Teacher Exchange: Ready for takeoff

Six teachers from Invisible Children’s Schools for Schools program are preparing for the trip of a lifetime. This December and January, in addition to braving weather unlike any in Uganda,  they will be visiting classrooms in the U.S. and Canada, learning new teaching methods and sharing about Ugandan education and culture.

Last week they underwent training to prepare for what to expect during the time abroad, from culture shock to weather shock. Teachers who were part of last year’s exchange came to talk about their experiences and offer advice for the current batch of teachers – like being prepared for boneless meat and where to buy winter gloves on sale.

The Teacher Exchange Program was launched in 2007 to facilitate mutual learning for teachers and cultural exposure for students. Twenty to thirty secondary school teachers from around the world come to teach and interact with Ugandan teachers for six weeks each summer, and a group of Ugandan teachers do the same in the U.S. or Canada each winter as part of the Reciprocal Teacher Exchange Program.

Applications for participating in the Teacher Exchange Summer of 2012 are now available for international teachers interested in spending a summer teaching in Uganda.

We’ll update you on the experiences of Walter, Churchill, Joseph, Elizabeth, Rosemary and Denis as they venture into life in the U.S. and Canada in the coming months. A special thanks to Better World Books for making this trip possible!

-Bethany

Teacher Exchange: Meet Elizabeth

Elizabeth has been teaching the English language to students in northern Uganda for 30 years. “I enjoy it so much, especially teaching grammar,” she told us recently. “It helps in composing stories. Once you understand grammar, composition is much more easy,” she explained.

Growing up in Gulu, Elizabeth decided that she wanted to be a teacher while in secondary school. Now, over 30 years later, one of the things that brings her the most joy is seeing her students become responsible adults in their communities. Currently, Elizabeth is teaching English at Sir Samuel Baker School.

Elizabeth has participated in the Teacher Exchange Program for three years in Uganda. The program, started in 2007, brings international educators to Uganda to team-teach in Invisible Children partner secondary schools for six-weeks, and takes a group of Ugandan educators to the U.S. every winter for three weeks. With the aim of enhancing present educational models and establishing long-term learning opportunities for all participants, the program lets educators engage in team teaching, information sharing, and skill-building conferences. In this round of the Teacher Exchange, Elizabeth and five other Ugandan teachers will travel to the U.S. at the end of the calendar year to team teach with U.S. educators.

Elizabeth can’t wait to interact with students and teacher in the United States. “I am looking forward to meeting the teachers in the U.S. and hearing about how they handle teaching the English language,” she said. “I also want to see how they encourage reading among the students because that can be so difficult and I see reading as one way to really improve knowledge of the English language.”

“I’m longing to meet them, I’m ready to meet them,” she smiled.

-Malorie

Teacher Exchange: Get ready, America – Churchill is coming!

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Churchill, Head Teacher at Sir Samuel Baker School. Churchill is one of six Ugandan teachers who will be traveling to the United States for three weeks to co-teach with an international partner teacher at the end of this year. Churchill is traveling as a participant of Invisible Children’s Teacher Exchange, a program designed to help both Ugandan and international teachers improve their teaching methods. The program aims to energize Ugandan teachers and their international counterparts by expanding their skill sets though bringing 20-30 secondary school teachers from abroad to teach and interact with Ugandan teachers for six weeks each summer, and sending a group of Ugandan teachers to do the same in the U.S. each winter.

Churchill decided to become a teacher to continue his father’s legacy – to carry on all of the good things his father had done for their community as a teacher. After attending Sir Samuel Baker as a child, Churchill later became an educator and taught history and geography before becoming Head Teacher.  He began teaching 27 years ago, 12 of which have been spent at Sir Samuel Baker School.

Helping students succeed in life, and guiding them to be good members of society is what drives Churchill most in his teaching. However, he has encountered many challenges such as inadequate facilities that make both teaching and learning difficult.

During his time in the U.S., Churchill is most looking forward to getting, “The insight of what takes place there [in the U.S.], and how we can adapt, and practice it here [in Uganda]”.  He is excited to share the knowledge he has, and also to gain knowledge from his international partner school that he can impart to his colleagues in Uganda.

