Math Manipulatives

To manipulate by definition is to control or have influence over someone or something. In the teaching world we manipulate our students, our students sometimes manipulate us, and we must manipulate the parents of our students, as well as some administration during conferences and meetings. In the world of mathematics, the student gets the chance to be the manipulator of an object in hopes of having a better understanding of why or how we solve any particular math problem. In America, teachers are given, make their own, or purchase math manipulatives all the time. This past year I used blocks, unifix cubes, buttons, cards, dice, counters, gold fish, marshmallows, Apple Jax, stamps and fabric (just to name a few) in my classroom. Being the visual/kinestetic learner that I am, I know how important it is to have students become involved, create their own ideas and solve their own problems. From day one in the Franschhoek schools, I have been interested in doing some First Steps in Mathematics tools that I’ve learned these past two years, and knew that in order to do so I would need one thing…manipulatives. When I broached the subject to one of The Kusasa Project coordinators, he mentioned that each classroom has a set of LEGO pieces. Perfect. In the beginning of last week, we worked at the Dalubuhle School and were told we would spend our time split between two third grade classes to help work with and show the teachers how to use the manipulatives they have. Apparently prior to this, the boxes have been packed away in some corner of the room collecting dust. Again, with no game plan, Nick and I went in and were able to manage a decent lesson in addition and one in multiplication. The students seemed excited to be working with the LEGOs, (and after a few translations from the classroom teacher) began to understand what we were trying to teach. Being that many students have learning disabilities and no one to support them, there were still those students who struggled understanding the concepts being taught, but all in all they were trying their best. And for my teaching style, that is what matters most.

Kickball

This week, we implemented a kickball afterschool program. On Wednesday I went around recruiting in all of the classes, trying to give a brief synopsis of what the term kickball meant. I described it using the word soccer, so most of the boys were interested. The first day about 60 kids showed up, all not having a clue of what was going on. I quickly grabbed three backpacks to make first, second and third base, and had them all make a straight line so I could count them off into teams. The game started at around 2:00 p.m. and by 2:15 we were down to about 30 players. Most of these kids can’t stay after school because they have to go home and take care of younger siblings or cook dinner for their family. They certainly are not off to dance class, baseball practice or music lessons. I had to explain the rules and regulations as we went because these kids just wanted to play. They do not go to a gym class once a week like many of our students do in the states, so this might be there only form of physical activity at school for the entire week. Once everyone got acclimated to how kickball incorporates both soccer and baseball, they really seemed to enjoy it. These kids were kicking a hard soccer ball out of the playing field and are sure to beat any group of American kids any day, any time. Over the course of next two days, we kept recruiting, and more and more kids showed up to play. It was so great and we would have played until the sun went down, but unfortunately they lock up the school gates at 3:00…leaving these kids needing and wanting more. Hopefully The Kusasa Project can get some volunteers to keep this after school program going, because it will help keep these kids very active and off the streets…for a little while at least.

Responsive Classroom

As an avid believer in the methods of the Responsive Classroom, I’ve decided to use what I know in run-in situations while subbing at the Wes-Eind school. Every time we have gone there, a teacher has been absent and we’ve had to take over…no lesson plans, no curriculum, basically we had to wing it during every period for the past few days. Lucky for me, these kids have never been exposed to a morning meeting and since they lack many social skills to help them succeed in life, I figured it would be a fun way to get them to interact with one another. For all of my non-teacher friends, the Responsive Classroom is a method that focuses primarily on creating a safe, welcoming classroom community while promoting social awareness and academic growth. During a morning meeting, the students must greet one another, share something about them, read a message describing events for the day and participate in an activity. Though it took a while to break through the language barrier, the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade students that we had morning meetings with seemed to really enjoy it and begged for more. What I found to be the most interesting is that these kids loved the greeting. I honestly don’t think they’ve ever gone around and said a simple hello to one another. It was funny to watch the first group because they were so silly and shy, almost embarrassed to say hi to the person standing next to them. Makes me wonder who, if anyone is teaching them how to be citizens in this ever changing world? How will they go on a job interview if they can’t look a superior in the eyes? Sadly, the majority of these kids will not continue school past the seventh grade. When we asked three of our tougher seventh grade boys what they want to do when they grow up they turned their heads and laughed. Finally, one said he wanted to go to the army, the other said he’ll just work on a farm. These kids have no support…there’s no one around to tell them to dream big and that this is not the only life they should want to lead. I’m still dreaming big and want more, and could never imagine a life where I thought I was only supposed to do one thing. We are so, so lucky. These children are stuck, and they need someone to guide them and pull them out. It should be their teachers, but the teachers have a hard enough time teaching what’s expected of them, that crowd control becomes the existence of every school day. Even the way these kids interact with each other is extreme. Boys hit girls, girls hit boys, sixth graders push first graders…it’s all very rough and when they are on their lunch break, there is no one supervising or even watching to make sure no one gets hurt. And when someone does get hurt, they have nowhere to go. I’m used to all of this behavior by now, but the first week we were teaching I was in culture shock, standing there looking around this big open space wondering where are the teachers? On the other side of the spectrum, it’s just good that these students do have a place to go to for school, and even though they’re not well equipped with the resources they need, these teachers are making some attempt to better the lives of these children.

