On the ground: Teacher Exchange comes full circle

For the last nine years, Otto Ben Kasule has been teaching at Anaka Secondary School, a school out in rural northern Uganda.  Ben attended Anaka for grades S1—S4 [the equivalent of 7^th—10^th grade in the US] and credits the pride he felt for the school as his motivation for returning as a teacher.  Since his years as a student at Anaka, Ben has spent almost a full decade passing on the same pride and respect to his students that his teachers had instilled in him.

Due to the conflict in northern Uganda, Anaka was displaced to a temporary school site in 2000.  With the help of Invisible Children and other NGO’s, the school was able to return to its original site in 2008.  Since then, the school appears and feels “different,” as Ben explained.   Having overcome a difficult situation, everyone—teachers, students, and staff, alike—feel triumphant.  “There is now a higher morale and more motivation to help the school,” he said.

After receiving his first partner teacher, Min Dusanj, through the Teacher Exchange (TeX), Ben immediately embraced the classroom collaboration and exchange of ideas that underpin the TeX.  “Min taught me new teaching methods, and she was always looking for ways to improve the school holistically.”

Over tea, Min would share information about the US and Canada and offer up new ways to motivate students.  Her presence—despite lasting only six weeks—was enough to inspire Ben to apply for the Reciprocal Teacher Exchange (TReX).   He was eager to apply, but remained modest while going through the application process.  Although he was nervous about adapting to the American culture and lifestyle, his excitement for improving his craft overshadowed his hesitation.

He’ll embrace the challenge of entering a foreign setting when he heads to the US this winter, but he admitted that he’s nervous about a few things.  “I hope the climate is similar to Uganda. I don’t think I can handle the cold weather!” he confessed, echoing a concern most Ugandans have had about traveling stateside.  The cold won’t keep him from jumping into his month of team teaching in the US though.  “I think it’s important to teach people about the Ugandan education system, our lifestyle, and our experiences.”

Now, with four months to go until his departure, Ben will begin preparing himself, his family, and fellow staff at Anaka for his big trip.  After work, you can find Ben cultivating and maintaining a farm that produces food crops such as ground nuts and maize.  He’s nervous to leave his land behind, but knows his wife and children will maintain the crops while he’s gone.

I asked Ben how he would feel about teaching in a place so vastly different from Uganda, how he’d feel addressing a sea of students and staff who have been eagerly waiting for his arrival.  Would it make him nervous? I wondered.  As I asked him this, he looked at me with a calm gaze, and as he began to smile, he said confidently, “No. I will not be nervous. I will come to school on the first day and feel motivated, because my sole intention will be to make that school a better learning place.”

–Jessica