SUB-SAHARAN GENDER INEQUALITY AND HIV/AIDS

I recently read an article (ONE) themed very like an essay I wrote in the second year of study. I thought I'd publish my take on my blog to share with those interested..............



In 2004, the joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS, (UNAIDS) declared HIV as; “the most globalized epidemic in history.” (cited online) Latest figures from UNAIDS report that although the global percentage of people living with HIV has stabilised since 2000; “Sub-Saharan Africa remains most heavily affected by HIV, accounting for 67% of all people living with HIV and for 72% of AIDS deaths in 2007.” (UNAIDS, 2008, cited online) This statistical evidence suggests that, despite the optimism inspired by news of global HIV/AIDS stabilisation since the millennium year, the obvious concentration of a high percentage of cases across Sub-Saharan Africa continues to cause serious human devastation.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss a number of issues surrounding the Sub-Saharan HIV/AIDS pandemic, particularly its effect on African women. First and foremost there is clarification of a definition of HIV/AIDS and a reflection on the noticeable variations of its global prevalence, treatment and ultimate outcomes. This is followed by an evaluation of possible impacts of the pandemic from the cultural perspective of gender inequality across Sub-Saharan Africa. Remaining within the context of gender inequality, the focus shifts towards exploring the notion of African females, by and large, living in a climate of culturally accepted social oppression, which is contributory to increasing their vulnerability to the HIV virus.

