things are, we know what to do and what not to do. But it is sooo nice to finally have a job! and to be WITH the kids all day everyday! I thought I would break it down for you a bit, so you could learn a bit about where Eric and I are placed!

ERIC:
Eric is working at a Primary school located about 3 minutes walking distance from our house called Mokale Primary School. Mokale has appox 250 total students. Eric is teaching Grades 4 and 5. His class sizes are 24 for both classes. *they fluctuate a bit. Eric has been focusing a lot of his time on the computer lab and considers it one of his main goals to get the teachers and leaners to USE the computer lab on a regular basis. Learners start full time instruction in English in the 4th grade, so he is working with true beginners, meanwhile his grade 5 learners know a bit more (not a lot more) so its a big challenge!

LINDSEY:
I am working at Semashego Inclusive Primary School located about 1.5 km from our house. Semashego has 677 students leaving me with 76 in my Grade 5 class and 89 in my grade 6B class. As you can see I'm teaching grades 5 and 6 English. As you can also see, class sizes at my school are quite different than at Eric's School. My school was founded in 1861 and moved to its current location in 1900. So as a result of being such an old school, we have a reputation, but not enough buildings to keep up with that reputation. My principal (Malope, 65) has been the principal since 1981.