Senye is located just beyond Customs, directly opposite Muhuru Junior. It is a large public school of over 1500 students from Classes 1 to 8, split into two streams per grade: Yellow and Green. The timetable is structured identically to Lisori’s, with eight classes and lunch from 12:40p.m. to 2:00p.m. Unlike in Lisori, however, the teachers would leave at the end of their lesson, even if the other teacher had not arrived (and they usually never did). I assume it is because Senye is such a large school and the teachers are required to teach both streams, which means that they must go to both classes—or at least in theory. How much time they spend lounging in the staff room, I have yet to determine.
Senye seemed more prepared for our visit than Lisori was, at least in terms of directing us. When we arrived, we were told by the deputy headteacher, Okich (whom Margaret warned us was a piece of work—always out to get something from us) that they had arranged a reformed schedule for us, with extended periods for the subjects in which they needed the most help. I had pretty much made up my own schedule at Lisori, depending on how well-prepared I was that day. We also did not teach today, apart from a makeshift Maths lesson which we took over when the teacher did not show up twenty minutes into the class (tardiness still appears to be the norm—although it was the second period of the session, so I suppose it is laudable that he showed up at all). Instead, we sat in on all the lessons, at the back, and observed the teachers.
There are a few very quick, enthusiastic ones in the class. I picked up a few names: Olala, the tall boy who sat at the back next to Elizabeth’s chair; Onyango, the tiny boy sandwiched between two others in the middle of the left column; Jane, one of the more active of the girls, in the right column. I do not think I will get as close to the kids at Senye as I did with the ones at Lisori; there are just so many of them, and it will be impossible to learn all their names in two weeks. The classroom is so much more crowded than the one at Lisori, with three columns of desks, three to each desk, pushed so close that the students can lean on the desks behind them. Lisori’s Standard Eight classroom was probably almost the same size, but with more than half the desks empty.
I had actually only observed one class at Lisori, having either taken the lessons alone or left them to the regular teacher’s digression. It was an interesting experience to watch the Senye teachers at work. What I find quite queer and frustrating is the amount of repetition in the class—I had known it was the practice for students to repeat the last word of practically every sentence the teacher uttered, but to see it happening, for several hours with one teacher after another, was something else. It would be funny if it weren’t so depressing. I felt that the teachers also took far too long repeating themselves in paraphrases. The Social Studies lesson went something like this:
TEACHER: Today we are going to learn about urbanization. What are we going to learn about today?
ALL: Urbanization.
TEACHER: Yes, urbanization. Now let me refer to a dictionary for the meaning of “urban”, because the word “urbanization” comes from the word “urban”. Looks through dictionary and reads out the entire entry. Urbanization is when towns grow and develop. The growth and development of towns. Now, somebody tell me the meaning of “urbanization”…
By the time they got to the main content of the lesson, there would only be ten minutes left. Sometimes I feel that it is a small wonder these kids learn anything at all.
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Senye’s proximity to Customs makes it very suitable for lunchtime shopping. We ran into Katy on Kennedy’s car during lunch break and she commented: “This is very convenient for your avocado habit.” Oh my. Am I that easy to see through? ;)
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Reese and Tara went to Lisori today and brought me back a note from one of my students. I knew before I opened it that it was from Justus. I love that kid so much. His handwriting was so meticulous, and I could tell that he’d taken a lot of care with writing the letter. It made me go all teary again—in fact I’m going teary just thinking about it—I wish I could spend more time with him. He is probably the one who loves me the most, and though I hate to admit to playing favourites it is hard to deny that he is one of mine. I sincerely hope I can see him again. I may ask Margaret for permission to go to Madam Esther’s, because the three students that I wanted to take to the academic competition in WISER all live with her.
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