Good luck, Churchill!
-Juliana

Teacher Exchange: Investing in northern Uganda’s teachers

Walter grew up in Pader District, in rural northern Uganda. As a young boy, he was impacted by his uncle, who was a Mathematics teacher. After watching the way that his uncle interacted with his students and the community, Walter’s mind was made up: he would study and become a teacher. “I used to admire his way of teaching,” Walter said, speaking of his uncle. “He was a Math teacher, so I gave myself the chance to learn more of Mathematics and follow his way. That’s why I am now also a Math teacher. I think he was the best example to me,” Walter explained with a proud smile.

After studying and achieving his dream, Walter taught Mathematics at several secondary schools in northern Uganda before settling into his current role, Head Teacher at Pabbo Secondary School. While serving as the Head Teacher, Walter has seen the impact that the Teacher Exchange has had on his school and community, and is looking forward to participating in the program in the United States.

Started in 2007, the Teacher Exchange brings international educators to Uganda to team-teach in Invisible Children partner secondary schools for six-weeks, and takes a group of Ugandan educators to the U.S. every winter for three weeks. With the aim of enhancing present educational models and establishing long-term learning opportunities for all participants, the program lets educators engage in team teaching, information sharing, and skill-building conferences. In this round of the Teacher Exchange, Walter and five other Ugandan teachers will travel to the U.S. at the end of the calendar year to team teach with U.S. educators.

During his stay in the U.S., Walter is looking forward to observing how American classrooms are run and managed and sharing with students about various aspects of Ugandan culture. He’s also interested in learning how to make Mathematics more relevant to his students’ everyday lives. “In case we are teaching Mathematics, I want to think of how we can continue to relate it to other subjects the students are learning as well,” he explained.

“I really hope this program continues,” Walter said. “You know, teaching is an investment. Every town I go to [in northern Uganda], I find a student I have taught at some point over the last 30 years, and I’m so proud of them,” he finished.

Good luck to Walter and rest of the Teacher Exchange participants!

-Malorie

Teacher Exchange: Meet Rosemary

Rosemary is one of six Ugandan teachers who will soon be traveling to the United States as part of the Teacher Exchange Program (TeX). The Teacher Exchange is designed to help both Ugandan and international teachers improve their teaching methods. The TeX aims to energize Ugandan teachers and their international counterparts by expanding their skill sets though bringing 20-30 secondary school teachers from abroad to teach and interact with Ugandan teachers for six weeks each summer, and sending a group of Ugandan teachers to do the same in the U.S. each winter.

Rosemary is in her 5th year of teaching English language and literature at Sacred Heart Secondary School – only a fraction of her 17 years of teaching experience that began in Moyo District, her place of origin. (more…)

Teacher Exchange: America, get ready for Denis!

When Denis was in primary school, he was inspired by his Mathematics teacher.  “He was very good – the way that he talked to pupils, the way that he handled Mathematics problems,” Denis explained.  “So, from that point…I decided to be a teacher.  When I joined Secondary School, I made sure that I performed well in Mathematics and focused so that I could become a teacher.”  His hard work eventually paid off.

Denis has been teaching for 8 years at Gulu Senior Secondary School, Invisible Children’s largest Schools for Schools (S4S) partner school, in terms of population.  He is a Math and Physics teacher, and has two years experience with the Teacher Exchange in Uganda, participating in 2008 and 2011.

An Invisible Children program started in 2007, the Teacher Exchange aims to enhance present educational models and establish long-term learning opportunities for both international and Ugandan teachers.  The program lets educators engage in team teaching, information sharing, and skill-building conferences in both the U.S. and Uganda.  In this round of the Teacher Exchange, Denis and five other Ugandan teachers will travel to the U.S. at the end of the calendar year to team teach with U.S. educators. (more…)

Teacher Exchange: Coming to America

Invisible Children Uganda Country Director, Jolly Okot, with the 2011 Reciprocal Teacher Exchange participants.

Last week, we had the chance to meet up with the six Ugandan educators who will be making their way to the United States at the end of the year to participate in the Teacher Exchange Program. The Teacher Exchange is a program that allows Ugandan and international educators to create teaching partnerships with their international counterparts. Begun in 2007 to enhance present educational models and establish long-term learning opportunities for all participants, the program lets educators engage in team teaching, information sharing, and skill-building conferences.

