Australia Day in Tanzania

I thought this was going to be a slow week – I am giving teachers time to settle back into routine before starting the next round of school review visits.

On Monday I visited the Lutheran Church’s Teacher Training College at Nyakato.  The Mathematics Lecturer, who is also Academic Dean, was happy to have a few moments professional chat, he had agreed to the visit, but was also busy with his many other responsibilities.   As it turned out I was able to help him out – I took his class and demonstrated my home made mathematics teaching aids to the students (which delighted them as one of their assessment tasks is to make a portfolio of teaching aids!), while he finalised organising their Teaching Round placements.  It was a very happy arrangement for us all!

In some ways it was like a pre-publication book signing tour – I have been cultivating the market for my book (for sale at Tsh2000/= which is below printing cost!) when it is available in the next few weeks.

Monday evening I was informed that World Vision Tanzania wanted the BRDC to provide a facilitator for a seminar on the new Primary School Mathematics Syllabus.  Could I do that?

Of course, delighted to be of help!

Two days, each 9:00 am – 3:00 pm? 

No problem!  Just me, and Josiah to help translate?

Yes.  It’s tomorrow and the day after. 

Argh!!

Less time to prepare means less time to procrastinate and/or over-organise!  I had my box of teaching aids packed already, I know the new syllabus backwards and forwards in both English and kiSwahili (Many foreigners have probably been here years and still don’t know the kiSwahili for right-angled triangle and square root!) and it was another chance to prepare teachers for The Book which will be arriving in their schools in the next few weeks.

It went well – in the words of one of the teachers “It was nice” which would be disappointing in Australia but is high praise here!  We managed to review all the algebra and geometry, with appropriate teaching aids and aspects of integrated curriculum thrown in.

Today, the second day of the seminar, was Australia Day so we started with an Australia Day quiz which gave me a chance to give the Tanzanian teachers an insight into a small part of Australia’s history, geography and politics.  I also talked a little about my family background – convict ancestors, daughter in Tassie, etc

Here are the questions

Australia Day Quiz

1.  What is the capital city of Australia?                                               

2.  What is the name of Australia’s island state?                                               

3.  What percentage of Australia is south of the equator?                       

4.  What is the population (closest million)?                                               

5.  Who is Australia’s Head of State?                                                           

6.  How long have Australia’s original inhabitants lived there?             

            6,000 years, 60,000 years or 600,000 years

7.  How long have Europeans lived in Australia?                                   

            125,  225  or 325 years                       

8.  What country is Australia’s closest neighbour?                                   

9.  What is the name of the big rock in the middle of Australia?           

10. A platypus has a bill and lays eggs? What sort of animal is it?           

The winner, with five correct answers, received a little plastic statue of a kangaroo!

I am hoping for no more surprises this week – though Steve says now we’ve shown we’re up to the challenge who knows what we may be asked to do!

Saturday I go to Katoke Teacher Training College to demonstrate Teaching Aids to the students there.  Another chance to advertise The Book which is good as I will soon have 1000 copies to find homes for!