Day One in the Classroom
It was a cold Monday morning dated 17 th of January, 2022. The rain that woke me to check the time, which I did and saw 4AM, lasted till 10am plus. I had planned to go before the official opening hours of 7.30AM, but greater forces had their reasons for making me register my arrival time in the teachers’ attendance book of Bugwe Primary School in Namutumba District at 11AM. Most teachers, as expected in most government schools – irrespective of the remoteness or urban-ness of the location, in such a bad weather – were absent. So, most class had learners without teachers. Myself and my co-fellow of Teach for Uganda after registering our presence decided to cover grounds – she in Primary one and myself in Primary two. We occupied the learners till their departure time. An effort that lifted my heart. My interaction with them and engagement (the pupils responding to me in Lusoga and me asking and giving instructions in English accompanied by my few Luganda vocabulary I amassed...