Cape Town

Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront

Cape Point

We got out of school early on Friday July 23 and took Frances the Beetle for about and hours drive to Cape Town. (I should really say Nick drove the car and I held the GPS…thank God we borrowed a GPS) We were staying at the beautiful Cape Grace Hotel, which is located right on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Our room was absolutely stunning, very modern and very cool. After we got settled we went for dinner at a restaurant the concierge recommended called Balthazar. I tried my first African fish called kingklip, and it was delish. We walked around a little and found an Irish pub where we met our new friend Dominik from Frankfurt, Germany. It really is amazing how everyone outside of the U.S is fluent in at least two languages, where in the U.S. most people struggle with their own. I’d seriously like to become fluent in another language. So cool.

Saturday we woke up early hopped in the beetle and drove about another hour South along the costal route to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. If you’re not familiar with it, at the top of the Cape Point Mountain, you can see where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide. It’s really beautiful. The Cape of Good Hope is known for being the southernmost point on the African continent…(though apparently that is debatable, and there is another spot that we did not see.) After many pictures we headed back to check into our new digs for the night, the Table Bay Hotel. We were told by several locals that we had to go to Long Street for the night, and we did. There are a ton of bars and restaurants to go to, and we ended up going into The Purple Turtle and Dubliner with our new friend from Germany. Never having been to New Orleans, I can’t be positive, but we decided that Long Street resembled what Bourbon Street sounds like. It was great.

Our only stop on Sunday was to go to Table Mountain. It looks just as it’s name sounds, like a table, and it is amazing. You can pay to take a cable car to the top, (3,567 feet) or take on a massive uphill hike. In the interest of time and after our long night, we opted to take the cable car. The inside of the cable car spins, so you have a 360-degree view of the city of Cape Town and many of the nearby costal towns. The view is breathtaking. When you get to the top you can choose to do various walks that take you all around the mountain. I’d say we walked across about half of the flat mountaintop before we decided to leave. Everywhere you looked was different, and every view was stunning. There’s a contest going on to have Table Mountain join the 7 Wonders of the World, and I think it should definitely win. Pictures won’t do this place justice, but if you ever get the chance to go to Cape Town, Table Mountain is a must see.

Wes-Eind Primary School

Wednesday July 21 was our first day teaching at Wes-Eind Primary. Immediately upon our arrival we were told that a teacher had surgery and was going to be out the entire day. We were the substitutes. Now, I’m sure you remember when you were in school and you had a sub how different everyone acted; well this experience was very similar. All of the students at this school speak Afrikaans, which sounds a little like Dutch. Lucky for us, these students can understand what we were saying, and we could understand them. At Dalubuhle, the students speak in Xhosa and it’s very difficult to communicate effectively. Our day consisted of teaching math, natural science and art and culture, to students in grades five through seven. Fortunately, the teachers at Wes-Eind are amazing and provided us with worksheets for all of the math classes. For the most part, the day ran very smoothly, and we only had a few of the boys acting up. We were told the behavior at this school would be worse, but to be honest, it was easier dealing with behavior issues when there was enough work, papers and books to keep the other students occupied. The overall dynamic at the Wes-Eind school is very different than Dalubuhle.

Nick and I prefer teaching at Wes-Eind now because of how wonderful the staff is. The minute you walk into any of the classrooms you can tell they are trying their best to educate these children. The first classroom I walked into was a first grade class. This teacher in particular gives and gives back to this school and all of these kids. She is currently in the process of transforming a small room into a library, and we are getting ready to paint the now stark white walls in bright colors. Hopefully it will inspire the students to want to read more, which us teachers know will only help improve their minds.

