Calling All Teachers!

From the first day at the teacher training college I felt like I belonged in the room of loud, talkative, and outgoing trainees. I shared even more in common with my classmates because they came from across the country for the multicultural, project-based focus of the program.

Fast forward ten years and I have now become a teacher-trainer. I jumped into action this year with an intense program that began just a few days after I arrived back from my summer vacation. After finishing two out of three weeks, the end is just around the corner. 

I have been so delighted to have the chance to coordinate this program, which brought together teachers working throughout Mauritania to participate in a training led by an experienced facilitator brought all the way from Australia! I have been bombarded with the endless details needed to run the program but my belief if strong that it is all worth it!

Being in a crowded room of noisy, passionate teachers reminded me of the exhilarating feeling I felt when I started my classes at Evergreen. I love being a room filled with teachers. Even though it has been frustrating every day to get the teachers to focus and to try to stop their endless socializing, I realize how important it is for the teachers to have that unstructured time to laugh and joke with their colleagues. I can only imagine how much they have to share with each other.

Because teaching requires adults to spend many hours each day alone in the presence of teenagers, although teachers are not alone, the work can be quite isolating. In the context of Mauritania, the teachers may be the only ones who speak English in the villages where they are sent to teach. This only adds to the isolation. Since the government lacks the funds and resources to provide on-going professional development, many teachers have been teaching for years without receiving any training or opportunity to share experiences with their colleagues. By coordinating this program, I am hoping to contribute to the efforts of bridging that gap. I also want to establish a foundation for future training, whether done by the teachers themselves or another expert from abroad. 

During the past two weeks, I have been reminded of the path I have taken to arrive here. I remember working harder than I have ever before throughout my two years of teacher training. I also remember observing my professors working around the clock to plan, facilitate, review, and evaluate the sessions. These professors have left an enormous impact on my life and I know that I am now doing my best to follow in their wise footsteps. I hope that one day these trainees will also become trainers!