Herbert Hurd and Visiting/Painting a Township School

Good evening!

I had a fantastic day here in PE, South Africa. The roommates and I had school as usual. I took quite a bit of photos to show my classmates some of the interesting things that happen in the grade one classrooms at Herbert Hurd. My teacher friends and family out there will be interested too, I am sure. I will keep the explanations as brief as possible as to not bore the rest of you.

Ok. So pretty much all of the work that happens in this grade one classroom is seatwork/worksheets/copying from the board. This is a photo from today's writing/handwriting lesson. A couple of interesting points that I have gathered surrounding writing/handwriting in this classroom/HH are: Students must write a certain way. Their wrist may not be turned, their feet must be together and their heads should be up straight. There is a particular posture that the teachers are looking for in student writing. Also, the writing itself is and must be impecable. I told my co-op teacher that she would drop dead if she saw some of the handwriting in some of the grade one classes back home. Even the worse handwriting in this classroom (and the other classes I have seen) are lightyears beyond some of the kiddos back home. They value neat handwriting here.

Here is the teacher's template. Everything that the students do is either a worksheet or from a template on the board, including any and all creative writing.

This was a fun math activity that my co-op teacher lead. She would roll one die and then the other. The students would then have to count-on from the first number rolled as many as the second. It is basic/simple addition for beginners. The students were engaged!

Oh, PowerPoint! How the students love thee! But not the teachers... lol. This is a Letterland (curriculum) game that my co-op teacher plays for the students each week. The students make this colorful cartoon interactive by talking to it, answering questions and following along during the "writing portion" of the songs. The foundation phase classrooms (1-3) just got this projectors this school year. They are the first in the building to get them. A lot of the teachers are very nervous about this new tech, but they are willing to learn. Two of my roommates actually taught a teacher-lesson after instruction about creating/using PowerPoints. The things that we take for granted in the states...

For classroom management each student receives three blocks (shown here in yellow). As warnings (and for credits-- their reward system) the students are either awarded or docked blocks. When they run out of blocks they have detention. I have never heard of this system... I thought it was rather clever. It gives the students a visual warning as well as a verbal one.

Here is my co-op teacher working on "maths." They pluralize it here. Some things I will come home with and I think that some of these teacher-isms will be some of them. :)  The students are writing down exactly what she is writing. There are a couple of problems that they must work out on their own, including doubling and halving the number 6.

Here are two of my students working on their maths. The little girl on the left kept holding my hand today. The students are so warm and friendly. They just want to be loved. I love them already. :)

One thing that I really love about HH is that the students learn three different languages. It is an English school so that is the primary instruction language, but they also learn Afrikaans (the dutch derivation) and Xhosa (a main native language). Just walking down the street or sending a postcard at the Post, I hear so many people speaking in so many languages. It is such a cool thing. I love that HH supports the understanding and communication of all people.


After school today a couple that my roommates know through a teacher from school took us to a township school that they are helping to restore. They had us painting fun things on the walls of the grade R classroom (Pre-k/Kindergarten). While we were there they also put curtains up in the classroom.

Let me just say, the difference between HH and this township school was crazy. I seriously went from one extreme to the other. I took some pictures of the classroom we were working in as well as the school buildings themselves. I didn't get to take pictures of the classrooms that haven't been restored because the doors were locked-- maybe next time.

Lauren and I painted some mini chalkboards under the windows (there are full-length chalkboards in the rooms) as well as some crayons to spruce it up a bit! Britt and Claire were in another classroom painting crayons and the English alphabet.

This is Lauren painting her crayons. How lovely. She hates this purple-ish color that we made. That is why she is making the face.

This is the classroom in which we were working. You can see Lauren in the back by the windows.

These are two of the school buildings. The building on the left is the one we were painting. The windows on the far right, actually. The building on the right hosts several more classrooms as well as a school library. They are in need of more books if you would like to send some! I can get you the info any time. Also, you can always wire money and I can give it to the people restoring the school. :)

Here is one last photo from the parking lot. I almost died right here... almost got ran over by my own people. But I didn't and I am alive and well.

We are planning on going back next week to finish our work. It is such a great thing to be able to help out with things that mean so much to me. Kids getting an education in a building that is engaging and inspiring is a big deal. And so is meeting people that have such as passion for it as Jordi and Murray (the couple that coordinated the painting). They spend huge portions of their time and money rebuilding this school. Loooove it!


All good things come from God. This is truth.

Peace!

Sarah