Thirteen
lengths in the pool this nice morning, I start enjoying swimming. It’s never to
late to adopt a new and healthy habit. A small bit of the moon together with a
star (wonder witch one?) is seen in the clear blue sky. The sun is to rise. Lots
of mongooses. The grass is soaking wet; it must have been raining. Gunilla is
much faster than me. The American student has left for Samoa. This means that
we are free to eat white bread today; she left some that we can transform into
toast.
This
morning I stayed at home to watch some videorecorded dialoges; I have no chance
to do this at work because I have no access to a television and because I can’t
hear a word from the camera due to the noise around me. The dialogues were
quite good. Some closed questions and the paper in the counselors knee… This is
not good!
Lunch
at the campus café; chicken kebab with frites and a Fijiwater. Preparing for
today’s class. Meeting with the woman from the Ministry of Education who is
dealing with career counseling issues. My question to her was about how to get
access to the schools so my students can do observations of teachers och
counselors acting in career guidance matters. I started the meeting and Tima
closed it. I had to go to my class. Today nearly all my student attended, only
one was missing. She had informed me via internet.
I
gave a short and lucid lecture about career development theories. Then I let
the students, in two groups, discuss two questions: one about appropriate
theories that can help us understand and explain career development among
people living in the Pacific och the other about Holland’s theory. They
discussed the questions, after a rather long time of silence in one of the
groups, and came to concensus in both groups. The final discussion in the whole
class was truly interesting. The answer I got after asking them: What is your
reflection over this last activity? was: we must be better prepared before the
lecture. I was very glad to hear that answer because it proves that my idea of
pedagogy has landed in their heads, although at this time… a little bit to
late. But, they will perform better next lecture. That’s good!
Well
tasting Fijian food and a glass of chilled red wine closed a very interesting day.
It’s
not only the fact that Sing’s shop across the street has all you need of
breakfast and evening food; he has also got a liquor store. He, I think it is
Singh’s son, is the head of this part of the enterprise. He sells cold beer and
it is only 50 meters from MQ5. This is good!
My
impression is that a great lot of the education here is characterized as
mediation pedagogy. From my own office I can hear lectures talking for long
periods without interruption. Some rhetorical questions is asked but I see or
hear no sign of discussions among the students during class. This is quite a
big difference compared to how my collegues and I work at Malmö University. At
the career counseling programme in Malmö we have many hours together with our
students compared with what I have with my students here. Perhaps it is due to
the fact that I’m working with postgraduate students here… The training in
practical counseling our students in Sweden gets is far more that they get
here. Here there is no chance to be so clever as it is in Sweden. I wish my
students in Sweden should realize this and really take advantage of their
advantageous situation. I think some of them does but it could be more common!
To climbe above the average line ought to be a habit for more students, here
and in Sweden. What is my responsibility in this? How could I encourage them?
How can I make my teaching more interesting so it generates interest among my
students? One thing I know for sure is: it’s not by using Power Point more
frequently…
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