Teacher Trainings

In November, I ran three Primary Methodology Workshops- one for each of my sectors- for nearly 100 teachers. It was a phenomenal experience. I modeled the itinerary on the UNICEF Child-Friendly Schools workshop which I had co-facilitated in July. The main theme of the workshop was Multiple Intelligences and training the primary teachers in active math, language and science methodology. Ana, I used many activities that we did at PAFI such as the roulette paper-clip wheel for probability and Alison I used your playing cards game for adding/subtracting and multiplying with kidney beans as counters. Dad, I took the peg board game that you and Patty sent me and made a life-sized model out of a shoebox and straws punched in the holes. This strategic/ logical activity was a huge hit!! I had made several didactic materials out of margarine containers, boxes, string and beads found at the Gitarama market, including a counter device for math which functioned as a place value, fractions, counting and patterning visual aid. I made an "Adding Machine" out of some toilet paper rolls, bottle caps and a Digestives box for P1. With Emmanuel's help, there were 22 posters based on pages of the Rwandan Curriculum Math, Science and Technology textbooks on the wall and copied meticulously on to rice sacks by the teachers at the end of each training. We did texture art tracings and discussed mass/capacity using three different sized water bottles. BINGO, word association, Math Tic-Tac-Toe, Fortunately/Unfortunately, Detective and other low-organisational activities were enjoyed. Tongue twister challenges were given to "earn your invitation to lunch". Some of my favorite activities were ones that I thought up on the spot.
For an introductory activity, the entire group of 40 teachers joined a circle. I had a ball of yarn in my hand. I introduced myself and then, while holding a piece, threw the yarn to the teacher opposite me, he did the same and so forth until we had made a giant web. I explained that "this learning web we had created demonstrated that what I know, I will share with him (pointing to the teacher across from me) and what he knows he will share with her (pointing to the next person attached to the yarn-web) and so forth. We were going to spend the next two days COLLABORATING". And that is exactly what we did. To follow up at the end of Day One, I threw the ball around the circle asking for input on what activities the teachers wanted to see included in Day Two and at the end of Day Two we revisited the circle once more to feedback on the sustainability of the activities learnt.
Daniel, the teacher from EP-Rubona had asked to co-facilitate with me and since I had determined that I didn't wish to engage another VSO methodologist to help me with the two weeks of training, it was a perfect fit that Daniel would fill this role. He was instrumental in keeping the pace, encouraging different techniques to assist with the language barrier (I so often fell back on my French and he encouraged me to just try again with simpler, slower English vocabulary instead) and his presentation about starting an English Club was moving.
Daniel spoke to his peers about the fact that you can start an English club, as he has done at his school, no matter how small at first. He used a metaphor to perfection. "Still just one match can burn down a forest. Start a club now, with only a few and watch it grow. Everyone can do this. Why not you in your school?" I was amazed and still continue to be impressed by his enthusiasm for education. Rwanda needs more passionate teachers like Daniel.
There were so many highlights to the exhaustive two weeks that I'll short-list a few.
Agnes a 66 year old widow on her hands and knees tracing a poster for her classroom.
Deciding last minute to add music to the schedule and watching the teachers come alive as they sang/performed/made instruments out of seemingly nothing and impressed the socks off of me!!
Seeing teachers on break with the Tongue Twisters jar, going through them one by one to practice their English Vocabulary
Deciding that the solution to the chatty/energetic/less than perfectly co-operative group during the second training was to do a tower building challenge with 30 waterbottles each and then watching as EVERY SINGLE TEACHER in the room became actively engaged in the efforts to build the tallest tower. These thirty minutes of problem-solving, co-operative teamwork and enthusiasm made up for the late arrival, inattentive, apathetic bunch I started out with in the morning. (Sector will remain anonymous)
Being taken to the neighbours house to use the "clean washroom" which turned out to be a really disgusting pit latrine and then trying to decide if being hydrated was necessary for the rest of the two days.
Some lowlights:
The teacher at the unnamed sector who showed up for roll call, left, showed up for lunch, left and showed up at the end of the day to collect the transport fee without participating at all!
The headteacher who wouldn't come into the classroom to see what we were doing despite several requests and the sector head who was insisting on "compensating" the teachers for having to come in on their holiday after they'd already had transport money, a free meal, a resource package and 3 rice sacks and two free days of training. I refused to let him give them any more money. After all, it was my training and the reward is the LEARNING! This training group even made me pay for the envelope used to put the attendance sheet in at the end of the day?! Thankfully the other two sectors were opposites, coming up with transport and food themselves, somewhat.
Touching moments:
Olivier, the boy whose house I used during the trainings was delighted by my presence. On break we played catch with the orange plastic ball and he hung out just outside the window, watching everything we were doing. Olivier is 7 years old and cuter than most- I'll try and find his picture and post it.
At the third training, two teachers brought their babies on their backs. The first was very quiet and other than the several breastfeeding breaks during my math lessons, not a disruption. The other was also very quiet and at the end of the day I went to speak to the mother and asked "What did he learn today?" She very timidly showed me that "He is handicapped." I then proceeded to have a lovely conversation about my brother Mike and was quite moved when the mother asked me point blank "My boy, he is 16 months old and he doesn't speak and doesn't walk. WILL HE EVER DO THESE THINGS?" It was alarming at first that because there is next to no education about handicaps, this mother doesn't understand the developmental delays of her own child. Most similar cases hide their children at home. This young mother was brave enough to bring him out and clearly loved him dearly. I said quite calmly and matter-of-factly to her that "Il prend son temps." (He is taking his time). And we discussed the need for lots of stimulation- physical, verbal and the belief that he can or will be able to do most things. There is a fine line between trying to instill some hope and creating a false promise however it is my, and my own mother's philosophy, that our potential is limitless. During our chat, the boy (who is still carried on the back like an infant) was playing with one of the squishy balls. At the end of day two I had every intention of giving it to him but the mother left before I noticed she had gone. I ran out of the classroom and on the street were 30 or 40 people. I couldn't find her. Down the lane, I spotted the mother's patterned African outfit and took off running. I caused a small scene as I chased her down, said "Ndashaka guha ballon na imana ibahe umugisha" in my crooked kinyarwanda and gave that boy the ball. It was one of the more touching moments of November.
Well, I have since seen several of the teachers that I trained during those two weeks in town or on the bus and I enjoy our interaction. I can't wait to run more workshops although since the start of school has been nationally delayed until Febraury 2nd, this might be tricky to accomplish. I think there will be some Methodology Training in my future career, it is simply the best combination of challenge and person-to-person impact and idea-swapping and I really love it.
Ciao for now!
PS Gorilla post is next, I promise.

