Transcription || PDF from
Heavy rain fell most of the day.
Had breakfast.
The fungus on my foot has grown worse and is blistering. Inquired of the medical office and was told to get treatment at 11.00. I had too much to do to come back so early this morning and decided to wait until tomorrow.
Worked on my journal.
Met with my adult class both 12.00 and 1.00 today. Gave some instruction on phonics for beginning readers. Then talked about intensive farming, listing the main items on the board. The students paid good attention and copied the material. I made a few remarks on the results of the quiz and announced a few changes I was making. I told them I would teach the class both at 12.00 and 1.00 on Monday then alternate between 12.00 and 1.00 the rest of the week.
I took a shower.
I prepared for my afternoon classes. It was necessary to think of something they could do without the blackboard as the rain prevented us from using our new area. Both classes I held in the pavilion. I gave the first period class reading books again and had them read to themselves. I answered questions about words, mainly helped Willie who is making some progress but guesses at words instead of sounding them out. At the beginning of the second period, Peter Wotherspoon reported to help me, as I had asked. Last week he was co-teacher with Jann in their class and I thought he could enliven the procedures. We invented a game for the class to play with (hopefully) amusing subjects and predicates to prepare them for work on subordinate and coordinate clauses. The class behaved well, although they were not very excited about the game.
I tried to find out more about the cheating in the socialism test. Dick Tropp said he did not know. Peter told me Newhuanda Darnes had been in the area next to the one in which the teachers drew up the test, copied the questions and presumably distributed them to friends.
I got my dinner and took it to the teacher’s meeting. Tropp told us he planned to graduate at the end of this term all students 18 or over regardless of their achievement. They can continue to take classes but will not be listed on Guyanese school rolls. Most of these students are the ones who suffered most from the US school system, don’t take learning seriously and have low abilities. Betty brought some of her students before the meeting again for disruptive activities. One was Keith Wade who seems to take an insolent attitude.
I talked in the pavilion for some time with Peter. We discussed teaching methods, specifically. He told me how he teaches poetry. He seemed not to want to let me go. I had to escort home to the library and turn him over to another responsible adult as he is not allowed to be alone. He reported to Becky Beikman.
I reached home about 7.45. I did not think our planned house meeting for 8.00 would take place and it did not. Versie had to go to steering committee. Several people including children were in the cottage off and on. Eleanor was getting settled. She had gotten material and sticks and made her curtains and put them up. I looked through my papers again and read some of them.
I went to bed early before 11.00. I was very tired.