Together We Shall Make It

An inspirational, positive weekend of change, thanks to a full day with the Rwentutu Christian School teachers, the teachers/administrators from Canada, and myself, all working together to figure out how we can inspire all children to be thinkers, not just learners.  The Canadian educators (from Herbert Spencer Elementary, John Robson Elementary, and Lord Kelvin Elementary in New Westminster, British Columbia) had prepared a fantastic day of Professional Development for the Rwentutu teachers, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to attend and participate in the workshop right alongside the teachers because I was truly learning and growing as an educator right along with them.  The Professional Development workshop was held on Saturday, so it also gave me the chance to spend time with the teachers outside of the school day, and oh my goodness are they ever a fun group!  I think it would qualify as a community-building day as much as a Professional Development day :)

With the help of one of my good friends Godfrey (see "Fishing" blog post, a few weeks back), the workshop took place at the Rwenzori Central Gardens Hotel.   I couldn't decide who was happier – the Canadians because of the wonderful location, or Godfrey because of all the compliments (not to mention the business) we brought with us!  All of the teachers from Rwentutu were able to attend, and the Canadians arranged for a mini-bus to pick them up from their school and bring them the 30km distance into Kasese.  The workshop went all day on Saturday, and everyone was provided with a morning tea and a fabulous buffet lunch (made by the fruits and vegetables grown by none other than Godfrey himself!).

The focus of the workshop was Literacy and teaching kids to think using Imagery.  To be completely honest, I was anxious and unsure of how this was going to go over with the Rwentutu teachers.  As fun and as lively as they are in person, their instruction matches what you would see at any Primary School in Uganda –  teacher gives a lecture at the front of the classroom, teacher writes important facts and notes on the chalkboard, students copy the notes, and then complete the assignment in their notebooks.  Thinking is not valued; instead, it is spelling, grammar, neatness, and correct answers that are awarded the highest marks.  What the Canadian teachers (and Evan, Jackie, and I) really hope for these teachers to see, though, is that it's important to teach children to think because thinking leads to knowledge and understanding, no matter what the question or subject.  Teaching children to become deep thinkers can create children who become life-long learners who find knowledge to fill their brains every single day.

Since this was a fairly new and uncomfortable idea for many of the Rwentutu teachers, the Canadians started off very small.  Journal entries.  The topic was, "What did you see on your way into Kasese this morning?" and Carrie (3^rd grade teacher in Canada) had us first begin by drawing a detailed picture of our journey, coaching us along the way to include smells, textures, shapes, sounds, etc. in our pictures.  Then, after a good while of detailed drawing, we could begin writing.  I was amazed at not only what I was able to produce in my writing, but also the incredible stories that came out of the teachers!  The detail and feelings they included in their journals were fantastic, and then they read them with such passion and enthusiasm that it made me see them in a whole new light.  They are truly story-tellers at heart, and if only we can get them to bring this part of them into their teaching in the classrooms, I am certain that wonderful things can come of it.

It was an absolutely perfect "icebreaker," and the day only got better from there.  We practiced brainstorming creative word lists together (stretching our brains to think beyond "happy," "sad," and "mad," for feeling words, etc.) thinking of Journal topic ideas, discussing how these activities could connect to other subject areas…here are some pictures from the activities throughout the morning and afternoon with captions below each one...

Doing partner-talks with the person across from us.  Seated around the table, clockwise starting with me (I'm the pale-skinned red-head in the front) are Rwentutu Teachers: Dorica, Margaret, Emmy, Erasto, Pamela, King James, Nehemiah, Rau, and Jaenina.  We did many activities throughout the morning where we practiced talking in partners so the teachers could experience how it can be more comfortable for students to talk in small groups and gain courage to share with the whole class.

Mirror Imaging Activity.  In this activity, only one half of the table was shown the picture in the story, and we had to describe to our partners a detailed image of the picture while they attempted to draw it.  We had to rely on vivid, descriptive words, and the teachers became very animated in their hilarious attempts to convey the image to their partners!

Mirror Imaging round 2.  Same activity as before, only now the roles have switched.  I obviously didn't know this picture was being taken, but I remember this moment exactly!  Jaenina was doing a fantastic job describing the picture to me, but I am a horrible artist (I'd write a novel over painting a picture any day) and we were both laughing so hard at my failed attempts to draw the animals and the scenery that I finally just threw my head down in my hands in desperation.  Oops.

I love this picture, because I think it captures perfectly the excitement we saw on the faces of the teachers throughout the entire day.  Carrie was reading a picture book while demonstrating how to encourage students to make inferences and predictions as they read.  It created a lot of anticipation as to what was going to happen next in the story!

All in all, it was a wonderfully successful day, and the final reflections in the evening reiterated that even more.  I learned to be more transparent in my teaching, and became more comfortable working together with the teachers to explain why I am teaching the way I am teaching.  I think this workshop came at the perfect time.  Evan, Jackie and I have been gradually fitting into the Rwentutu School schedule, trying to find a balance between our teaching methods and their cultural and educational practices.  We have made a careful point not to be too forceful or overbearing, as these teachers are still getting used to having American teachers teaching at their school for the first time.  Now that we have been here and have gained the respect and trust of the teachers, I'm hoping we can begin to encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, try new methods of teaching, take risks in the classroom, and begin to change the lives of their students.

I close today with something Teacher Rau wrote in his final reflection:

"I will never forget this day in my life…Together, we shall make it."