I went to LDSCC in Fiji last summer for an internship. Another intern and I assisted the teacher in teaching Biology and Basic Science classes. I loved it at the school.
The first thing I noticed and liked about LDSCC were the students. I remember catching the school bus to work the first day, they were very respectful and all had good personalities. I liked arriving at school and being greeted with "Good Morning Brother R****." It made me feel old but I liked it. I wasn't much older than the students I taught. I was only 19 year old. I learned later that there were actually some students who were older than myself attending LDSCC. Most students were well-behaved, but like any class you'll have a few who are just out there and love to joke at every little thing. This would disrupt class a lot and it got on my nerves sometimes. The students were good-natured and funny. I liked it when they asked me questions. One thing I didn't like was their teasing. Once and only once I dictated notes and they teased my American accent and they words I used. Like instead of saying "Full-stop" at the end of a sentence I'd say "Period." That's what we use in America. And the students would be silly and ask me to repeat myself over and over again. And me, not getting the joke would repeat it, then I realized they were just making a fool of me. Not all the students just a couple of them in the lower classes, like Form 3 and 4. But working with those students was nice. I wish I had stayed longer and tutored some of them individually because I noticed that some really didn't understand what was going on in class.
In LDSCC there is only one Biology teacher. I want to go there and teach Biology. I know I'd be an excellent teacher for the students at LDSCC. The school needs a new curriculum and teacher's who are organized and actually have lesson plans. There are no guidelines on teaching content and no grading rubrics. I didn't see any of that at LDSCC and I think that's why most students aren't doing well in education at the school.
My first week there was the mid-year examination, we supervised the tests and graded them the following week. Out of 85-90 students, only about 6 passed the exam, this was Form 4. The results were pathetic, I thought "What's wrong with these students?" I observed a lot during the following weeks of my internship and I realized that the teachers teaching were part of the problem. The school provides resources for the teachers to use which could help assist in teaching, but they don't put them to use efficiently. The school lacks qualified teachers. Teachers are teaching subjects they don't know much about, subjects that aren't in their fields of expertise. This is affecting the education of students at LDSCC and it saddens me. The students have potential and because the teachers aren't making the effort to be the best teachers they can be, the students are being held back from being the best students they can be. I want to help those students who are being denied a proper education because of their teachers' ignorance. It's such a shame and disappointment how things are run at LDSCC. I want to go there and teach Biology. I will be a great teacher who is qualified to teach, dedicated and determined to the success of all students.
LDSCC is a wonderful place and I enjoyed my time there. However, some major changes in the curriculum need to happen for students to actually learn. Some teachers need to be trained or replaced by ones who are qualified to teach. The students are the only not benefiting in this situation. The school is for them and their education, it should be beneficial not wasteful.
11 comments:
Trying to establish what most refer to as a "higher bar" isn't as easy as it should be, huh? I admire your ability to note the positive characteristics about this particular school, yet point out improvements that need to be made as well as ways in which to do so. Very well done. I know your ability to solve problems efficiently and positive outlook in life will help you to eventually improve the education children will recieveno matter where you end up teaching :)
"I rate enthusiasm even above professional skill," Edward Appleton.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I hail from Fiji mayself, and I attended one of the prominent schools back there. You know fro Mormon students attending LDSCC was a dream come true. Growing we all dreamt of being at LDSCC someday. But in my case, i ended up in a Catholic High School, which i believe did not enjoy much of the resources that LDSCC had.
I agree with you when you say that they need qualified teachers who are prepared and who have a love for learning and teaching. I personally admire your enthusiam on this matter. Your argument is genuine and that impresses me. As a student, i would love to be taught by someone who knows what he is talking about. Someone who has actually put in some time in preparing for that day's lesson.
I know improvements are needed in certain aspects of education in this school and i applaude you for all that you did and are trying to do. Thank You.
Education wise, yes, LDS has a very very long way to go. their discipline level is so low compared to the other schools in Fiji because LDS is run the "American way" where corporal punishement has zero tolerance. I personally think that the Amercian school system shouldn't at all be implemented in Fiji. The cultural influence is still strong and the american system almost totally contradicts the cultural beliefs. Students from other schools use to look at us as a posh school with everything! From the carpets on the floor to the hired cleaners to the AC's in the classrooms and ceiling fans everywhere! They also looked at us as the school that has everything but did not produce marks that even reached, compared or succeded theirs. Mostly, the only subject the school topped was English.
i have to agree that most of the teachers of the school need to tremendously improve their teaching especially when they are not qualified teachers. to be a teacher, you need to be qualified! to be anything, you need qualifications! especially when the future is in your hands! LDS has a serious lack of qualified teachers! anyone who just returned from their mission or came back from overseas or came back from BYUH without even fully completing college will still get to be a teacher! heck, i can guarantee you right now if i go back, i can even become a teacher!!! to be a teacher you need to take all those education classes and do all those rounds of qualifications. most of the teachers there during my time did not go through this, they had first hand experience with us! even the teachers were lazy! half the time they were out of class at the bank or doing something using the school vans doing something totally unrealted to work! some of them would sleep in class and you can hear them snoring! some of them would even shave in class infront of everyone! the school would not release some of the teachers because they were the only income earners in the family! thats ok IF the teacher was actually doing their job! but you won't fire someone because of that! come on! oh, let me see - the future of his family (but his not doing any good) OR the future of tomorrow?! o yes! his family because...............whatever! think about it! my younger sister had a RM teach her basic science! no offence to the RM but she did not know crap about science! her field was music! i bet you i even scored higher marks than her in science and i still don't know rats about it! its great you're giving them employment and helping them support their family and all that personal stuff but, are you the one sitting next to my sister when she's balling because she cannot believe how low her score is? are you the one to answer my parents about your reason of failing? NO! you are not! I don't even understand the whole part of employing unqualified teachers! what i don't understand more is the fact that some part time teachers (who are also most likely to be unqualified) become full-time teachers! simply because they hang around in the school! i understand that they had to remove all the non-member teachers to allow members the opprtunity but by far, what qualified teachers? which ones? there are only a few qualified teachers in that schooll and i applaud them for their pioneering spirit. don't get me wrong, that is the Lord's school but boo! they need to change their system to a better uplifting, non-personal family related and academicly serious system!
