Week 6: Teaching at a Georgian School

Thanks to those who've been following this blog! This week, I wanted to feature the Georgian education system and the nuances along with it!

My 2nd level class

For many schools across the country, a typical 'skola' is one enormous cement building (very reminiscent of the Soviet era) with all 12 levels inside; however, the facilities vary widely! Some schools tend to have white boards, running water, lighting, heating, and wi-fi while many schools simply have desks, chairs, a chalkboard, bottled water, and a ‘pechi’ or a Franklin stove. Depending on your school, chalk can be a scarce commodity. My school follows this example with the best classrooms—those with working lights and the most heat—going to the youngest students while the oldest students sit in the worst classrooms—those with broken chairs, desks, and lights.

My school, Chiatura No. 7 School

As for the daily schedule, students attend anywhere from 4 to 7 lessons a day with all classes beginning at 9:00 A.M. and the students’ final lesson ending anywhere from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. All lessons are 45 minutes (with the exception of the 1^st grade which is 35) and there is a 5 minute break in between; there is not a lunch time. However, recently, our 'canteen', a simple room with a kitchen, has opened to a woman selling foodstuffs. We have now extended our break between 3rd and 4th periods to a lengthy 15 minutes. Needless to say, the onslaught of students running towards the canteen can be a life or death situation. Despite this small lunch, students run home to eat which puts a bit of a hindrance on after school activities; the Student Council is, unfortunately, the only extracurricular. However, the Autumn Festival, the Mock American Election, and Thanksgiving were a hit! I've created an online English club (currently with 53 members!) to supplement their education.

My daily schedule!

Unfortunately, attendance is another issue entirely. It's common for students, especially older students, to attend the first class and then leave. It's even more common for the boys to simply not attend school; mandatory conscription for those not attending university has caused many men to simply give up early on. More frustrating is that there is no punishment, and little incentive (aside from interesting coursework) for student attendance.

Playing Scrabble with my 12th level students!

Despite these shortcomings, the underlining issues facing Georgia education seem to be teacher-pay. Teachers generally make an appalling +600 lari ($240) a month which is extremely difficult to live on even in Georgia. To supplement their income, teachers tutor anywhere from 3 to 6 hours after school every day. However, tutoring has become necessary to pass university exams and simply further ones education since teachers tend to focus less on their classrooms and more on tutoring; subsequently, it has, sometimes, become gravely apparent, even among young students, who will succeed and who will not.

Explaining a game of 'Musical Chairs' to my students at our Autumn Festival

As for the quality of English education, it certainly varies. Some teachers speak immaculate English while others struggle. I'm lucky to be in a school with excellent teachers! My co-teachers, Maka, Natia, and Nana, are absolutely fantastic; the level of English is incredible here, and i'm happy to be working with them!

Teaching my 2nd level!

Although this gloom-and-doom picture is, often, reality, a lot of work has been done to improve the situation. Slowly, and I mean very slowly, classrooms are gaining better facilities and more technology; all first graders receive a laptop from the government! The Ministry of Education created my program, Teach and Learn Georgia, in order to provide students opportunities to practice their English while providing teachers an invaluable resource. Most of my work has been centered around implementing student centered learning and utilizing lesson planning instead of teacher’s falling back on simply the books. Additionally, I’ve attempted to introduce different activities (group work and pairing even seem to be foreign concepts) and I have seen much success. Students have been attending and participating much more frequently since my arrival; I’m thrilled!

Students making 'hand Turkeys' for Thanksgiving

Overall, every day is a challenge, but I cannot imagine a more rewarding profession. For those contemplating English instruction abroad, I would highly recommend the Teach and Learn Georgia Program. It is a dynamic program layered with difficulties and fun!

No. 7 students vote in the mock American election 
(results: 148 Hillary Clinton, 36 Donald Trump)