pedagogic interruption

11/13/2001:
early Tuesday morning. more teachers here at school than usual. on account of the PPIs [provincial pedagogic inspectors, i think] here. they observed both of my lessons yesterday... 2nd Year EE and 3rd Year Applied Science. that was fine. all went well. guess i’m used to having someone watch. weren’t awesome lessons. but just went as usual... haven’t gotten feedback yet.

would like to hear something about the pace of my lessons, especially in regards to note dictation. i’ve been trying to do discussion then dictate notes but that always leaves me pressed for time and with incomplete lessons. i suppose i could work on abridging my notes... they’re always a little wordy and even confusing sometimes. anywho... i digress.

back to right now. i’m observing Paul’s math class, 3rd Year. the Administration rearranged today’s schedule to allow the PPIs to observe as many teachers as possible. so we’ll have 20 minute lessons in succession from now until break. i, having been observed yesterday, will not teach today... of course no one told me that. came here as early as ¼ to 8 for not. no matter... get a chance to observe some colleagues. will watch Peter as well. again, i’m digressing...

all i wanted to note was the difference between these types of observations/visits in the states and here. there the visitors would do their best not to disrupt the schedule. stay a bit longer or move around to watch a variety of classes... not all, of course. here, the schedule is totally disrupted (in fact, all this is artificial... the PPIs are getting little indication of how we teach in reality).

on a more general level i guess i’m a bit bitter about disruptions like these. i’m losing a lesson today. every time a holiday or some event (CPDM March, Teachers’ Day, Clean-Up Campaign, etc.) takes place classes are put on the back burner. a reflection of how high a priority education has here?

i don’t know... maybe i’m being unfair. holidays, snow days, and all that disrupt school back in the States. my issue is the way people bend over backwards for higher-ups. and in this case (the PPI visits) that should be exactly what they don’t want. how useful can these artificial observations be?