I arrived back in Rwanda on April 1st, about 7 months after I left in September and 3 days before the Teacher Training Program (TTP) taking place at Kagugu P.S. that I had been hearing so much about would be coming to a close. Walking into Kagugu and seeing all the teachers again was an amazing experience, it was like greeting long time friends who I hadn't seen in years. Since I was last there in September, the school had added on secondary level classes, new teachers, and was starting a garden around the library, but it still had its same charm and a sense of excitement and enthusiasm continues to linger in the walls of Kagugu Primary School.
On Saturday, April 4th, I was lucky enough to attend the final TTP Workshop. This was the last in a series of 5 weekly workshops which brought together 130 teachers from 6 schools across 3 districts. It was incredible to see the change in the teachers since I last saw them. The teachers were excited about the workshops and trying to use English as much as possible, they would no longer shy away from trying. It is inspiring to see such willingness to try and I know from experience that it isn't easy to put yourself out there and be willing to make mistakes in an unfamiliar language.
More than anything, it was fun watching the creativity of the teachers and the teacher trianers at work. These particular trainings were aimed at transorming the way Rwandans learn in the classroom by getting students actively engaged in the learning process and developing critical thinking skills. In the classes I visited I saw teachers creating elaborate drawings from doodles as well as writing stories and letters of advice to imaginary characters. The Kagugu classrooms were buzzing with creativity and all of the teachers were engaged and ready to participate.
The day ended with a closing ceremony to celebrate all that the teachers had accomplished in the past few weeks. The most amazing part of the ceremony was that the entire ceremony was conducted in English. Every teacher received certificates and speeches were made by Savannah, teacher trainers Meredith and Jean-Providence, Local Government Officials, and the headmasters of each primary school involved. It really was exciting to be involved in this final workshop and incredible to see the progress that has been made since I was last here. Here at IEE though we know that there may have been a closing ceremony but this is not the end of the TTP by any means. This really just marked the beginning of what we hope will be a long-standing relationship with primary school teachers. We look forward to continuing to work with teachers to improve the quality of education in Rwanda's primary schools.
-- Carly
No comments:
Post a Comment