We are running our own 3-week language school for students at SPCHS who are struggling with English. Our students are on break, but 7 of them (rather than the 15 expected) showed up this morning.
The morning is divided in thirds. The first third is grammar (taught by me); the second third is writing/speaking, and the last third of the day is reading. I taught all three parts today and most enjoyed the second part during which the students got into pairs and came up with 5 sentences to describe a photograph they were shown.
What struck me is how there is not a bit of a critical faculty that's been developed in these kids. Schooling here is all about memorizing things, about memorizing answers, etc. The idea of figuring out vocabulary from the context of reading -- and struggling to do that rather than simply being given a list to memorize -- is so foreign to these kids. I have to take deep breaths because I get so frustrated (not with them but with how they've been so poorly served).
I cannot wait for the teachers college to get up and running to start helping teachers to do something different in the classrooms.
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