Ssenkima Ashiraf
· 2h@ssenkimaashiraf
School story · Tip #11
Picture a new girl on her first morning at a primary school in Kampala. The compound is big. Every face is strange. She holds her bag tight, sits at the back and says nothing.
Before break, the class teacher does one small thing. She pairs the new girl with a buddy, a kind classmate who sits beside her.
The buddy shows her where to line up for assembly. She walks with her at break time and shows her where to wash her hands. She explains how the class hands in exercise books and which teacher comes after lunch. At games time, she pulls her into the netball team.
On Tuesday, the new girl still watches more than she speaks. By Wednesday, she is laughing at break. By Friday, she knows the routine without being told. She has a friend. And in class, her hand goes up for the first time.
Nothing about the lessons changed that week. What changed was that she no longer felt like a stranger. A settled child has room in her mind to learn.
The lesson: give every new student a buddy on day one, because children who feel they belong start learning sooner.
Tips from attendify.site, a school management system.
