Training Day

Not wanting to wait until February to do some training, Mabuchi and I decided that we would take the 12 teachers in Lusaka who had not had any exposure to previous trainings involving engagement strategies and do a quick one-day overview to at least challenge their thinking and get some momentum started.  Perhaps some conversations would start with colleagues who have already received training.

Our youngest trainee attends with dad

The CCAP leadership communicated with the schools, letting them know the date, time, and which teachers were invited to participate. The participants had been with CCAP anywhere from 12 months to 4 days.  My goals were to introduce them to some engagement strategies using concepts of literacy and mathematics, familiarize them with key components of an effective lesson, and challenge their thinking.

We began the day with singing and a homily from the pastor of Mandevu. 

He encouraged the teachers to make good use of the training because the information would help them be better teachers.  He spoke passionately about teaching and learning and the importance of getting the most out of the information presented during the training.  I couldn’t have said it better!

The teachers started out thinking about what things contributed the most to student learning and moved on to what they considered when planning a lesson.  Throughout the process various engagement strategies were utilized and highlighted. I pointed out how the teachers could utilize these same strategies in their classrooms.  It was apparent the teachers were not in a habit of this type of self-reflection or discussion about their practice but seemed to enjoy the process as the day continued.

Teachers take a tea break

After modeling how to plan a lesson, utilize group work, mental math, components of reading and writing, teachers worked in grade-level alike groups to plan a lesson they would use in the coming week. I worked with the primary and intermediate teachers while they worked through the various components of a lesson plan. 

Grade 6 & 7 teachers plan a science lesson about electricity together

Mabuchi took the pre-school teachers who shared a variety of games and songs they could use to teach basic concepts of math and literacy.  

We asked for feedback at the end of the day.  Most of the teachers expressed their willingness to try some of the strategies they had learned.  Some really saw that teaching involves thinking and creativity rather than just reading out of the teacher's guide.   Most expressed having their thinking challenged in new ways. Others expressed a desire to know more. Mabuchi and I recognized this was a good start.

Mabuchi keeps track of those who attended and takes notes for the next training