We spent the rest of the week at Wes-Eind filling in for the teacher who had surgery. The school was unable to find a replacement teacher until the following Monday, and Nick and I were happy to stay. Many of the students lack confidence in speaking and presenting in front of their peers, so Nick and I had them write journals about what they do here in South Africa in the winter, draw a picture, and present their writing in front of the class. It was interesting to see how shy and embarrassed these kids get when speaking in front of the class, and how they lack the appropriate manners as audience members. I did a quick 3-minute responsive classroom mini lesson about what it means to “be a good audience.” Though the seventh graders were able to come up with some rules themselves, they were unable to act on it. In that moment I was missing my Room 3 first graders, and was wishing they were there to “set a good example.” J

After School Program

Today we had our first after school program at the Dalubuhle School. We ran an art program where the students had to follow a specific theme to enter their pictures in a Franschhoek art competition. We had six students show up and once we gave them their paper, some crayons, and their theme (which was Mother’s Day) they went right to work. There was only one girl in the class and just as we were getting started she ran out of the room crying. I went after her to see what was wrong and she informed me she didn’t want to be the only girl in the class. I told her I was a girl in there with her too, and she decided to come back. I am so happy she did because her artwork was beautiful. All of the students were drawing their homes and their mothers, but this girl just had something special about her and her illustration. Her mother was dressed in traditional African clothes and she drew a castle on one side. When I asked if her mother was the queen of the castle, she put her head down in shyness and just giggled. I got a little emotional as I watched her spend an hour coloring every last detail of her mothers clothing and felt the pride she took in doing so. These kids have so much hope in their eyes and life in their laughter that is really inspiring. They have so little and are willing to share so much, I just hope that throughout this journey we are helping them become great people.

The Day We Got Frances The Beetle

Monday July 19 began like every other day has been in Franschhoek. Typical school day, and the weather was beautiful. Nick and I decided it was time to rent a car for the next three weeks and Susan our host set us up with a place called Best Beetle. For 2500 Rand, we were able to rent a car for the month. Sounded great. The people from Best Beetle even offered to send someone to pick us up to take us to Brackenfell where the car was located. The rest of the trip to get the beetle was like a scene from a movie. Our new South African friend Andre was one of the supporting characters, head to toe covered in grease and probably one of the worst drivers I’ve ever been in a vehicle with. Once we headed into the town things began to get significantly sketchier. After passing a few townships and driving down a few dark allies, we arrived at our destination to see a 1977 VW Beetle covered in orange, red, white and blue spray paint. The interior was ripped to shreds with masking tape covering the spot where the radio used to be and there was no left hand mirror. To top it off, in case you were not aware, the steering wheel is on the right hand side AND they don’t have automatic cars..and they drive on the opposite side of the road. I thought I was going to drive it home….sadly mistaken. Nick learned how to drive stick shift in the states so lucky for me he was the one to drive. After going in to sign the contract we were told we have to check the oil before every time we want to drive it, and that even though the speed limit here is 100k, we should not pass 90k (55 mph max) because our beetle is so old. Needless to say, I was feeling real safe…. and it was now getting dark out. So our first experience with our ancient beetle was driving in South Africa at night. The rest of the story will be disclosed once we return to the US.

Bastille Day

our berets and mustaches

outside of the marquee

inside the marquee

In Franschhoek this weekend there was a Bastille Festival where visitors and locals came into town to drink wine, eat fabulous food and wear berets. There was a huge food and wine marquee (tent) that was full of some of South Africa’s best wines. Upon entering we received our wine glass for the day as well as 5 drink coupons good for sampling wine. Some of the countries best chefs were in making delicious gourmet food. Outside of the tent there were various sporting events such as boule, which is similar to baci ball, and a barrel rolling competition. There certainly was a lot of wine to be drunk, and we had no problem drinking it. The marquee closed around 5 p.m and our host’s son threw a braai, which is another name for a barbeque. Half of the tent from Bastille Day was at their house and it was very fun. South African’s are big into meat and the boys were cooking up ostrich boerewors, and biltong that are similar to the sausages we have in the states. Once we finished the braai everyone headed out to a pub called Elephant and Barrel and we continued to meet cool, interesting people from all over the world…most of whom we invited to meet us down in Cape Town when we go next weekend. Very fun.

The Dalubuhle School

July 14, 2010 was our first official day volunteering at The Dalubuhle School…and what a day it was. It’s about 45 degrees, pouring rain, and needless to say, very cold. Nick and I neglected to pack and dress appropriately for the occasion. We began the day in a reading program, which is much different from what we do in the states. There are no guided reading groups, no morning meetings and zero literacy programs. Basically, the teachers have books that are way too advanced for the students and nowhere near their reading level. Though the students can read the English words, their native language is Xhosa and do not begin learning the English language until the third grade. These children are reading; just nowhere near where they need to be in terms of comprehension and vocabulary.

