Week 28 - Maths Memories

​A normal week resumed after the crazyiness of my birthday week. Events consisted primarily of school, more school and school again. Throw in a little bit of ESL, babysitting duties and organisation and that’s my week!

It’s amazing how classroom games and activities from when I was a child still work in the classroom, just as well as they did when I was at school. One game that particularly has always stuck in my head was the ‘maths clapping game’, where the teacher would read out a multiplication sum to a specific clapping beat, and before her hands touched the table, you would have to shout the answer. Three strikes and you were out! For me, this ensured I tried my best to study my multiplication tables, which children here in Sri Lanka do not see as a priority.

Since this term has started, my class has grown in size – I now have 11 students, aged 8-15, all completing different work and books. This means, for obvious reasons it is very difficult to tailor the lessons to all ages and all abilities in English. In all honesty, I am feeling more stretched than ever, but the reward in the long run is what reminds me why I am doing this. A child’s education at this school will save another family from the chains of poverty, and a few late nights grafting to ensure they all learn the appropriate things is a small sacrifice for such freedom.

The extra graft is made up of chasing photocopying, which was requested over seven weeks ago, planning for serious teachers’ meetings, lesson planning and action planning the makeover of teaching standards. We will get there in the end, I just hope it’s before I leave in October.

My weekend this week, unlike most was spent quietly, enjoying free time reading, relaxing and sleeping. I think much needed after the week I had, and it was really nice to just let my hair down, enjoy the sun and get back to a past time I love so much. This was an unusual weekend for me, perhaps in an evening I would read, but definitely not for the majority of the weekend! Sunday as normal I went to church, read with Esther ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, and then spent the evening playing cards with Reena. She is officially now a PRO at President. Can’t wait to go back to the UK and teach my little cousins this game – I think they would pick it up in a second, and most likely beat me too!