HIV/AIDS, is classified by the World Health Organisation [WHO] as “a global pandemic.” (WHO, 2008 cited online) hence it is a condition that has spread across the world. However, closer analysis of the statistical evidence demonstrates a disproportionate extent to the epidemic across Sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, in order to appreciate the magnitude of the consequences caused by HIV/AIDS across highly affected African nations, it is valuable at the onset to establish, what HIV/AIDS is; how it is transmitted and consider its global prevalence per se.
Statistics produced by WHO and UNAIDS estimated that globally: “33.2 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007.” (WHO, 2008 cited online) Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two thirds of the global numbers, consequently, this may indicate an evident linkage between HIV prevalence and the underlining social and economic problems ubiquitous across the developing world.
Furthermore, this situation is perhaps further exacerbated by the notion that the African HIV/AIDS concern varies from country to country; “The continent’s experience with the disease is diverse.” (Patterson,2006 p6) This diversity adds further dimension to the discourse as it demonstrates how individual life prospects of those affected by HIV/AIDS, will fluctuate across African nations. Therefore, chances of survival are more likely to be influenced by factors that are beyond personal control, for instance: gender inequality; poverty; access to education, availability/affordability of healthcare services and national political stability. Consequently in such a precarious climate, this perhaps clarifies possible reasons why, for many, both personal and family health remains at great risk.
Based on this evidence, it can be suggested that the continued prevalence of the pandemic and the apparent lack of success in the provision of a sustainable solution is, perhaps a consequence of the impact of these variable social factors. Moreover, this highlights the underlying fact that there exists a contrast between the medical knowledge concerning implications of how HIV/AIDS attacks the human species, [which will be similar across the globe,] with the bearing of socio-cultural diversity, in terms of varying healthcare systems, cultural norms, preventative measures and political stability, all of which will create an imbalance life chances and ultimately impact on socially vulnerable groups.
HIV, stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the British National Health Service describes it as: “a sexually transmitted virus that attacks the body's immune system.” (NHS, cited online), subsequently, the NHS goes on to describe Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome [AIDS] “a term that is used to describe the latter stages of HIV, when the immune system has stopped working.” Hence, the susceptibility in the immune system towards the latter stages of HIV, which can take as long as eight years after becoming HIV positive to manifest itself, creates a serious vulnerability in the body too many diseases and infections.
Medical research documents that the HIV virus proliferates through the exchange of bodily fluids, for instance, blood and semen. Most commonly this occurs through sexual intercourse, this includes oral and anal sex. Additionally, other instances where the HIV virus can be transmitted include: sharing infected intravenous needles and, in pregnant women, where the virus may pass across the placenta to the unborn foetus. HIV is terminal. There is no vaccine available to prevent becoming infected, however, given access to available medication, most HIV positive people will manage to live relatively normal lives. (NHS, 2008, cited online).
It is worthwhile to consider this medical information in the context of the previously mentioned diversities of Sub-Saharan Africa. This analysis will display a paradox between HIV/AIDS prevention programmes and universally available treatments, which are known and practiced in the industrialised, western world, against a HIV/AIDS ridden Africa, where there exists a widespread inconsistency in the implementation of prevention programs and availability of treatment. Evidence suggests that these inconsistencies appear to vary depending on diverse cultural, social, political and economic barriers. Arguably, it is these ‘barriers’ that continue to hinder the control of the epidemic.
The discourse thus far suggesting that the issue of HIV/AIDS across Sub-Saharan Africa is diverse between countries, causes the theme at the heart of this paper to re-emerge, since it is the close link to HIV/AIDS and cultural issues, such as women’s status and the dominant role of African men in relationships, (Hunter, 2003) that may contribute to the continuing seriousness of the pandemic.
The notion that the effect of AIDS on the African population depends on: “who the individuals are, their place in society, and the resources that they, their households, communities and societies have available.” (Barnett & Whiteside 2002 p182) is particularly applicable for African women. Arguably, due to widespread cultural gender inequality, women in Africa are often forced to “bear the brunt of HIV/AIDS” (Patterson, 2006 p8). This burden is illustrated in the rising cases of women carrying [and dying from] the HIV/AIDS themselves and/or from being the main care givers to others who have the virus. Indeed, one might argue that, the lack of social status for women as such, is the fundamental concern in the HIV/AIDS pandemic, because, ‘equality’ is a basic human right and is the foundation underpinning all of the articles documented in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, (cited online) so, by denying this right to women will inevitably place them in a highly vulnerable position, particularly in terms of sexual health.
Hence this examination of gender discrimination accentuates two crucial concerns: primarily, how gender inequality is an identified contributor to the issue of HIV/AIDS in Africa, (Patterson, 2006) and secondly, how dangerous this remains for both women and the effected countries in general.
Conversely, it is inappropriate to assume that it is possible to easily adjust the cultural norms within the societies that accept gender inequality as reasonable. In sociological terms, the culture of a society will be the guiding force behind how members of that society think and feel. These shared cultural guidelines shape the individual attitudes and beliefs of its people and are known as ‘cultural norms.’ (Haralambos & Holborn, 2000) Since the cultural norms equate to unwritten ‘rules,’ they are transmitted and reinforced through primary and secondary socialisation and are largely accepted across the society. Hence, this exemplifies the challenge of adjusting the cultural norm which exists across many Sub-Saharan societies, where a lower status for women is accepted, regardless of the fact this inequality significantly contributes to the HIV Aids pandemic. This challenge is discussed in a short documentary film which was produced to address the inequality of girl’s access to education in Ghana. (Integrated Social Development Centre, 2007) The narrator explores the concept of changing cultural norms and suggests that there must remain “a delicate balance of keeping cultural identity when fostering gender equality.” (ISDOEC, 2007) In other words, a society may regard gender status as a normal element of their cultural identity, which complicates any adjustment to the deep-seated norm. Furthermore, this implies even if success in changing such norms is possible, such a mass scale paradigm shift will take time and so delay any impact such changes may have on the HIV pandemic.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, gender inequality continues to be experienced by girls and women. (UNAIDS, 2008) This inequality, as an accepted cultural norm, effectively strips females of any rights to have any say in their own destiny. From birth, girls are perceived as potential wives and mothers, a role they practice during childhood as many are comparable to domestic slaves. (Patterson, 2006) When they marry, women become the property of their husbands, which is an identified reason of the logic behind birth families being more likely to invest in a boy’s education over that of a girl’s, since the girl will be ‘given away’ to a husband, and so will not provide economically for her birth family. (ISDOEC, 2007) In terms of HIV/AIDS awareness, this can cause catastrophic consequences for girls, since education may be the only source of information on protection from the virus. (Squire, 2007) Consequently, it could be concluded that, if access to schooling is denied or intermittent so will the knowledge on HIV prevention/protection.
The discrimination for females in many HIV/AIDS affected countries is a lifelong reality. Traditionally, African women marry at an early age, and male dominance within the relationship is accepted as normal; as one African woman in “Faces of Aids” explains: [when referring to rampant promiscuity of African married men] “most women in Africa are totally dependent on their husbands.....if your husband has decided to say this or do this, you will not say anything to stop him” (Saha, 2007)
A useful example of such dependence is evident through a woman’s right to ownership of possessions within the marital home. These are always regarded as the property of the husband. (Saha, 2007) This highlights an inequitable and frightening prospect for the many women who are widowed because of HIV/AIDS, since upon the death of a husband many African cultures accept that the marital property and possessions belong to the deceased husband’s family. Consequently, it is not unusual for widows and their children to become evicted at the hand of their husband’s family. (Saha, 2007) Based on this reality, it is clear that a culture, riddled with HIV/AIDS that empowers men in such a way, creates a scenario that exposes women to serious exploitation with devastating consequences. Faced with such desperation to secure the most basic of needs, women of Africa find themselves victim to the ultimate control of male dominance. Arguably, this continuing, accepted oppression can be regarded as a form of secondary socialisation, a consequence of which continuously lowers a woman’s self esteem, reinforcing the norm that she is worthless. Therefore even if she is physically, mentally or sexually abused by her husband, it is tolerated since, as one African women straightforwardly concludes: “there is no choice..”(Saha, 2007).
Conclusion
This paper demonstrates that despite the fact that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a global reality, statistically Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most heavily affected area in the world. Closer analysis of the social, economic and political diversity across the African continent denotes that the HIV/AIDS problem cannot be either viewed or treated universally. In particular, discourse concerning cultural norms identified gender inequality as a major contributor in the continued prevalence of the virus, especially amongst women.
Evidence in this paper suggests that the disjointed access to regular and consistent schooling for girls may further a spiral of devastating consequences for females as they grow up in a HIV ridden environment. This is apparent not only in terms of how an imbalance of access to school between boys and girls may reinforce gender difference from an early age, but also, depravation of continued access to an educational environment may inadvertently deprive females of a vital and necessary source of knowledge surrounding protection of and prevention from HIV/AIDS. This fact further supported by recent analysis by the Global Campaign for Education, who suggest that a complete primary education for all children could greatly reduce the cases of HIV in young adults. (UNIADS/UNFPA/UNIFEM, 2008 cited online)
Furthermore, the culturally accepted oppression of African women in general, exemplifies the powerless situation endured by women. Arguably this severely affects their capacity to embrace such civil liberties as: freedom of sexual choice, personal healthcare and acquisition of protection [and knowledge] from the deadly virus.
Finally based on the information outlined in this paper, it can be concluded that the diversity of cultures which is rife across Africa, particularly the acceptance of gender inequality, significantly contributes to the issue of HIV/AIDS, making it a complex problem cannot be confined to programmes of treatment that may be effective in the industrialised world. Essentially, there needs to be realisation within African culture that the key to harnessing control over HIV/AIDS remains in the realm of an inclusive society.

