On the ground: meet Grace, a Ugandan teacher heading to the US

Amono Grace is well-mannered, professional, and confident.  Her English is impeccable.  She is deliberate with her words, and because she’s personable, chatting with her is easy.  Grace is the ideal candidate for the Reciprocal Teacher Exchange (TReX), an initiative that sends Ugandan teachers to the U.S. to team teach for one month.

Grace’s interest in cross-cultural teacher exchange dates back to 2007, when she taught alongside a U.S. teacher who came to Uganda through Invisible Children’s Teacher Exchange (TeX).  Even three years later, she recalls how impressed she was by the young American teachers she met—teachers eager to learn about the people, culture, food, and education system of northern Uganda.  “What they were doing was commendable,” she added.  That exposure and long-lasting impression stirred Grace’s desire to participate in the TReX.

Typically confident, Grace admits she was nervous following her TReX interview.  “I was hopeful, but trying to be realistic,” she explained.

It wasn’t until a week later that James, S4S’ Program Manager, rang Grace and prompted the long-awaited phone call.  “Why do you think I’m calling?” he began.  Grace was shocked to hear the good news.  She, alongside five other Ugandan teachers, will head to the U.S. at the end of 2010.

In the coming months, Grace’s time will be filled with planning, orientations, and lots of mental preparation.  Having never left Uganda before, she’ll soon receive a shiny new passport.  For her, Grace explained, the passport will be more than a form of ID:  it will be proof of her successes as a teacher, of the opportunity she secured for herself.

Grace is eager to improve her teaching skills.  She is an implementing partner of Invisible Children’s KOBS (Knowledge of Behavior and Self) curriculum, and has credited KOBS lessons with helping her better empathize and relate to her students.  She has nine years of teaching experience under her belt, with the last four having been spent at Gulu High School.  At the school, Grace teaches Commerce, as well as Guidance and Counseling to S1 through S3 students.  With her KOBS knowledge and background in guidance and counseling, Grace will be able to tap into her past experience teaching in Uganda to adapt to the American classroom.

Although she has some fears of working in a foreign setting, Grace has one hobby that will bring her comfort and happiness during her time abroad:  knitting.  During our interview, she opened her bag to show me her sewing needles and ball of yarn. “This,” she explained, “will keep me from getting lonely. I’ve been crocheting since I was a little girl, and it’s my way of feeling closer to home.”

Grace, with the help of her sewing needles and her endless amounts of enthusiasm and confidence, will have an amazing learning experience in America later this year.  From all of us at ICU, best of luck, Grace!

–Jessica