Utamishi Boys Academy

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

This morning we visited classrooms at Utamishi Boys Academy in Gilgil. The school is our home for the next three weeks until we return to Nairobi on our way home. Utimishi is a
National boarding school for secondary students who have performed at the top
of the grade eight national exams. The majority of the students at Utamishi
have parents who are police officers. Half of the students are away for term
break but 400 boys are here for a short revision term.

I visited the Form 3Y (grade eleven) physics class of Mr. Onyari. Many of the students had calculators and worked with their problems while the teacher worked on the chalkboard. The teacher led discussions on the
problems with the students answering or agreeing in chorus with the teacher’s answer.
The teacher moved through the classroom checking student work. Mr. Onyari used
short explanations on the concepts, drew diagrams, brought in props
(fluorescent tube and a kettle) and discussed examples around the school. The
teacher and students joked during the class and seemed to have a good rapport. It
was great to see the similarities and differences between this classroom and my
own. Some students were very attentive while others not as much which would be
the same in classroom. The students whispered together while working on the
physics problems while my students would have been louder. The teacher gave
most of the answers while I try to have my students give me answers and explain
why they think their answer is correct. It was a good physics class and if
asked I can now calculate the power draw on small appliances in my house. You
never know when that will come in handy!