This week I was unable to get a response back from my contact, as she is on vacation to Florida. So I decided to ask my cousin Tara if she could talk to me about schools over in Ghana. She was there as a teacher for over 2 years and I figured she might be able to give me a little insight this week for our assignment. She said that the programs that she taught were math and science. She had one class that had both girls and boys, although there were much fewer girls in the class, and she had another class of boys. The classrooms varied in age range, as they only taught on class each a day so the kids just came to school when they could. Not all of her students came every day, and she said that that was very frustrating to her because some could fall very behind just because they couldn't get to class that day. Many children had to travel in order to get to the school, and there was no reliable transportation like the buses we use.
When she first got there she was required to go through a 4 week training course to go over the material that she would be teaching. Then at the beginning of the second year, she had a 2 week training course just to go back over the curriculum, and expectations. There wasn't much as far as professional development besides these trainings that were offered as far as teaching went. However, throughout the year they would receive different cultural development trainings and classes. They would also take language classes so that they could communicate in their native language instead of always in English. Tara said that this is the hardest part of her two years there because it was so different than English.
One of Tara's professional goals was to connect with her students on a level that would make them feel engaged, excited, and comfortable in the classroom with her. She strived to make their learning experience one that would make them see the value in education, and want to pursue it. Most children don't finish their education where she was working, so she wanted to try and instill the importance of it. She also tried to talk to parents as much as she could, and help them understand why education is important for their children, not just going out to work.
She hopes that she made a difference in at least one of their lives, for them to have the desire and drive to want to complete their schooling as she was only there for 2 years. Also she hopes that she helped their families understand the benefits of education. The major challenge was not always having the children come to school and the unreliable modes of transportation. It was either walking, some had bikes, or they tried to take the local van to travel close enough to walk the rest of the way. But sometimes those vans took all day just to get the kids there, and by then school would be over. She said it was extremely frustrating but there was nothing that she could do about it.
Dear Sam
ReplyDeleteI am sure that was an interesting experience for your sister teaching in Ghana. I see there was more preparation for the school year versus professional development. I think this is a practice of some in the field they feel that making preparation for your students is professional development. Now knowing that you have to make plans for the students for day to day activities then, is a part of professional development. If the school administration was to give them some professional development training on how to build relationships with families that could have been a useful tool for them. Although she did not have much professional development, she still managed to keep her goals and perspectives in order.
Hello SAM,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your sister's experience teaching in Ghana. I am sure it was a very interesting experience, teaching in another country! I was captured by the fact that the class was filled mostly with boys and the other class was all boys. but, this is something that occurs in other countries and cultures; where women are still not viewed as equal. I can only hope that all children there will be able to have the opportunity to receive a proper education.
It was a school in Rural Ghana, and they did not have those types of trainings. She was there through the peace core and there was no professional development available for them. That was all they offered to get them ready for the upcoming year.
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