Tuesday 11th February 2025
I had three very enjoyable double Maths sessions today. In the first of these, with Grade 4 students (Year 5 in the UK), we looked at 4-digit numbers, concentrating on place value. In the next one, with Grade 4 students (Year 5 in the UK), we had a little revision of 2D shapes, then focused on angles. In the final one, with Grade 3 students (Year 4 in the UK), we looked at Roman numerals, then focused on 'ascending', 'descending' and 'repeating' number patterns.
As teaching comes so naturally to me, I forget how much of a skill it actually is, and I don't think I always fully appreciate what a difference I can make with my work for Tea Leaf, or with my work for the Royal International School. When you drive a car, you aren't constantly thinking about what to do, as you were when you first learned to drive, and it's the same with teaching, as so much of it is automatic for me, and I feel like I am simply teaching on autopilot.
I had excellent feedback sessions with the three teachers I worked with today, who felt that they had picked up various ideas in terms of the way I taught their Maths lessons. This is really what I am here for, so I am delighted if I find that I am making a difference to the teachers here, and, in turn, the students. Education has been my lifelong passion, and it is the one thing that I feel very accomplished at, so it feels like a great privilege to support education here in Sri Lanka.
This evening Sandra very kindly invited me over to her house for pizza, and I had a very enjoyable evening with her, her son Ravi, her son-in-law, Sahan, granddaughter, Maya, and Buddhika, a consultant at the Royal International School, who gave me a lift home later in her tiny sports car, which was very amusing. She took a photo of me squeezed into the front seat of the car, which wasn't too bad really, as it was only a short ride home to my apartment.
There are a few photographs today from my Maths sessions, plus three of me when I arrived back at my apartment in Buddhika's tiny sports car!
Glad to hear you have been reminded of your true calling in life, Keith! I caught a glimpse of this vocation whilst awaiting outside teacher Mark Durrant's classroom at St Michael's on Wednesday: effortless communication with a captive audience...
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