Diaries With Oliver

It was a Thursday morning in 2021, at exactly 8:00 a.m., and I was preparing to teach my first lesson of the day, Social and Environmental Sciences, to student teachers at one of the private Teacher Training Colleges in Malawi. I entered the classroom with positive energy and greeted the learners. “Good morning, students.” “Good morning, Sir,” they responded in unison. The topic for the day was “Location of a District” In my introduction, I stated that Malawi currently has 28 districts. I then proceeded with the various activities I had prepared for the lesson. The class was interactive and focused, and the learning objectives were being met. As I approached the end of the lesson, I asked the students, “Is there any question, comment, or doubt based on what I have presented?” One hand went up. A male student stood and did not pose a question but rather offered a clarification. “Sir, Malawi has 24 districts, not 28 as you said,” he stated. As a historian and an educator, I encouraged hi...