Volunteer stories > Being a science teacher

Brenda Day writes about her time as a VSO science teacher in Guyana

Before applying to VSO, I was working as a science teacher at Tiffin Girls' School, a grammar school in Kingston-on-Thames. Besides teaching I was the examinations officer and previously had been in charge of science years 7 & 8. However, having worked there for 16 years, I was getting tired of the big grind of teaching in the UK and wanted an adventure.

Before departure, I took part in several training courses that VSO offers volunteers to help them adjust to life working within a completely different environment. These courses were all enjoyable and I began to feel excited about my imminent trip. It was particularly nice to meet up with other prospective volunteers.

When I arrived at the teacher training college in Guyana, they were changing from terms to semester courses. I was asked to both rewrite and teach these new courses, all of which was extremely interesting. I taught biology to secondary school teachers and science to primary and nursery school teachers. In my second year, the chemistry lecturers left so I taught chemistry to secondary students as well.

I also took the initiative to continue the work of a previous volunteer who had been helping to reestablish the disordered science laboratories. With the aid of a VSO grant, the labs and apparatus steadily improved and we started to carry out practical work regularly. One of the most important things I was able to get was a still so we could have distilled water rather than rain water or fridge de-frostings, for chemistry. The other lecturers were pleased to be able to use the apparatus. I rewrote the courses to include practical work in the hope that this would ensure it was continued after I left.

Seeing the students enjoy doing practical experiments was a great highlight for me. I think my real achievement was to get students and lecturers to see the need for teaching and learning through practical work and also to see them having fun learning science this way. Furthermore, the intellectual pleasure that I gained through writing new courses also contributed to the satisfaction that I felt as a VSO volunteer.

My 3 bedroom flat, which I shared with my husband Steve, was a pleasure to live in and helped to make the experience more enjoyable. Initially we lived downstairs with the toads and other less attractive wildlife. We did manage to chase them out though, and after a year we moved upstairs. We had access to a telephone, water supply and electricity most of the time. Getting around was not a problem either, as we both had bicycles which we used regularly to travel to the shops (which had a good selection of affordable goods), the municipal swimming pool and to visit friends.

There were, of course, frustrations from time to time. Primarily, these were in working out how to motivate the other lecturers, bureaucracy, running out of water and having power cuts. We also found the climate and mosquitoes quite trying causing us to be itchy and hot and sweaty all the time.

I know that I gained much through my time spent as a VSO volunteer. My role was extremely varied and as a result I improved my management skills, my skills in designing courses and my skills in running a laboratory. I still have regular contact with the Guyanese students and lecturers. They inform me that my work, through them, is still continuing which is not only fantastic for me to hear but is also evidence for others that a VSO volunteer can really pass on his or her skills and knowledge and influence those around them.