My Work in Ghana

I haven't really spoken much about the type of work that I have been doing here in Africa. Over the past 2 months Rabina and I have been working in the classrooms at Agogo APTC Practice Primary. We help the teachers by teaching lessons and marking. I have been able to work with both new teachers and student teachers as well by introducing some different teaching methods, classroom management strategies and visuals that can be useful in the classroom. For our child speak pen pal project component we are still waiting for letters to arrive from Canada so that we can respond.

We have started our afterschool project which includes building a library and starting a school newspaper. The school has really jumped on board and has cleared out a room for us to use. It is in the process of being converted into a library. The room has been painted and we are now waiting for the carpenter to build shelves. With the students, we have helped them write letters to organizations in their community such as the hospital, teacher's training college, World Vision Agogo, banks etc... asking for books or donations for the library. At this point we have had a large donation from World Vision and are told that the training college is planning on donating some as well. The students are so proud of their work and we are really excited to see this project to the end. We are just in the beginning stages of the newspaper by introducing the concept to the students and assigning roles. We are also quite excited to begin this work.

I have been learning so much and gaining so much experience by my time here in Ghana. While there definitely have been challenges the positives definitely have outweighed any negative experience. One thing that I am understanding the longer I am here, is that I have so much more to learn about what is required to ‘help’ or what needs to change in the education system in Ghana. And I will humbly admit that I definitely don’t have the answers, nor will I have the answers when I come home. What I see as ‘problems’ from my North American eyes are a result of so many different social factors and circumstances that extend beyond the classroom. And I don’t think the solution is as easy as a North American teacher like myself coming in and slapping a North American solution on what we deem a problem. Effective change will take time and it must come from within their OWN system - not from an outsider who works in a totally different system and has merely a five month perspective. Now I am even stronger in my belief that I am here to gain perspective and learn from an education system that is so different from my own, yet has the same goal. Once again I am reminded that what I am learning here will be so much more effective once I return to the Canadian classroom rather than here in Ghana. I will have so much more impact to effect the most change in Canada, an education system that I grew up in and will continue to teach in, in the future.

However, at the same time I do see little ways in which my being here has an impact. At the most basic level it lies in the relationships that I am building with my fellow teachers. I think that is one of the most important parts of me being over here. Through these relationships, trust and understanding are gained. I can see much more clearly how and why things are taught and also begin to show teachers alternative methods based on my experiences teaching in Canada. It then comes from a place of understanding rather than an attitude of ‘I know better’ because I come from Canada with a better system. I have absolutely no idea whether any teacher will stop caning students, create more visuals like the math posters for their classrooms, or use more innovative teaching strategies etc. as a result of us being here. But what is important is that the relationship is built so that if they want to do things such as that, they have the knowledge or know where to go for the help. Furthermore, I firmly believe that the change in the system is going to come at the level of the new teachers in the system. They will be the individuals that will be working with the students directly and making requests on their behalf by understanding what needs to be changed. Therefore, I continue to work with these teachers in the same manner by introducing new concepts of management, teaching methods and visuals into the classroom.

I hope this gives those who have been asking about my work a little bit more understanding about what I have been doing here and the perspective I have been gaining. It has definitely been rewarding thus far and I look forward to seeing how my views will stay the same or change over the next couple months.

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Part of trip: My African Adventure

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