THE EFFECTS OF LOCKDOWN ON MY LEARNERS

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now; so I finally had the courage to do it today.

So, lockdown hit everyone hard, including schools. I was teaching 30 students and 2 out of that total decided to leave school for fair reasons. I was then left with 28 learners. So, we would prepare study material for each week and we would have about 4 tasks for each learning area - Monday to Thursday. We also put emphasis on reading and availed ourselves for any questions that parents might have. And I know I'd even explain certain concepts for each week so that parents could catch up easily on the work. This meant we were always available online (my colleague and I). Then on Fridays we required proof of the work done to be sent directly to us as the teachers via WhatsApp. I really must say this made me push and give it my best. I really enjoyed working from home, though I knew this meant more kids were not doing their tasks and might miss on grasping the themes.

In terms of the feedback, only a handful of parents would send the work. I can only think of 2 learners who consistently sent in the work and as a result passed well (one was doing her last year and the boy is doing his last year now and still has the same work ethic - he's in the top 2 in his grade). Then some were on and off - and understandably so, due to data. And knowing parents, I wasn't expecting perfection, all I wanted was effort and an attempt on the work. We even prepared take home exams for the children in June and probably half wrote the exams and returned them, while other students were sent to live in the villages. Also fair. It was a tough time for everyone. 

The only disappointment, was the fact that when schools finally opened around August, the reading level of the grade 1 class was very poor, except for those who did the work occasionally. Even though we had covered a lot of reading material during Term 1, I was really disappointed to realize that the kids hardly knew the work we prepared for them. Thinking of all the hours that we put in and the little we got in return was a bit discouraging. We only charged parents R350.00 monthly but I hardly received payment on a monthly basis. I probably got R3500.00 for all the months combined - May to August. And deep down, I wished parents saw the work that was put in. But what kept me going was God and knowing this was for Him. 

Some parents wrote the exams for their kids. I wish parents can understand this simple rule, we can tell how your child's writing looks like. You'll never deceive us. We know your children that well. I can identify the child by just looking at the writing. 

We also requested the work to be returned and only a handful had done all the work, but at least there was an attempt and even kids who did not send the proof of the work online, did bring the work, which was encouraging. There were also kids returning from the villages, who didn't even do the work and you can imagine what it was like teaching kids who had not attended school for 5 months. But we soldiered on. And there was a bit of improvement, but having a child come a month before exams and have them attend 12 times / 8 times depending on the days of attendance also played a role and there could've been more progress. We did, however, prepare work for days when learners wouldn't attend.

When I reflect on last year's grade 1, I still see some of the traces left by lockdown. Some hardly read or spell consistently, but there's been significant improvement at the same time. I have about 5 kids that I'm really worried about in terms of reading - but there is some slight improvement. I've had to call their parents and even then, there's been hardly any improvement. And so I've had to consistently remind the parents about homework and find other strategies for helping their children. With some, absenteeism has also played an active part. But thankfully, we've been able to have all the grades come every day due their manageable number. I have 25 learners this year.

I must also commend the learners for their resilience. We prayed a lot. We only had 1 case of covid and that learner was healed and she managed to finish her exams and do well. We can only thank God for His healing power over our lives. 

What I can say is, as much as I put my all and can see the results I've put through the recent exam marks, I know without a doubt that the students who perform well in class and in tests are those who consistently do their homework, whose parents are hands-on, who engage you when they need explanation etc. 

Without a doubt, we have a long way to go. I  feel like sometimes parents put much expectations on the schooling system, but they are  not willing to put in the work. Things like accountability and tracing the child's progress and constantly seeking to help the child improve depends on both the teacher and the parent. 

I believe we need to redefine what Education is, what our goals are for our children (outside the schooling system), the trajectory we want them to take, and most importantly, what God wants.

Here's hoping the President doesn't put us on lockdown again.