Georgie's maths teaching challenge

Georgie teaching at Mkwiro Primary School

I arrived in Kenya having never taught before. I received a day of training, under the watchful eye of community staff member Jordan. I have since had the chance to observe and teach several lessons and the experience has been amazing. To see children, who are fasting through Ramadan, turn up to school and actually complete work, never mind just listen, is testament to the willingness of many people here to learn. During my first open library session, under the baobab tree, one boy approached me and said, ‘I don’t understand English, but I want to try.’ This same attitude is common: a drive to learn, to expand business opportunities and to thrive.

Teaching multiplication to standard 4

I also had the privilege of teaching a young man from the village, during the weekly Men’s English group. Ali was an incredibly inspiring person to teach, not wanting to end the lessons but to keep on reading –both weeks we were the last to finish! He would be the one to guide me each week, letting me know what he wanted to learn or what he wanted to improve. During this week, I was also able to teach an English class to standard 5 children. I really enjoyed the experience. My highlight, however, has to be teaching maths. Standard 4 were very talented maths students and the irony of Madam Georgie, the world’s most enthusiastic but useless maths student, teaching multiplication, and the children understanding it, was almost too much to take in! I can finally say that all my hard work during A-level maths was worthwhile.

Georgina Harbottle - Community Project Volunteer

Georgie's maths teaching challenge