BY Jeanette Snape


REFERENCES
Barnett T. & Whiteside A. (2006) AIDS in the Twenty First Century: Disease and Globalisation. New York, Palgave Macmillon
Cotton Anne (2007) An Uncommon Hero Educating Girls in Africa; video accessed online on 21st January 2009 from: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_CCqI8KuZGc
Hunter S. (2003) Black Death: AIDS in Africa. New York, Palgave Macmillon
Integrated Social Development Centre (ISDOEC)(2007), Cultural Barriers to girls education part 1 & 2; video accessed online on 21st January 2009 from: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qHpx2qRso
National Health Service Online (2008) HIV/AIDS information, accessed online on 18th January 2009 from:
Patterson, A.S. (2006) The Politics of Aids in Africa, London, Lynne Rienner Publishers
Saha T. (2007) Faces of Aids; a Vanderbilt University Video, accessed online on 19th January 2009 from: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mZaOpEztJzE
UNAIDS (2004) Report on the Global AIDS epidemic accessed online on 19th January 2009 from: http://www.unaids.org/bangkok2004/gar2004_html/GAR2004_07_en.htm
UNAIDS (2008) Report on the Global Aids epidemic accessed online in 19th January 2009 from:http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/2008_Global_report.asp
UNFPA (2008) Women and HIV/AIDS: confronting the crisis. Accessed online on 28th December 2008 from: http://www.unfpa.org/hiv/women/report/html
World Bank (2009) Country Information: Africa accessed online on 20th January 2009 from: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICA.html
World Health Organisation (2008) Towards Universal Access Report, accessed online in 15th January 2009 from: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/towards_universal_access_report_2008.pdf