Mid-December Post

“It is possible to be standing on one side of a door and perceive the world as a dark and lonely place, while on the other side of that very same door are countless people just waiting to lend support and cheer you on. All that is required is that you turn the knob.” Author Unknown

Challenging. That is the one word that sums up this experience and it can either imply a good thing or a not so good thing. I am determined to see this placement through no matter what! I have spent the past couple of days doing damage control but it is definitely paying off. There is a fantastic new Director of Education in Kamonyi District and the ideas proposed for January have me excited again about being here. Our housing issue is FINALLY getting some attention and we will be in a new house as soon as I, the ever-resourceful volunteer, find myself one?! Christmas holidays, right? The atmosphere in Gitarama is also improving, it was very different without Christi, Nathan, Moira and Michael but they are all returning in January, thank goodness.
My Kamonyi colleague Ernest, the one who has been there since the beginning and was the former charge of education, has a new role as sector head. I had a lovely conversation with him today and he was wearing the Che Guevara T-shirt I gave him when I thought he was leaving for good. I really hope to work with him again in January. It seemed for awhile that all the capacity building I had done evaporated with the removal of the Mayor, the Charge and the Director of Education but hope springs anew. Plans are in place for January and I’m definitely up for giving it all another go. I have never had an experience quite like this one as the circumstances make you feel like packing it in.. REGULARLY. But I am a persistent, some might say stubborn, goal-oriented redhead and I am going to make this work no matter what !! I have a vision of the end of my placement where I am doing a handover to the incoming methodologist and Kamonyi District, with all of its enthusiastic and in-need teachers will work with VSO for many years to come. What is that Adidas slogan? Impossible is nothing.
Have to rush home now as Art Club is this afternoon and I think we are making finger puppets. Karen and I are almost ready for Christmas, we have bought gifts for all of our art club participants, a few select neighbours and colleagues and are excited to be hosting a Holiday Party next week. Unfortunately, we both went to the doctor yesterday and are also playing host collectively to parasites, amoebas and giardia. Love you Rwanda, but wish you could provide us with a bit healthier of an environment L.
Gorillaz, Zanzibar and a detailed account of the charming 7 year old who spent 2 days watching one of my workshops from the window of the classroom are all forthcoming once I’m done at work- work which might finally, and hopefully, be organized enough to start experiencing a level of success in the placement. It will be a joyful season yet!

Word Searching

Hi Friends!!
I am writing to promise you some fascinating upcoming posts about Teacher Trainings, Gorillas Mating (I mean Trekking), my Zanzibar adventures and many more stories. It is now school break and the past month or so has not been without drama. I wouldn't expect anything less from my Rwandan experience! I am thinking of home a fair bit but today I skyped for over 3 hours and feel so comforted by the support of my family and friends. I am hoping that everyone is well and is able to prepare for and enjoy the holiday season. I will do the same here in Gitarama with my neighbours, roommate and the amazing children in my life, who never tire of showing me love.
New posts will be forthcoming to explain in detail the new pictures I've just added, your patience will pay off tenfold.
Be well, talk soon!
Becky