My first term with BOZ - By Emily Pearse

My first term has flown by and that is a good thing – as the saying goes time flies when you’re having fun. I have a great job – being on the ground and seeing first hand who gets the alternative gift or watching the children eating their free lunch every day because of the food programme – it is amazing.

Most of my role so far has been supporting and advising teachers through lesson observations, lesson feedback, modelling and staff training meetings. There is nothing like learning the school culture than just sitting back and watching a lesson. Every time I see the same things and every time I have a revelation of something new.  Like many visitors before me I was full of ideas for improvements, but have realised asking those ‘why’ questions goes a long way to understanding. Questions I bombarded Dan with like:

• ‘Why are the children writing out whole chunks of text book pages in their exercise books?’ 
• “Why do the teachers add all the answers to questions on the other side of the board?” 
• “Why are they sweeping their classrooms twice day?” 

The answers were simple…

• There are no text books at home or in the school/local library to choose from. The work in the children’s books will be the only thing they have to revise and study from. 
• The children’s first language is not English – so most lessons I observe are more like language lessons – imagine having to learn all of your subjects in a foreign language? 
• Imagine 2 cupfuls of dust. That is how much dust comes out of the classrooms twice a day – it really is amazing how the dirt and dust accumulate. Every class has a dust monitor rota for sweeping. 

I still have many questions, but love learning small but important parts of the Zambian culture and the schools all the time.

Other highlights of my first term…

• I have come to appreciate many things – like a Chitenge wrap when you are teaching using a blackboard. I learnt this the hard way by coming away from school with chalk handprints on my bottom. 
• I now have fireproof hands from rolling balls of nshima (maize porridge). 
• Victoria falls is the most incredible natural beauty I have ever seen! 
• Early years changes at Janna – seeing teacher Matildah excited about trying out new things.
• Going on long drives around Kitwe with visitors (i.e getting lost) 
• Distributing school shoes 
• My Mum and Auntie Lynnie mending school uniform for a week. 

Just to mention a few – can’t wait for the next term.