Ghclassrooms

By Edinam Ahiably-kumordjie What a year 2020 has been, who could have predicted this? The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed taught humankind vital lessons in different aspects of our everyday life. Important sectors such as health, banking, aviation, transportation, sports, entertainment and of course education have all alter their operations due to this global pandemic. As  a professional teacher, I will talk about four major issues this pandemic has uncover about teaching and learning. THE WORK OF TEACHERS HAS LONG BEEN UNDERRATED The rate at which the Corona virus was spreading meant that schools be closed down. This was highly unexpected. Never in my 32 years of life have I seen schools being closed down for this long. Teachers like myself had no choice but to peacefully go home and rest as it were. On the other had, parents were reeling under the pressure of having to take care of their wards during this period of school closure. I received calls from parents complaining about their fr

In our quest to achieve better outcomes in our schools, the focus is usually on teaching methods, text books, teaching aids and qualified teachers. However  there are other factors that are very important but usually overlooked, especially here in Ghana. In this post I will talk about three of them. FOOD We all love to eat good food especially when it's our favorite. Food is eaten to satisfy hunger and our personal cravings. Am not sure many people will take in specific foods for academic reasons. Am not a medical doctor or dietician but my little research on the internet has shown that the food we eat can actually affect our cognitive abilities and hence academic work. Nutritional psychiatrist, Drew Ramsey suggests there are foods that can actually improve the functioning of the human brain. This is no rocket science because every organ in the human body requires some essential nutrients to function well. Certainly the brain also require certain  nutrients to function well. It'

The mere mention of mathematics can send shivers down the spine of any student who dislikes mathematics. Many students develop a  sort of fear when it's time to takle a seemingly challenging math question. Lots of literature exist today on the best methods of teaching mathematics and making the subject more friendly to students. As a mathematics teacher myself, assisting my students to understand mathematical concepts is my fundamental goal. I have done a lot of reading and applied many methods just to make the subject I teach less dreadful. Among the numerous methods that I have used are what I prefer to call "The three catalysts". This three methods have worked for me to a large extent. Humour Mathematics should not be too formal, it should be casual and exciting. I have always managed  to make my classroom a sort of theater where you are assured of fun before the lesson ends. In mathematical concepts that involve a level of complexity, I take students through processes

Anytime I lift up my head to check the time table of my class and I see I.C.T. as part of the subjects, a feeling of guilt runs through me. The sad thing is that my concerns are wide spread across the entire country. I do not know of any institution today that works without computers today. Computers have certainly come to stay. It is sad however to note that most schools in Ghana especially government schools teach ICT without computers and I just don't get it! In rural areas, it is more serious. Some communities do not even have electricity let alone computers. My own community was connected to electricity on 24th November 2020. This means my school can now think of procuring computers after it's 70 years of existence. The urgent need for computers in our schools cannot be overemphasized. Teachers are struggling teach ICT without computers. Students are also struggling to understand how computers work without ever using a computer.  This situation can be likened to a medical

 In my first professional job as a teacher, I decided to ask my pupils in basic 5 the kind of profession they would like to pursue. The responses I got wasn't different from the responses I got from other kids I've asked the same question. Most of the pupils wanted to become medical doctors, engineers, lawyers and pilots I have wondered for years why most Ghanaian kids would  always want to become one of the above-mentioned professionals. I remember telling my mum I wanted to become an agriculturist as a young boy but she wouldn't agree. I then decided to become a businessman. This was because my mum had asked me to study business at senior high school instead of the science I preferred. Never did it occurred to me that I could and would become a teacher. After high school, I decided to pursue a career in soccer because I was very good at it but my main attraction was the money soccer players earn, the cars, huge apartments and what not. I somehow ended up at the Kumasi Tec

Professional learning communities refers to a group of teachers who meet periodically to share ideas to enable them improve their skills in teaching and also improve learner outcomes. Professional learning communities have two main goals: improve the teaching skills of educators and assist students to achieve better outcomes. Today, professional learning communities have become the new normal in Ghanaian schools since its introduction in September 2019. As this (PLC) is new in most schools in Ghana, the big question remains, how do we make our professional learning communities more effective and sustainable?   UNCOVER PLC Uncovering professional learning community is my own description of extensive literature review on professional learning community. While professional learning communities may be new to some teachers, others may have their own understanding about what professional learning communities really is. I think teachers who are really interested in enhancing their kno

The COVID -19 school closures came at a time where teachers and students least expected. Teachers and students were caught in the middle of school work and forced to halt whatever work that was ongoing. There is no doubt that this was a challenging time for both teachers and students especially students preparing for exit exams. Authorities are easing restrictions now and students are expected to return to school soon. Great news schools are re-opening but for teachers, there is a looming task ahead. Students have been out of school for months and preparing them for school work wouldn’t be easy. That transition must be handled in professional way to assist students to get into their groove as soon as possible. This Article looks at four ways that could help teachers to re-engage students after the covid-19 break. Plan Planning is very important at this point on the part of teachers. Teachers must do a lot of deep thinking to plan their first lesson when students return. The

Nature has created its own system in girls where their bodies prepare for pregnancy every month by thickening the lining of the uterus. If there is no pregnancy, the uterus sheds this thick lining which is mostly blood away. The blood comes out of the body through the birth canal or vagina. This is what we commonly refer to as menstruation. The process as I have tried to explain above sounds simple and painless but I believe a lot of young girls around the world have different stories to tell with regards to menstruation. In this article, I look at what menstruation could mean to the Ghanaian young girl.   Absenteeism Many young girls in Ghana will rather stay at home during their time of the month than to be in school because of very painful menstrual cramps which a lot of boys would not be able withstand if they were to menstruate. Others basically do not have sanitary pads and cannot risk the shame of a spillage if they come to school with their improvised sanitary pad

Some few months ago, students were in school enjoying a method of learning they have been accustomed to for most of their life time if not their entire life time. Suddenly, a certain Covid-19 appears and everything has changed. The Government of Ghana, like many governments across the globe had no other option than to close down schools. In government’s attempt to ensure that learning continues in Ghana, the Ghana learning Television (GLTV) has been introduced. Excellent idea, but can we do better? I think so. In this article I look at ways the Ghana Learning Television (GLTV) can be enhanced to achieve its intended purpose . Method of teaching Teachers use a wide range of methods to deliver their lessons. Selecting these methods may depend on the topic being taught or the teaching aids available. I really sympathize with the teachers who appear on the various television channels to teach because they are handicapped one way or the other. Most of the teachers I have watched