Thinking…

As most of you know, my idea or philosophy behind teaching and education in general, is to get students to learn and, even more importantly, to think. I try and do that at SHG and I have brought that same philosophy here to Ghana. However, like everything else here, the education system is very different. Although in many respects the students here are similar to the students in the US: similar likes and dislikes, fear and frustrations, there are certainly some differences, especially in the classroom.

At the end of each term all of the students have to take exams. The exams here though are a bit different than in the US. Instead of each teacher making up his or her own exam, the entire social studies department makes up one exam for each level. Therefore, some of the extra things that I may teach in my class, will not go on the exam because none of the other teachers will have taught it. The philosophy seems to be that it makes curriculum more uniform throughout the school. For terms one and two, this department exam is protocol. For term three, instead of the department making the exam, the students are to take an exam, that is cumulative over the entirety of the three terms, that is written by some type of West African Education Examination Council. The teachers do not see the test and, from what I can tell, have no input as to what is on the test.

What does all of this mean? First of all it is simply a cultural difference that offers a unique learning experience for myself. Also however, it makes me change my teaching around and rethink my own teaching philosophy if only for a year in Africa. Again, as many of you know, as I grade the students, I ask them to grade me. I have continued to so that here and the feedback that I have received in not at all what I expected. I thought that the students would love to learn more about the world outside of the walls of the campus and the borders of Ghana and West Africa. However, they told me that they want more notes, more dictation, more lecture, more tests, and more homework! Most did like to discuss current issues and deeper level thinking questions, but did not see the relevance and did not want to waste the time when they need to be preparing for the exams. In the grades that they put for me, there was an incredible range; from A+ all the way down to an E (yes they use A, B, C, D, E, and F)! I am happy to say that no one failed me, but obviously, some think that I need to pick it up!

The conundrum then is this: How am I to not only get the students ready and prepared to do well no the exams (which are very much based upon rote memorization, and I don‘t write) while also getting them to learn (not just memorize) and become independent thinkers? I have been teaching here now for almost 6 weeks and feel that I have learned a great deal, but also have realized that I have even more yet to learn.

Any suggestions are more than welcome, I would love to hear your input. My first year teaching at SHG was a mile-a-minute and I learned a great deal and had a great time doing it. Here, I feel similar in that the curriculum that I am teaching is different than anything I have ever taught, as well as the entire education system is different. One of the reasons that I came to Ghana, besides wanting to work on my tan, was for the challenge of it. I was not sure exactly what form those challenges would take, and now that I have been here for almost two months, I am beginning to see the shape they will take. It is a challenge that I embrace and look forward to tackling it in one way or another.