Pre-Service Training (PST)

August 26, 2014

It's been over a year since I arrived in country and there is now a group of new education trainees who is in their PST just like we were last year at this time. Just as the class before me did for us, some volunteers from my class have been going and helping to train these new trainees for the past two months. Last week it was my turn. I went directly from MSC to Korogwe to put on some Shika na Mikono sessions with three other Shika members.

We started with a dramatic introduction which included handheld fireballs, smoke bombs and ended with us torching through some boring session outline flip charts and revealing a slow-burning "Shika na Mikono" sign.

After getting the trainees attention with some fire, we got going with the more practical sessions. We based our sessions on the sessions that we had at our training last year and made some improvements and changes where we saw they were needed. One change we made was putting more emphasis on the resources that we had. Instead of making teaching aids and showing them off, we provided some basic materials and had the trainees make the aids themselves.

The idea was to simulate the scenario they would be in when they get to their schools. "I need to teach X topic, what can I do to make it interesting?" So we gave them our manuals with activities sorted by topic and some basic materials and had them decide what activity/game/demo they would make to teach a given topic.

Here are some trainees showing the demo they developed for teaching about buoyancy.

We had another session about how to help students do well on the practical portion of their national exams. We did one of the simpler practicals in front of the whole group and then we split them up by subject and gave them a chance to attempt the practicals themselves.

Us showing the trainees the pendulum bob practical.

Shika na Mikono's ministry contact helping the trainees with a physics practical involving a glass rectangular prism.

Trainees attempting a practical involving mirrors.

Our last session with the trainees was to show them how Shika gets involved with promoting science outside of the classroom using science competitions. The group split up into smaller groups and competed in an egg drop. This was a good experience for me as I will be putting on a competition with some other volunteers in my region next month.

One group putting together their egg drop device.

Another group.

We got some really good feedback from the trainees. They seemed to really enjoy the hands-on sessions. I remember during my PST last year the Shika sessions were a much needed change of pace from the months of normal lectures.

Now I am back at site and tomorrow the trainees get their site announcement! Next week will be site visit week and I have been told that one of the five new Iringa education volunteers will be shadowing me. Tomorrow I'll find out who it is, and Saturday they will arrive! It's an exciting time for everyone. More on all that later.

Here's a picture of my kittens: