My first workshop

On Wednesday and Thursday I ran my first training workshops for all sixty five schools in the district that I work in. I have been working with another VSO volunteer named Jeremy who has been working here since January to try and help teachers and Headteachers to improve teaching and learning in their schools. This is to make sure that the children of Rwanda enjoy their lessons and learn lots, like you do in England! Many of the teachers in Rwanda have not had the chance to learn how to be a teacher and so I am hoping to be able to help them see what a fun job teaching can be and show them how they can make sure the children in their classes learn.

Schools here do not have computers, interactive whiteboards or even displays on their walls at the moment, so when I did my training, I tried to use things that the teachers can use in schools themselves. Lots of the pictures and writing I used when talking to the teachers and Headteachers were on rice sacks! I had to learn how to draw and write on rice sacks myself and how to burn the edges of each sack with a candle to stop the sides fraying. It’s quite tricky to do!

Making rice sacks in the District Education Office.

Teachers and Headteachers from thirty one schools came to the training on Wednesday and thirty three schools came on Thursday, which was great. I was quite nervous as because I am used to speaking to large groups of children, but not large groups of adults. Luckily I needn’t have worried! It was a fantastic experience for me and the teachers and Headteachers joined in really enthusiastically in all the activities we had planned for them. I am now looking forward to going into schools in the new term to help teachers in their classrooms.

Teaching teachers a name game, to help them learn the names of all of the pupils in their class.
(Many classes have about 50 children).

Working with a group of teachers to discuss how important it is to include every child in their lesson.