Each of the teachers participating in this round of the exchange have had experience with the program in Uganda, which hosts international educators and pairs them with Ugandan educators in our 11 Schools for Schools (S4S) partner schools.  They have all seen firsthand how the program has impacted their students and their schools in Uganda and are preparing to come to the U.S. to team teach in participating schools.  They are looking forward to spending time overseas. (more…)

Uganda: Photo Friday

Pakou just finished up her time in Gulu as a member of Invisible Children’s Teacher Exchange Program (TeX).  While in Gulu, Pakou was paired with a teacher from Gulu High School, working with visually impaired students.

The TeX brings teachers from abroad to Uganda, to team-teach with Ugandan educators for six weeks each summer.  A reciprocal exchange happens later in the year, bringing Ugandan teachers to the U.S..  The program helps both Ugandan and international educators share skills and improve their teaching methods.

Playing Ultimate at Sir Samuel Baker

Visit Sir Samuel Baker School after a full day of classes, and you will see a group of students gathering in a nearby field.  As you near the group, you will hear them being divided into two teams and reviewing the rules of the game they’re about to play – Ultimate Frisbee.

Lance and Justine, two of our Teacher Exchange Program participants that traveled to northern Uganda to this summer, were assigned to teach at Sir Samuel Baker School, one of Invisible Children’s 11 partners schools through our Schools for Schools (S4S) program.  As members of the Teacher Exchange Program, Lance and Justine were each assigned partner teachers at Sir Samuel Baker and team-taught with them for six weeks, sharing and learning new teaching ideas and methods.

Between teaching, spending time with their partner teachers and students, and living life in Gulu, Lance and Justine had little time to spare.  But when students at Sir Samuel Baker approached them and asked to learn how to play Ultimate Frisbee, the two couldn’t resist.  The rest is history.

Lance and Justine found some frisbees, made a copy of Ultimate Frisbee rules and regulations, and got to work.  Soon after, dozens of students were showing up to play after school every Thursday.

Ultimate Frisbee at Sir Samuel Baker will continue long after Lance and Justine have settled back into their schools in the U.S., and it’s an activity that encourages an active lifestyle and leadership skills in the students who participate.  To the students at Sir Samuel Baker – keep on playing!

-Malorie

New family ties at Pabbo Secondary School

Bouncing down the Trans-African Highway in a mutatu packed with all of our belongings, we watched Pabbo, our new home for the next five weeks, slowly come into view.  As members of the Invisible Children Teacher Exchange Program, we would live in Pabbo, learning from and sharing with a group of teachers at Pabbo Secondary School.

On our first day, as we stood before a staring student body, we could not imagine the deep relationships we would forge during our partnership.  Previous participants told us about the warm welcome, excited students, and ultra-competitive Scrabble matches in the Staff Room, but as is usually the case, descriptions did little to prepare us.  In our first week, we had more students in our class than we would have had in our US classrooms in a year.  We learned more two-letter English words than Acholi words in an effort to keep up with cutthroat Scrabble games.  We visited our partner teachers’ farms to see the beans they would later cook for us when they generously opened their homes to us.

While Pabbo S.S. has many inspirational men, we found hope for the future in the women we came to know and love.   One of these women, Mary, escaped the North with her nine children during the LRA insurgency, and had to put them in an orphanage in order to keep them fed.  Now she and her grown children have returned to Pabbo and she serves as Chairperson of the Board of Governors at the school.  She explained to us that Pabbo is their home and that she works with schools, other community organizations, and NGOs in the area because she sees hope in the future of the village through their work.

Not long ago, northern Uganda was a place of fear, but we have found incredible strength in those who have opened their hearts to caring for people around Pabbo.  We came to learn and build relationships, supporting our friends when we could and being supported by them in times when we felt ourselves despairing.  Our ties are strengthened by the giving of names: we were given new names by our new family before we left.  Ultimately for all of us, Ugandan and American alike, the partnership was as much about teaching as it was about creating relationships and being able to empower each other through these new family ties.

-“Lawat Oteka” Nick and “Lamara Anyardwe” Shaaroni, Teacher Exchange Participants