Model School

Probably the most important thing that happens during Peace Corps training in Burkina Faso for teachers, besides language training, is model school. It's an opportunity for us to practice teaching to real students while being observed by staff members and (possibly) Burkinabe teachers. The school happens at a nearby local high school and is offered as a summer camp type activity where students come to take our math and science classes. It's a good way for many of them to review for their exams, especially because it's more common in Burkina than the US to fail a grade and repeat it.

Because it's so different from the US, a brief description of the educational system is warranted at this point. If you're familiar with the French system, skip to the next paragraph because they are very similar. Although there are some private kindergartens and preschools in larger cities, most children start in primary school. This is like elementary school in the US. To finish primary school they must pass a national exam called the CEP. Once you have the CEP you can move on to secondary school, which is broken down into two cycles. The second cycle is done first (the numbering goes opposite of the American system), from 6eme to 3eme. After 3eme students take the BEPC, and must pass to move to the first cycle, which is completed when students pass the BAC exam. Students are also graded every year and can only repeat a grade one time in a cycle before going to another school. The idea behind the toughness of the Burkinabe educational system is so that students are always encouraged to work harder and know more. It's extremely rare to see a student receive a perfect score on anything.

So far, model school is going well. I am teaching 4eme PC everyday this week and next. Today we discussed condensation of water. The students didn't know before the lesson why water pools underneath a cold fanta bottle, so it was good to teach them something. I was also happy that students participated in my class and would volunteer answers. I'm working on trying to get a demo or experiment together for later this week. I also want to the kids to think about why things are happening the way they are, and not just to spit back definitions. Critical thinking is hard to teach to this age group in the US too though. I thought that discipline would be really hard, but it's actually okay. A lot of students came in late today, so I told them that tomorrow I would make them sit outside. They seemed to get the message. I also confiscated two cell phones yesterday (they're starting to take off here, especially in the city where we are). I'm not a fan of being overly mean to be mean, I just want them to behave themselves so they can learn. Hopefully discipline won't be a problem when I go to my site and start serving.