ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

   The day before Zion Week in Kobedi schools, I had a class for environmental education. Teachers consulted me about the program. Mr.Oppong gave me a call and said. ‘We have a Zion Week in next week, one of the program is about plantation. Please come to the program! You are invited, Madam Yaa Shoko. And it will be good if you can provide us some tree seedlings.’ I was very glad to be invited to the school event, and replied. ‘I don have seedlings but some seeds there. Why do not we make nursery in schoolyard? And what about have a class about environment before the practice?’ We discussed and decided to give a lecture for Upper Primary pupils.

   What the most distinctive thing was that Mr.Oppong and some teachers also attended my class as a listener! I have not had such a many teachers’ participants in my class of schools in Ghana. This time, I was entirely a guest speaker. I thanked the respect they showed me. Of course they spontaneously translated into local language and rather explained ten times effectively than my one word!

   Introduction of Japanese greetings and song appealed both pupils and teachers! We practiced few greetings in Japanese and sang a song ‘If you are happy and know, clap your hands’ in Twi, English and Japanese.

   In my class, pupils are expected to have their own opinion and think by themselves without other’s help. It usually takes an participatory approach. But this time, I had about a hundred attendees inside and outside of the classroom. So I did not let them do group activity, just gave them a lecture and make them say opinion with raising hands. I was afraid it would be one-way class, but thanks to teacher’s help, they thrown many explanation and question to pupils so it was rather many-sided.

   I could explain so many things with limited one class time, which I ordinarily concerned but had no chance to speak out. Normally I do not explain about a food chain, generation of oxygen, photosynthesis, though I believed these were rather the root which sustained our life and environment supposed to be explained even lower class. This time, teachers illustrated all those things to send my messages to pupils more clearly. I was just listening to their explanation in Twi language. The day was for preparation of Zion Week, they did not any specific class, so I could have a class time freely without any regulation. I appreciate Mr.Oppong and other teachers who always help me and children in Kobedi who always scream at me ‘Yaa Shoko! Yaa Shoko!’