KHDA ?

At the beginning of this month my teacher friends in Colorado were all freaking out and getting stressed over the TCAP (Transitional Colorado Assessment Program).  I know that the state test is in a transitional phrase, but I know how public education works.  The Colorado state test will probably be in transition for years.  Anyway, my dear teacher friends were getting stressed over their yearly exam and the chaos it causes for teachers, students, and schedules.

I sat on my couch in Dubai smirking away thinking how wonderful it is that I don't have to worry about the TCAP this year.  Man there are times when life is just right.  I felt for all of my teacher friends, but I was extremely happy that I didn't have to give that damn test this year!  I had finally escaped!

Ugh!!   Double Ugh!!  Damn UGH!!!  Then I found out about KHDA.  Some of you probably saw the postings on my facebook updates.  UGH!  is all I can say as I tip my head back and shake it back and forth.  KHDA  the horror of every school in Dubai and the terror that is instilled in every teacher at every school in Dubai.  KHDA - Knowledge & Human Development Authority.

Yes, that "A" word  - authority!  KHDA is a team of current and former educators that work for the UAE government.  There job is to go around and visit each school and evaluate the effectiveness of the school.  They visit and talk to most of the teachers in the school.  they sit on your classes while you are teaching and take copious notes; then the "authority team"  ranks the school accordingly:  outstanding, good, fair, unacceptable.  

There was this massive build up to KDHA's visit with personal development days, department meetings, discussion of dos and don'ts, and just nervous expectations.  We had to complete lengthy lesson plans for their visit which include a clear objective that could be measured at the end of the class.   UGH!!!  At least the school gave us a lesson plan guide to use for KHDA's visit.  KHDA must be big stuff since I didn't receive a plan book at the beginning of the year and had to recreate my own, but on no!  When KHDA visits you are given a lesson plan template to follow.  I guess "authority"  carries a big stick. 

KHDA was scheduled to come right after we returned from Week Without Walls.  We had one day to breathe and then we were thrown at the "authorities"!  I spent hours before  leaving for Week Without Walls planning and prepping for KHDA.  I was at school late every night making sure everything was just perfect for the "authorities".

The day finally came.  The KHDA team finally arrived at our school; you could feel the suspension building that day.  Lesson plans were hung on the door and nails were bitten down wondering who was going to be first on their list.  The KHDA team consisted of 7 different members, I only got to interact with 1.  An elderly gentlemen from England who was assigned to evaluate the English department.  He came and observed on their first day here and then came back 2 days later to observe me again.  Was I good enough for the "authorities"?  We will have to wait and see if the English Department retains its Outstanding status.

Once the week ended we all gave a huge sigh of relief and then had one hell of a party!  Thanks GEMS for the party.  Then life got back to normal.

In retrospect  I may have been smirking that I didn't have to give the TCAP this year; however, I did have to sweat through KHDA.  Did I learn some lessons?  Yes, I learned that regardless of what KHDA thinks I'm a damn good teacher; I am always prepared for my classes; and I work hard at my job. 

Which would I rather do - the TCAP or KHDA?  I would pick KHDA.  Why?  My salary is not directly tied into how students perform, but how I perform as an educator which is what should matter.  Plus the snacks that the school provided for us during KHDA were wonderful.  I never got those types of snacks giving the TCAP.  During the TCAP  I had to hope some kid in my class didn't want their provided snack.  Also, we had a great party after KHDA - the school never threw a party for the teachers after TCAP.  Also, I learned not to fear the "authorities"  I can hold my own ground against any "authority", and I will know what to expect when they comeback next year.

Moral:  There are always people out there watching and evaluating what teachers do so don't spend too much time smirking at others.

Week Without Walls

(WWW)



This past week was our Week Without Walls (WWW).  Week Without Walls is a concept where students travel throughout Europe and Asia to learn and interact with a different culture and to do some community service.  At least that is the idea; some of the trips do turn into a week of touring.

 

This year we had groups going to:  England, France, Italy, Austria, Nepal, China, Cambodia, Tanzania, scuba diving, Oman, and Dubai based activities for students.

 

I was assigned to the scuba diving trip.  Why?  Because everyone knows that I'm a diver.  I wasn't happy about going diving with 40 odd students.  Yes, I love to dive, but not with kids and not while they are learning.  I did my share of grumbling to other colleagues about how I didn't want to go, and how I would have loved to have gone to England, Italy, or Nepal.  And come next year I know how to fill out the form for Week Without Walls. 

 

Grumble, grumble I packed my dive gear and got ready to go diving.  Stewart, the guy arranging the scuba diving expedition had me down to take the Advance Course;  I laughed at him and said that I wasn't going to take the Advance Class; I told him that there wasn't a class that he could probably offer me.  Yes, I was a little snobbish, but I wasn't happy about going diving with kids; and next year I would fill out the WWW form differently.

 

I was up early, met the bus and off to Fujairah  I went with 3 other chaperones and 39 students for a week of scuba diving.  Grumbling and wondering if I was going to get to do any decent diving during the week.

 

We arrived at the Miramar Resort 2 1/2 hours later and the journey began.  Wow!  I was impressed with the organization of  Divers Down, the dive shop that hosted us for the week.  They had the kids broken up into different groups and had the entire week mapped out.  The students were rotated between class/theory, confined dives in the pool, and open water dives in the sea. 

 

The kids started the minute they arrived.  All of the groups worked well and everyone stayed on their time schedule.  It was cool to see the students get involved and be excited to learn how to dive.  I was very pleased with the way things were organized and ran.  I have to say that because I have assisted with many classes in the past and I was wondering how this was going to work out with numbers, different grade levels, and skill ability.  I was very impressed.

 

And grumbling me; I thoroughly enjoyed the week!  I was able to jump in and dive with the group doing Specialities and with the Advance Class (O.K. so I guess I did semi do the Advanced class again at least I didn't have to do the course work.).  This meant that I was in the water early in the morning and did some awesome dive sights.  I was able to join in on some of the Open Water Classes and do a couple of dives with them.

 

The diving was great.  The life in the gulf in Fujairah is wonderful.  The visibility is never very great, but enough that you can see.  I was able to see lots.  Some of the highlights were large Honeycomb Eels, schools of Barracuda, pipe fish and other small items.

 

I got to dive some great sites.  I did Inch 1; Inch 2 (both wrecks); Three Rocks, and The Cemetery.

 

Since I was all ready certified as a diver I had a great week.  I was able to dive when I wanted, worship the sun, read my book, and interact with a great group of kids.  It was a very successful week.

 

And next year I know how to fill out the WWW form!