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barnett T. & Whiteside A. ( 2006) AIDS in the Twenty First Century: Disease and Globalisation. New York, Palgave Macmillon
Cotton Anne (2007) An Uncommon Hero Educating Girls in Africa; video accessed online on 21st January 2009 from: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_CCqI8KuZGc
Hunter S. (2003) Black Death: AIDS in Africa. New York, Palgave Macmillon
Integrated Social Development Centre (ISDOEC)(2007), Cultural Barriers to girls education part 1 & 2; video accessed online on 21st January 2009 from: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qHpx2qRso
Kauffman K..D. & Lindauer D.L. (2004) AIDS and South Africa, The Social Expression of a Pandemic. New York, Palgrave Macmillan
Lieten G.K. (2008) Children Structure and Agency. Realities across the Developing World. London, Routledge
Lodge T. (2003) Politics in South Africa: From Mandela to Mbeki. Bloomington: Indiana University Press
National Health Service Online (2008) HIV/AIDS information, accessed online on 18th January 2009 from:
Patterson, A.S. (2006) The Politics of AIDS in Africa, London, Lynne Rienner Publishers
Saha T. (2007) Faces of Aids; a Vanderbilt University Video, accessed online on 19th January 2009 from: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mZaOpEztJzE
Squire, C. (2007) HIV in South Africa, London, Routledge
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) accessed online on 21st January 2009 from: http://un.org/Overview/rights.html
UNAIDS (2004) Report on the Global AIDS epidemic accessed online on 19th January 2009 from: http://www.unaids.org/bangkok2004/gar2004_html/GAR2004_07_en.htm
UNAIDS (2008) Report on the Global Aids epidemic accessed online in 19th January 2009 from:http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/2008_Global_report.asp
UNFPA (2008) Women and HIV/AIDS: confronting the crisis. Accessed online on 28th December 2008 from: http://www.unfpa.org/hiv/women/report/html
Wanyeki L.M. (2003) Women and Land in Africa:Culture, Religion and Realizing Women’s Rights, London, Zed Books
World Health Organisation (2008) Towards Universal Access Report, accessed online in 15th January 2009 from:http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/towards_universal_access_report_2008.pdf
World Bank (2009) Country Information: Africa accessed online on 20th January 2009 from: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICA.html

Electronic Submission

when you get around to doing this at Warwick...here are some tips:
1) there's a proforma marking sheet that you have to attach to the front of your essay...so put it on before you start (as a title page in Word so your headings won't show)
2) in your header, which will appear on every page of your essay - only write your heading.
3) your footer will require your student id and page numbers.
4) save the FINAL essay as the module number (for instance IE2B6) and your student id....not the essay title (not allowed!)

At NWHC I used a different format to the above - always included a reference and bibliography page and never wrote in the first person.....
At Warwick - they require the above format for e-submission, don't want a bibliography (only references) and don't seem to mind if you use the 1st person....(although I can't bring myself to write in this way having trained myself in the 3rd).


There you go - now you know...Happy Days!

Empirical Research

just before the children broke up for Christmas, I went into my chosen school to conduct my empirical research. Broadly, the subject is 'gender'- specifically I am interested in if young children conform to unwritten gender norms - and if this changes between the ages of 4 and 7. My sample group was 4 year olds from reception and 7 year olds from year 2. I designed a computer game whereby various toys appeared on the screen and each child selected whether they thought 'boys' would like to play with it, "girls" would like to play with it or "both boys and girls" would like to play with it. As an extension, the children were periodically questioned about the choices they made and their responses recorded (ethically of course!) Several things I learned.....firstly....collection of this data took ages...much longer than I thought....I interviewed 30 reception children and 20 year 2 children and I had to spend a whole day and a half in school. Needless to say, I was sick of the computer game by the end of it!!! Secondly, I was amazed at the patterns which emerged from the research and how, whilst the children's responses in terms of were similar, they differed between the year groups - in other words the four year olds, whilst producing similar responses to each other, consistantly answered differently to the 7 year olds! The patterns were too obvious to be coincidence....it was so interesting. I haven't yet analysed....as it's now been placed into the 'B' drawer as the Globalisation essay as now gone into the 'A'drawer....but I am looking forward to making sense of these findings...not that I discovered anything new...but it does reaffirm the idea of children "doing" gender.....!

