College Happenings...
It’s been an interesting time at college over the last couple of months. College was due to re-open on the 2nd October. This was delayed by GES and the new date was to be the 9th October. However, the NAGRAT teachers union (graduate teachers) had called a strike at the beginning of September. Due to the outrageous pay increase that the Nursing staff had received. Now I am not denying nursing staff a pay rise, they thoroughly deserve it, it is just the percentage it went up by. It is a rise that that has put them out of league with all other bodies of employees. The best way I can describe this is to compare a newly qualified nurse with a newly basic education teacher. (one that would leave TUTCO) The nurse would start at a salary of ¢7million per month. The teacher would start on ¢1.1million. A Tutor at TUTCO who has a degree and a vast amount of experience receives less than ¢2.5million per month. The teachers rightly striked at this, however, the strike was futile, there is just not the money to give them an equal pay rise. The strike continued to mid November. Where there was a promise of money in the budget, and without getting into politics it is my understanding that this money didn’t materialise. The teachers are now back at work, doubling their work load as they are concerned for their students and don’t want them to fail.
Myself and Diane, our new volunteer chose to work through this period, the students were in college doing self study. I made it clear that I was totally behind the strike but as a volunteer was in the position that I could teach them. It was an awkward time for Diane. She was new didn’t know what was going on and had no way of gaining information. The tutors were helpful, but she didn’t want to put them in a compromising position as they were on strike.
Having gained a good relationship with my students last year, I felt protective towards them and to meet new ones it felt wrong. Now a couple of months in I am equally proud of my new students and they are mostly showing good aptitude to the computer. Though some lessons have been especially frustrating, I am not sure if it is me they don’t understand or the tasks. We are getting there though. It has made such a difference having the extra 10 computers. Mostly they get their own computer and I rotate the sharing. They also have 2 hours practice a week. Last year, they got one hour, sometimes sharing 3 to a computer! We also have a projector and laptop so our theory sessions have completely changed.
The next challenge is to get the rest of the tutors to use the projector. Which brings me on to my second big success – the first being that I found out at the beginning of term that only 6 our of 137 students had failed their ICT exam. I was very proud. This year I am going to strive towards no one failing and that they all pass with at least C’s – ambitious but hopefully doable!
The second success is that I have finally managed to organise the tutors attending Computer training sessions on Saturday mornings. We have had ok turnout, it is funeral season at the moment so I haven’t had everyone show. But it is good and they are all interested, apologising if they cannot make it. I have one more session before Christmas and then will start again in the New Year.
I have been made a form tutor I am not sure still what I am meant to do, it is a form 1 class so they are all new and cannot help me. I having to learn their names to. I am doing well with my 2nd years names surprising them when I greet them by name out of class.
The most recent update I can give on college is that this week I have managed to set up a dialup connection in Principals office. We are ordering a phone line for the computer centre so we too will have the Internet. One of my personal goals I set before coming. We are all very excited at the prospect of having the Internet at college. Kansec will still be our main source as it is faster and cheaper. But still it is good that we have it at college too.
College has now broken up for Christmas and will re-open on the 15th January 2007.
Myself and Diane, our new volunteer chose to work through this period, the students were in college doing self study. I made it clear that I was totally behind the strike but as a volunteer was in the position that I could teach them. It was an awkward time for Diane. She was new didn’t know what was going on and had no way of gaining information. The tutors were helpful, but she didn’t want to put them in a compromising position as they were on strike.
Having gained a good relationship with my students last year, I felt protective towards them and to meet new ones it felt wrong. Now a couple of months in I am equally proud of my new students and they are mostly showing good aptitude to the computer. Though some lessons have been especially frustrating, I am not sure if it is me they don’t understand or the tasks. We are getting there though. It has made such a difference having the extra 10 computers. Mostly they get their own computer and I rotate the sharing. They also have 2 hours practice a week. Last year, they got one hour, sometimes sharing 3 to a computer! We also have a projector and laptop so our theory sessions have completely changed.
The next challenge is to get the rest of the tutors to use the projector. Which brings me on to my second big success – the first being that I found out at the beginning of term that only 6 our of 137 students had failed their ICT exam. I was very proud. This year I am going to strive towards no one failing and that they all pass with at least C’s – ambitious but hopefully doable!
The second success is that I have finally managed to organise the tutors attending Computer training sessions on Saturday mornings. We have had ok turnout, it is funeral season at the moment so I haven’t had everyone show. But it is good and they are all interested, apologising if they cannot make it. I have one more session before Christmas and then will start again in the New Year.
I have been made a form tutor I am not sure still what I am meant to do, it is a form 1 class so they are all new and cannot help me. I having to learn their names to. I am doing well with my 2nd years names surprising them when I greet them by name out of class.
The most recent update I can give on college is that this week I have managed to set up a dialup connection in Principals office. We are ordering a phone line for the computer centre so we too will have the Internet. One of my personal goals I set before coming. We are all very excited at the prospect of having the Internet at college. Kansec will still be our main source as it is faster and cheaper. But still it is good that we have it at college too.
College has now broken up for Christmas and will re-open on the 15th January 2007.
posted by Lucy at 10:07 am
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