We taught in two math classes before a 20-minute break and went to an “EMS” class, which stands for Economics and Management Skills. The teacher of this class dived into conversation about how it’s not enjoyable to live in poverty and constantly repeats the phrase, “Time is money and money is time.” The textbook tells ways of how to become an entrepreneur and manage a business, and any other way these children can have “sustainable living conditions.” I understand the mentality in teaching these children to want a better life, but the manner in which this curriculum is taught is ridiculous. In a group assignment, fourth grade students have to create their own business plan for an imaginary business they will have when they grow up. These kids cannot even multiply yet and they’re expected to come up with a proposal for a business plan? Makes no sense to me.

Today we spent our second day volunteering at the Dalubuhle School. My first class was English and just after I walked into the room and was greeted with smiling faces saying, “Good morning Miss Jen,” the teacher hands me a book and says, “Okay, choose a story and read.” I start flipping through this “text book” that has stories pertaining to every part of the world. I ended up choosing a story called “Lost in the Louvre,” since it was the only one I could throw some random personal experience tidbits into. I started my mini lesson asking the students if they have ever heard of France. Silence. Then I asked if they have every heard of Europe. Silence. So I go into a rant about where France is in relation to Africa, and hurry on my way. By the end I fell into a groove, and realized I should ask comprehension questions. Much to my surprise, a lot of the students were raising their hands and answering what they knew. Beautiful.

Nick and I then went to spend the rest of the day teaching “Maths” and to our surprise were slightly ambushed by the teacher when he basically told us he wasn’t going to teach that class and we had to. After a quick brainstorm, we decided they needed multiplication practice and came up with a game where they had to write down as many facts as they could in ten minutes and the group with the most facts correct would be the winner. Lucky for us, the kids did not ask any questions about what they would get if they won, like some of my old students used to. The lesson seemed to go well, and the kids had fun.

At the last period of the day, our teacher went missing, and the sixth graders refused to listen to Nick and I. Wanting to bring the methods of the Responsive Classroom to Africa, I decided to teach the class of 57 how to play “Buzz”. They LOVED it, so much so that they stayed after the final bell to finish the game. I hope we can play again with all of our classes tomorrow.

First Meeting

Today we met with Liesel King and Sintu Quza who are The Kusasa Project’s only two full time employees. We were also able to meet with one of the founders, Doug Gurr, who is as energetic and enthusiastic about life as he is about his program.

Our morning began with a drive into one of Franschhoek’s townships called eTyotyombeni. The scenery consisted of shacks, garbage and unemployed residents hanging up just washed clothing. Everyone stared at our bus with The Kusasa Project emblem. All the way up the hill we stopped at our first school of the day, the Dalubuhle School. The school is made out of cement and is very stark. There were two sides surrounding a courtyard. One side is compiled of classrooms accommodating grades R through 4, and the other side has classrooms with grades 5 though 8. Grade R is equivalent to our U.S. Kindergarten. When we arrived at the school, one of the classes was finishing up lunch and washing their plates and spoons then returning them to a bucket. The South African Government provides the school with a lunch and some fruit for a snack. We were able to walk inside three of the classrooms we will be teaching in. Having one of the lowest passing rates in math, our Kusasa Project friends would like us to help out especially in the “Maths” as they call it here. One of my short-term goals is to get the teachers and students to become familiar with using math manipulatives and to help the students learn and understand the counting principle. We have until August 8^th to do so.

Our second school that we visited is not located within a township, but teaches many of the children who live in the shacks. As we pulled up to the Wes Eind School, one of the government employees was dropping off a shipment of oranges and cabbage for the children to eat. There we met the principal and a very friendly woman named Ester, who has turned her old classroom into a new library for the students to enjoy.

Tomorrow will be our first day teaching, and I am excited to make some kind of impact on these children’s lives.

We've Arrived!

After 24 hours of traveling, (on July 12) we arrived safely in Franschhoek, South Africa. We were able to meet Susan, and many members of her extended family over dinner. The conversation included, politics, religion, as well as celebrities with a group inhabiting all parts of the world, including South Africa, India, Australia and the US. Needless to say, this experience will be very culture friendly. We go to meet Liesel from The Kusasa Project tomorrow morning to discuss our plans for the next month. Let the adventure begin.