Skip to main content

100th post

I can't believe it's the 100th post!

I'm back at work with a bang this week, but the memories of last week will stay. I've chosen two images that I think sum up the visit. We only saw the 'best of the bad' in Goa, however it was heartbreaking enough. Having taught about LEDCs and poverty for 4 and a but years I thought I was prepared, but I was very wrong. I'm very proud of the 5 boys that I took to India, and I know that what they have experienced will change the way in which they think. To quote one of them 'It's going to feel really weird when I go to Tesco's next.'

The final few days were spent visiting various outreach projects. I have huge admiration for the missionaries there. Very inspiring.
the images I have chosen all include people. Although the landscapes were incredible it is the human story that I found so compelling. My life was certainly put into perspective!


Teaching Shallom House style - making Christmas Cards during an afternoon of activity. There was no technology (apart from the various cameras that we gave to the children. I can only say that the resulting images are very interesting) and very basic materials but the response was amazing. The children really seemed excited that we were spending time with them.


This image was captured while I was filming the children of the village. I like it because it shows that just simple things, like attention and some sweets, can bring a little joy into the lives of these slum dwellers. The image is also a reminder that the adults (often high on bettlenut) are never far away keeping a watchful eye....
I love this image. It was taken during a visit of an old people home near the capital. What struck us was the high spirits of the men - and their unwillingness to accept gifts. The person on the left used to live and work in the UK as a civil servant. However, he has ended in this home - that has a budget of 3.5pence per day to feed each person - when his family turned their back. A reality check as in the UK our (all be it not so perfect) welfare system would swing into action. They boys on the trip remember these two the most for their refusal to accept gifts. All they needed was someone to talk to.
We met another volunteer in Goa and she is keeping a blog here. Also check out the boys blog. I have pointed this out before as it outlines their incredible journey that started a year ago this week! The boys have also added some thoughtful posts about their visit and some great images.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Anonymous15 November 2007 at 11:09

    What a wonderful blog, you kept that very quiet! I am very proud to have been a part of this trip and proud to know you and the five boys, you are all very special people and I know that we will all stay in touch because of the bond that was made, the emotions we shared, the good times and the times when we got to experience as close as we could "real" Goa.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alan Parkinson18 November 2007 at 20:50

    Been a fascinating read David. Thanks for sharing - some good links - blogging strikes again !

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

High Impact, Low effort

This month is the start of the #29daysofwriting challenge.  I enjoyed this last year and will be using my Staffrm account to post.  I'll also be reporting here, both to give a little more detail and to keep a log of what I have written. The challenge developed a great sense of community last year, which is why I'm choosing to write on Staffrm. What I would say to those who are new to writing or don't want to run out of ideas is: Write for yourself. Clarify an idea, write something out loud. The process of distilling thoughts into writing is immensely beneficial to your practice. If other read, comment and respond, that's a bonus. Ignore the muppets who know nothing of your context, style or students. Mix it up - I like to read about real stuff from real classrooms and schools and also about other stuff.  If we always write about school, how does that work for workload? If you've nothing nice to say, don't say it. So, the following has been ...
5 comments
Read more

What makes a learning experience profound? Personal reflections and possible implications for classroom practice.

I have recently begun a Leadership Pathways journey.  As part of the first core day, we were asked to reflect on a profound learning experience. This got me thinking about how many profound learning experiences I have both been involved in, and how many I have been able to give to others.  Our group came up with a huge long list, but these are my five. Emotional Connected Demanding Reflective Collaborative As always, these are personal thoughts and quite mixed up.  I put them here so that I can look back on them (plus they’d get lost inside my world-cup-free brain) 1. Emotional I can’t think of a time where deep learning hasn’t engaged my emotions.  From being awe inspired to that tingle feeling when a student gets a light bulb moment.  From this-is-the-happiest-day-ever, to I-think-I’m-about-to die.  How often do we engage the emotions of those we teach?  Here, I would argue that having a safe learning environment i...
4 comments
Read more

Banned Word Board

Today I want to share some simple ideas that I have found to be very effective in the classroom. I can't say that they are my own original ideas, although I have played around with them. The first is the Banned word Board. This is a simple display in the classroom that lists a number of words that are not allowed to be used by pupils in their written or oral answers. The effect has been an increase in the quality of written work, and I have almost made comments such as 'Sir it's simple, the stuff just affects the thing and causes people problems'. Pupils are now more able to use specific language, something that is vital especially at GCSE. I have had to make a few modifications, such as the introduction of 'Heavenly Words' This is an additional display placed on the ceiling. I found this necessary as pupils needed some stimulus in finding replacement words. After advice received after posting the idea on the SLN forum , I have also introduced semi-banned words...
Post a Comment
Read more