Teaching pupils how to make straight A’s

Doris Foxworth Odito, an African American, fell in love with a Kenyan over 30 years ago and relocated to Kenya, where she extended her love to the children she teaches in schools. She tells KIUNDU WAWERU why stress stands between children’s performance and on how to make straight A’s

In 2008, an unprecedented thing happened in Kenya; people began meeting in coffee houses to discuss matters of science and health. Dubbed the Science CafÈ, the forum was geared to demystify science and in an informal way, have members of the public and journalists engage experts in debate.

Doris

The founders of the science cafÈ, Ruth Wanjala and Juliette Mutheu, revolutionised how lay people viewed science.

But the number one Ruth fan was Doris Foxworth Odito. She remembers how several years ago, she was coordinating, as a volunteer, a young international science club started by her son at Buru Buru 1 Primary School.

"I had about 17 students and all of them are doing great," Doris says. "They are either in Law, Medicine or lecturing in universities. One of them, Ruth, interests me as I know she did Communication at the university. For starting a successful science cafÈ, I feel honoured because I like to think the mentorship she received at the science club might have influenced her."

Volunteering

Doris, an African American, met her husband Chris Odito while studying in the US. She has now lived in Kenya for more than 20 years. When she gave birth to her first born, Doris found herself bored of staying in the house and she started volunteering in schools, teaching pupils and students how to be good students and how to excel.

Having written several projects for the World Health Organisation and having worked for the academic journal International Organisation as an editor and curriculum writer, Doris says she has also done research on the Kenyan education system for more than 13 years. Using the knowledge, Doris has gone on to touch the lives of a number of pupils in schools where she works as a consultant including Makini and Riara schools. Doris organises workshops where she teaches life and study skills and on how to become top students.

"In the schools I have trained, the academic performance stands out for itself," she says.

But Doris also realised that in many schools, poor performance was not only related to schoolwork, understaffing, or low teacher morale, but also to psychological problems.

"My research for 13 years in Kenya shows that children are stressed and depressed by family issues and other challenges.

"In most cases, children just need a mentor, someone to guide them along," she says.

According to Doris, when the children carry the stress to the classroom, they do not concentrate; they are easily distracted and excited by the smallest things.

From her research and experience, she penned the book, How to Make Straight As, a book that has been received well by both students and teachers. The book has simple truths, along with quotes and success stories from great world leaders. The success formula, according to the book is simple –– try hard, believe hard, pray hard and have a passion in whatever you believe in.

"These are universal truths, but if you have no one to guide you along, especially if you are a child, it becomes hard to concentrate."

Studying effectively

"There are many motivational and ‘how-to’ books for adults, but the same lack for children and the youth, yet they are the future leaders," Doris notes.

The book goes on to advice students on how to study effectively so as to make straight As. To demonstrate the power of mentorship, which Kenyans students mostly lack, Doris says the story of Peter Ndirangu stands out. She has highlighted his story in the book. Doris met Peter for the first time a decade ago when he was in Class Five at Baraka Primary School in Nairobi. Doris was volunteering at the school to coach pupils on life and study skills.

"Peter was having some personal challenges. I mentored him and acted as his private counsellor for his entire primary school duration," says Doris.

When Peter went to secondary school, the two lost touch and it was not until when Peter was in college that he searched for her through Doris’ Deco International non-governmental organisation.

"I was glad to see Peter again. He asked that I be his mentor and I agreed," she remembers.

Now having graduated and working, Doris says that Peter is doing very well. He holds three jobs – one at an international school and also consulting for two firms.

"He is so busy, I guess I need to make an appointment to see him," she jokes.

But mentoring is not the only cap Doris wears. In December last year, The Standard caught up with Doris at the Paa ya Paa Art Centre where she was surrounded by children to whom she was dishing gifts. They called her Mother Christmas and she said the event was part of celebrating an ‘African Christmas’ geared to teach children African values. Doris grew up in Carolina, USA in a family of missionaries, a call she also took up. Today she works with pastors from different churches where she starts Bible schools. She says her growing up grounded her.

"My mom was a strict disciplinarian and we grew up with high values and morals. According to research, if you ingrain values in children and they get to the age of 16, it’s rare they divert," she says.

Doris says research needs to be done to find out the real cause for under-performance in schools. For this reason, a fortnight ago, she sort audience with the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Prof Ole Kiyiapi, in order to submit a proposal about doing a research on stress levels in schools, memory skills and academic performance.

Her third book, PowerPoint to Concentration Skills, a sequel to How to make Straight A’s, will be out soon.