as far as the teasing goes, boy! you of all people should understand! as hilarious as it may seem, how many times have you had to translate for me or even clarify the words which i spoke? do you know how irritating it is to walk into class and have everyting explained the american way, using the american examples when really, it will most likely not apply to us at home! do you know how irritating it is to keep repeating your question to the teacher for him to understand what you're trying to say. all you're doing is speaking the same language with a different accent! youre only speaking the same language but with different meaning! o yeah, its not easy! and yes! we, from the islands have to put up with that for four years of our stay here! o yeah! it challenging but hey, its part of learning right!!!!and you had to put up with it for JUST the whole of summer!
but yeah, you'd make a great teacher boy! go for it! but if i may suggest, you need to go to the other schools to see their high level of competitivness and jus how dedicated they are! good luck to you and your future boy! holla when you visit k! you need to see the real fiji, not the american fiji! ehehehe! jks bah!
hope this helps!
I really admire the fact that as you observed your surroundings at LDSCC. You noted that the teachers are somewhat the reason that the students lacked some education. I am probably one of those students who made fun of my teacher. Not because I wanted to make them angry but maybe because I didn't know what the heck they were trying to explain to me and somtimes they didn't know what the heck they were talking about. I salute you for your way of thinking and I believe that what you are saying is totally accurate. Some teachers are just not qualified to be teachers I don't know what the qualifications are at this certain school but it sounds to me that they are placing anyone who is able to babysit.
It would be nice to have more people like you teaching at the school. Especially one who sees the problem and isn't afraid to take action and fix it. It's nice to know that you care about the education of each student and that you are willing to help those who have more difficulties learning then others. I'm positive you will make a great teacher and most importantly make a big difference!
I hope I helped!Keep up the great work!..I see a great future in your path and a greater future for all those you teach.
you right in the fact that LDSCC has the resources and that most of the teachers are not qualified. Most of the teachers have degree in a different subject but they are not teaching that subject.
FOr me i attended LDSCC from primary school all the way to high school. When i first started high school all my teachers were pretty good ad my grades were good as well. But as i approached my senior year my teachers (for my bio and chem class) was changed. In one year i had three teachers for those two classes. MOst of the time my classmates and i had to teach ourselves the class materials because our teachers was hardly ever in class. SO when it came to the major exam at the end of the year for chemistry only 2 out of 8 students past. IN biology we had a better passing rate because the only person that failed didn't sit for the exam.
I enjoy going to school and being taught by a teacher that knows their subject and teaches it well. That is one of the reasons that i go to class.
You should send your observations to the current principal of LDSCC so that the future students of LDSCC can get a better educational opportunity when they choose to attend LDSCC.
It sounds like you really enjoyed your time teaching in Fiji, but of course there were struggles. I taught in Taiwan for a little bit and I can understand when you talk about the students teasing you. I guess that's what kids do, right?
I admire your willingness to do what's best for those students. I can tell that you really want to make a difference in the lives of those kids. I think it would be great for you to go back to LDSCC and help contribute to making the school a better place for those students. You could help set up curriculum that all teachers could follow so that the students get the best education they can. Do you have any plans at going back to Fiji to teach?
The things we do in life are reflected upon the things that we have been taught... in any environment...every influence counts as to whether it be a book, a movie, a song, a friend, a family member and most impressed by teachers entrusted to devote their lives to teaching. I admit that I was not very attentive to being a good student, but the school at that time held such an honored atmosphere of respect for learning. That was the motto of the school: Enter to Learn, go Forth to Serve. LDSCC had set the bar of Education. I remember watching the older students give respect to teachers in building relationships of fun in learning science, in competing for smartness and new ideas in projects or snacks for class...At some point it would be honest to say that teachers loved being in school because they wanted to... for us. I agree with your commentary stating that current school ethics of LDSCC need to change. There has to be not only qualified teachers, but teachers who actually care about futuristic lives of students. I value the patience and will of good teachers who sacrifice their lives to contribute to willing students. Both attitudes of teachers and students should reach levels of respect; to give a little and take little to learn and be the best in life that we can be.
I'm amazed with how quickly you adjusted to a new environment and culture of an island in a very short time you spent there. I also admire your ability to reach out to students and making a big impact and differences in their education especially their future.
First off let me say that I admire how you have balanced your criticism of the educational system at LDSCC.
Now I honestly cannot say more than what has already been pointed out by previous comments.
I can only speak for myself but am sure other ex-scholars of LDSCC would agree with me when I say, I wondered how I used to study my ass off and still get bad grades....not all that bad but an A- or a B hurt a lot given the sacrifices.
So okay, qualified teachers are an issue apart from the many...the way teachers are addressed is a main issue to begin with...the student teacher relationship is just too closely intergrated students can practically recite their teachers geneology!....and when thats the case, addressing teachers as bro. and sis. does not help! Sure it can work well in any other culture....any except ours; the respect that should be maintained between teachers and students is lost.
Anyway, my aim here is not to dwell on what needs to be improved, as I've said that has been clearly defined...the question I wish to raise is....through your experience in LDSCC in comparison with the educational system/approach you have been taught, how do you propose to improve the system ???
Looking forward to another blog titled - "A Solution"
Post a Comment