Situated Cognition

I wrote an essay last year which was looking at the EYFS and National Curriculum – the theme that emerged was pedagogy and learning within the constraints of such frameworks. I remember at the time referring to children learning by watching and referenced Bandura as a relevant theorist...however, upon reflection, what perhaps may have been more appropriate to refer to was the learning theory of situated cognition. Derived from an anthropological perspective, Leve & Weger studied learning in the context of different cultures. Many of these cultures, they found, developed learning through an expert being watched by a novice – not unlike an apprentice. The knowledge is known as ‘situated’ – in that it is gained from a location and source and is specialised. They found that there were many tribal rituals across the world being passed from generation to generation in this way. The ‘community of practice’ was where groups come together with experts and novices and skills are shared and practiced together.
For me, two issues come up from this – it can be seen how constructivist theory (Piaget) and even more so - social constructivist theory (Vygotsky/Bruner) link into situated cognition. The learner remains at the centre where they construct knowledge but also I can see a link to connectivism theory (which isn’t always clear from the traditional constructivism view. Look at the foundation of situated cognition – particularly ‘community of practice’ - the group come together with experts and novices to skill share – that’s connectivism isn’t it? The difference is perhaps the location of the groups may be, thanks to technology, located anywhere – outside the ‘little boxes’ of old.

Piaget revisited....

Interested primarily in genetic epistemology, [the philosophy of how humans gain and develop knowledge] Piaget’s work on mathematical development stemmed more from a wider interest in logic than a desire to discover how children are numerate. However, we know that key to Piaget's theory is that children think differently to adults. This is [in Piaget terms] because they simply haven’t yet had the range of experiences needed to think in an adult way.
This, I believe, is a key point that is of great use if you need to get your head around the constructivism theory on schema's.......
Piaget contended that human thoughts are organised into schemas, which are built upon and retrieved as cognitive development progresses. The child remains very much at the centre of this process, an active learner, constructing knowledge as they constantly revisit what they already know as they experience more and more of their world.
In mathematical terms, it’s easy to see how schema is important, as the child builds on basic numerical concepts; also the idea that logic develops from concrete to abstract is key in mathematical understanding.
The critics of Piaget [eg.Donaldson, Borke, Bruner] question the validity of many of his experiments because they felt that the children didn’t understand what it was they were being asked. The questions simply did not make ‘human sense.’ Further experiments were developed so that children could contextualise what was being asked and the success rate was much higher with children much younger than Piaget had written.....more children could internalise knowledge [central to cognitive development according to Piaget] when they understood the scenario of what was being asked...by way of example – Egocentric or not – being able to decentre from personal viewpoint - the mountains test vrs the cross, villain and the policeman test. (see Donaldson, 1979).
Piaget has become like a very comfortable old friend during the last couple of years and I still find his work interesting and the work of the people who looked deeper into his work and disputed its validity. One cannot deny his [continuing] influence in many international education systems. Piaget and his impact on mathematical teaching was the serving of the day – an [albeit very] ‘pro-piagian’ video and a slightly less bias power point, made two hours pass in a blink..... enjoyable stuff.

Innate Numerosity....

