Ratios and Reports

Today went significantly better than yesterday (see previous post if you want to compare!) - the teacher I was working with had returned!
I was "officially" given control over Grade 8 and Grade 10 mathematics classes - I was pleasantly surprised by the Grade 8 class as they managed to remember and understand the method I gave them yesterday for sharing things in a ratio between two people.  I say they managed to understand it as when I gave the a ratio today involving three people they managed to give me the answer without any prompting what-so-ever! (I've taught them something they understand - Yay!)
The Grade 10 class wasn't quite so good - I was teaching them Polar and Cartesian co-ordinates and trying to explain how to convert between the two without using Pythagoras' Theorem (which they told me they had never heard of before).  Most seemed to get the method, yet their mental mathematics skills (such as calculating 4 times 0.5, which many gave the answer 4.5 to) were shockingly bad!

The end of the day came a lot quicker as expected.  At the end of the 6th period, without warning, the entire school just decided to walk out of the front gate.  I later learnt that today was "reports day" and to ensure that parents attended the kids were sent home early to go and get them before the end of the school day.  Most other schools also finished early, yet they all seemed to be finishing early because there was some sort of remembrance service for someone in the community later in the afternoon.

I also (finally) got a South African SIM card for my phone - if you need it, I've put it on Facebook, but I doubt I'll get that many people calling it!

Better go now - dinner is being served - Mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and a main course to come