Teacher Talk Tuesday

First Week of School

The prep school.

So okay, the kids aren't here yet; but still so much to do.  My classroom is actually a science lab which is great.  I teach all my classes here except one; have a smart board and video projector.  Now I just have to learn to really use it well in my lesson plans.  I also have to do a lot of decorating; apparently there hasn't been someone as a teacher in the classroom for a while so need to get things down and then new things up; clean out the office, which has been the dumping ground prior to now.  There is a lab tech who will basically get me whatever I need....nice!  Anybody know how to coordinate curriculum???  I'm the prep school science curriculum coordinator.  Oh, and I'm starting a forensics club.  Any ideas??

Ready for the first day of school.

Monday's Musings

Mercy Were

Me with Mercy on Visiting Day.

Last year I put out the word that I was looking for sponsors for a young girl in Nairobi to attend secondary school.  Many of you responded and together were able to send Mercy to a private boarding secondary school near her mom's home.  The finances provided were able to cover the entire school year of 2012 (ending in November), uniforms and textbooks, and outfit for boarding school (trunk and personal items).  

Mercy's dorm room at school; bunks are three beds high with 20 beds in each dorm room!!!

She started her Form 2 (Sophomore) year of high school after missing the second half of her Form 1 (Freshman) year due to lack of funds; and has worked hard to catch up with her fellow pupils.  Currently, she is averaging a B- and is 14th in a class of 50 students.  Her best subjects are English, History, and Geography; while she is working hard to catch up a lost year in Business Studies.  Her teachers say that she is very disciplined and doesn't get into trouble, and that she is working very hard to improve in the subjects that she was weak in at the beginning of the year.  

Mercy (on left) with friends on Visiting Day.

We are now looking forward to Mercy's Form 3 (Junior) year, which is very important in Kenya.  It is when high school students begin focusing their studies towards the national exam at the end of Form 4.  This national exam will determine where a student goes to university or college.  Mercy's goal is to become a primary school teacher, and she will need to have a C+ or more on the national exam to be able to attend teacher's college.

Would you please consider sponsoring or re-sponsoring Mercy for her Form 3 year of school?  You can contact me by email to find out more details on how to help financially.