It is hard to change something that has been in practice for so many years. As I teach at Letsie High School, I notice that change comes in very, very small steps. This week proved that more than ever.

From the first week of class, the students rarely approach us with any questions, and whenever they do, they simply say they have a question about everything that has just been taught. I initially took this to mean that they were slow learners or that they were not paying attention, but after three weeks, it doesn’t quite make sense especially since they have revealed to us how inventive and imaginative they can be. This week, as we finished off the segment on applying problem-solving to academics by practicing COSC problems, I observed that none of them could explain how they get an answer, even if it was the correct answer. One girl went as far as crying out, “We just know the answers. We don’t know how to explain it.” This was not the first time I have asked them to describe how they have solved a problem, but it was the first time I felt slightly frustrated that they could not. It isn’t that they cannot because whenever I ask questions to try and get them to explain the solution for me they can. It is that the students are unsure of their explanation and scared of getting it wrong. In addition, many of them act timidly when asking a question or never bother to ask at all. I don’t blame them when the rest of the class is shouting an affirmative “yes” when asked if they understand the concept. However, what troubles me is that they do not come after class or during tutorials to have their questions answered in a private setting. I have realized that as a teacher here I cannot be on the defensive side waiting for a student to come to me with questions. It would normally work in the United States because students have been taught since they were young to present questions to the teacher and be curious. Instead, I have place myself on the offensive side and ask them if they understand a concept and work from there. It makes the job a bit harder but completely worth it in the end.