The last few months in pictures, work and fun!

Waiting for some cows to cross the road so I can drive across the bridge. 

This last year (since we've already been here 2 years!) my focus is switching and I'm going to be shifting away from doing formal workshops to being present in classrooms, mentoring in a more casual setting, the teachers at my schools. I have already found teachers are much more likely to ask questions they are wondering about or challenges they are facing when I spend the morning or afternoon in their classrooms. (I can usually visit 2 classes and teachers a day, as schools here only run half day. Though other classroom teachers often know I'm around so stop by to greet and chat).  I must admit that it's not very exciting to sit in a very hot classroom, especially since teaching here is very rote and no matter what Grade or subject I sit in the lessons follow the similar pattern of: teacher copies (from a teacher guide textbook or the student book) the lesson for the day. They orally discuss it (often because it is written in English, so it needs to be translated and explained). Then the students take time to copy the lesson from the board. I have had only a couple teachers where I've sat in and went "oh! That's different!" One was a teacher who took her class outside after school time so each could have some individual reading practice with her. Read more about this teacher and a friend of mine, here in my MCC FALL BIC report for 2015: http://mcc.org/learn/what/education/globalfamily/reports/2015/fall/brethren-christ-schools

another teacher, during a literacy lesson, divided the class in half. The ones still in desks did comprehension questions from the textbook and the rest of the class she worked with in a small group near the board. She was working with those in her class that could not yet read. 

To keep myself entertained, I've been taking photos while visiting classrooms. I also hope to give you a better picture of what teaching, classrooms, and students look like in Zambia.

If you make it to the bottom of the post you can see photos of me at Devil's Pool which is on Livingstone Island at the top of Victoria Falls. I got heat exhausting this term and the doctor told me to take a vacation! Luckily we had planned to go to Livingstone for a long weekend over Zambia Independence. I felt better on the Monday and a friend wanted me to go with her on this adventure. So glad I did!

Sikalongo Grade 5 A&B classes squeeze into one classroom as the school needed to use one of their regular
classrooms for voter registration. (About 60 in each class for a total of about 120 here together)

A teacher hands out words to read as her class breaks into small groups.
Grade 3

Grade 3

Grade 3A&B also squeeze into the same room this day due to community
needs at the school. Grade 3

Brooke Strayer, SALT peace worker, sometimes accompanies me to schools
as she works with peace clubs in the same schools.
Grade 2

Grade 2

Mildred Mafulo reads after school with her Grade 4 class. She is the teacher the Fall 2015 article for BIC Zambia Global Family schools is about.

Delon Muzyamba with her Grade 1 class

Delon Muzyamba collects books from her Grade 1s

Students in Grade 1 practice reading
in the local language of Chitonga

Grade 1 student practices reading a Chitonga beginner book

Many students took turns reading at the front. It was hot
and I secretly want to join this student in taking a nap!

Hanging over the ledge at Devil's Pool, Zambia on the top of Victoria Falls

What a view! After swimming in Devil's Pool (which you can see others at on the top right) we toured Livingstone Island.