The idea that human infants and even birds and animals possess an innate numerical ability is fascinating. Even my ‘inner-cynic’ cannot deny the research carried out on varying animals and birds is pretty amazing; though one could almost write this off as an accomplishment of training rather than any deeper numerical understanding. However, I cannot explain how, without any training, the Serengeti Lions, will only attack their prey if they are not out numbered. Hence, whilst I’m not suggesting the lion has the ability to ‘count’ his prey – the judgement based on ‘how many’ shows there is a numerical competence present....and, more importantly, it’s present without any human training. (Similar studies show, birds are aware when an egg is removed from their nests.) Karen Wynn conducted a study in 1992 into the innate numerosity of human infants, as young as three months (though further studies have looked at infants who are just days old!). Some of these experiments were recorded on video and it is quite an intriguing watch. The findings are based on the notion that young babies are less likely to look at something for a long time - if it is something that they expect to see (technically called the ‘gaze duration’). So, researchers show the babies a scenario that has both a possible outcome (what one might expect) and an impossible outcome (what one wouldn't expect.) They take a box, and the baby watches as they put Mickey Mouse into the box. Then, using a screen, they cover MM up – and show the babies another MM entering the box. Then they take down the screen. The possible scenario of course is to see two MM’s behind the screen since 1+1=2 and when the babies saw 2 MM's – they looked away/lost interest.....when the babies were shown the ‘impossible outcome’ – one MM behind the screen (even though two were put in) – they stared intently at the box (the baby on the video even had a frown on his face!) The odd and slightly confusing issue here, is - how do they know? surely the babies aren’t actually thinking - at least not in terms of 'language' thinking....and they can't draw on experience/learned behaviour......so you have to ask (and the researchers did) it is that they just naturally know it’s simply not right? This is what these reasearchers were saying, concluding that we must assume that there exists a deeper cognitive ability present even at birth.
Interesting isn't it? and I am now really wondering how much babies/young children actually do know already and how much of the current EY curriculum actually accounts for this innate knowledge?

and so to warwick....

I left WIE this morning feeling very happy indeed. The group for my option module is really small (only 9 people, with 1 absent), the module leader was very nice and appears to be very helpful in terms of her availability (had heard horror stories about this!) and, when the essay titles and tasks were flicked up on screen, I was pretty confident that I would [with knowledge acquired in Y1+2] be able to have a go at them now (and they aren't due til march!) In fact - I'd argue that at face value - they appear easier than what we have been presented with in year 2!Both myself and Anne-Marie were impressed by the fact the whole course is online (similar to moodle - but easier to navigate) - I have come home and been able to look at leisure at the tasks and reading needed for the entire module. So impressed was I, that I went to the other modules on my timetable as to get a headstart on what might be expected......only to find blank pages on most!!! Almost not surprised by this...I will keep looking in to see when [or if!] anything ever gets posted!
Feels good to be getting on with it at long last and I must say I do feel prepared....was inwardly smiling when we were told we had some mathematical tasks to do with some children - the tasks were pretty much Piaget's experiments.....many of which I did during my Child Development Project last year!
So..on the whole....feeling very very happy and glad to be in the 2nd half of the game!

An intro to Warwick

If you are a first year reading this...well done you found my blog! it was nice to meet you all this morning and I hope that I left some useful positive vibes for you to adopt on your journey! I hope you follow and interact with my blog and join me on facebook - which I forgot to mention is listed under my long name - Jeanette Snape!
The much anticipated return to Warwick arrived yesterday...and we had an 'induction.' Not worthy of reporting here.....except they had changed the TimeTable for the current term, meaning that they re scheduled a lecture that we thought would be on a Monday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon - which was a pain (not to mention a surprise) for some who have to work on a Tuesday!
Anyway - my 'option' module, worth 30 cats, is The development of Numeracy in the Early Years, and that's my very first lecture on Monday morning.......let's see what that will bring...:-)

Placement

Today was my first day of my weekly [self arranged] placement at an Infant school. For the next academic year, I will spend every Tuesday in school, watching, learning and having a go at practicing teaching skills. My placement begins with Autumn Term in Reception, Spring Term in Year 1 and then Summer term in year 2.
There is something about being in a classroom that makes me feel so at home. I love the buzz of the busyness and bustle of the day. I have missed this so much. I came home feeling quite down that I am unable to be in this role yet....I miss working sooooo much. However, the placement gives me a 'fix' of where I want to be and also enables me to to take my skills of working with children a step further - particularly in the assessment and recording the progress of the children.
Reception was an interesting place to be....and for the first time in two years I'm beginning to wonder, which age group I'll be the best at teaching?

No more science!

the postman was the bearer of good news today as I received my science results....got a B on paper 1 physics and a [bloody] A on paper 2!!!! overall science grade was a B....which I am really pleased with as I only needed a C. I am so relieved that I don't have to endure those awful Tuesday nights anymore.....and can concentrate on the degree 100%.

Happy Days!!!!