You know the little mother-goose rhyme “Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. . .it followed her to school way day, though it was against the rules.. . .it made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.”
That rhyme was playing through my head one day as a goat just walked right into the class room as we were working. It walked around the room, then walked out. But the thing is—it did not make the children laugh and play. That acted as if it was just another student walking in the room. No big deal, just another day in a Ugandan village school.
Another interesting difference. . .All of the school children use these little paperback notebooks for every subject. Very simple and cheap. Well they also all cover their little notebooks in newspaper. This is their way of taking care of their books.
That’s wonderful.
The interesting part is the newspaper articles that are covering these kindergartener’s books.
Spread across the front of book after book are bold-face titles such as these:
“Your sexual behavior can seal your fate.”
“The truth about homosexuality.”
“Should couples spend all their time together?”
“What is sex?”
Not to mention the wonderful pictures of people dirty-dancing and ginormous boobs hanging out of scantily-clad women.
It catches me off guard every time I have to look at these covers and then look at the face of a 5 year old as I hand it to them. Fortunately, they have no idea what they are looking at. . . . at least I’m assuming so. . . .
Another interesting thing is what the children use for “counters.” You know, in elementary school we would use brightly colored cubes, blocks, plastic coins, etc. during math lessons to learn how to count?
Well one day the kids all came to school with a hand full of a sticks.
Some small. Some big. Some dirty. Some clean.
Sticks they picked up around the house.
And this is what they used for counters.
How simple.
And it works!
That rhyme was playing through my head one day as a goat just walked right into the class room as we were working. It walked around the room, then walked out. But the thing is—it did not make the children laugh and play. That acted as if it was just another student walking in the room. No big deal, just another day in a Ugandan village school.
Another interesting difference. . .All of the school children use these little paperback notebooks for every subject. Very simple and cheap. Well they also all cover their little notebooks in newspaper. This is their way of taking care of their books.
That’s wonderful.
The interesting part is the newspaper articles that are covering these kindergartener’s books.
Spread across the front of book after book are bold-face titles such as these:
“Your sexual behavior can seal your fate.”
“The truth about homosexuality.”
“Should couples spend all their time together?”
“What is sex?”
Not to mention the wonderful pictures of people dirty-dancing and ginormous boobs hanging out of scantily-clad women.
It catches me off guard every time I have to look at these covers and then look at the face of a 5 year old as I hand it to them. Fortunately, they have no idea what they are looking at. . . . at least I’m assuming so. . . .
Another interesting thing is what the children use for “counters.” You know, in elementary school we would use brightly colored cubes, blocks, plastic coins, etc. during math lessons to learn how to count?
Well one day the kids all came to school with a hand full of a sticks.
Some small. Some big. Some dirty. Some clean.
Sticks they picked up around the house.
And this is what they used for counters.
How simple.
And it works!
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