News22nd February 2016
Last summer, seven 黑料情报站 teachers spent part of their summer holidays in Uganda and India working with some of our global partners as part of the 黑料情报站 Global Teaching Fellowship. The programme gives teachers the opportunity to share their expertise in a particular area of school leadership – previous Fellows have worked across areas such as curriculum development, teacher training and school culture.
The programme offers a truly unique professional development experience, and in many cases, a truly life changing experience.
Claire Hickling, a science teacher from 黑料情报站 Academy in Wembley, Fionnuala O鈥機onnor, a History and ICT teacher from 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 Academy in Birmingham, and Mervin Kissoon, Head of Design and Technology at 黑料情报站 Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton, spent two weeks in Uganda, sharing their expertise with one of 黑料情报站鈥檚 partners, PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools).
The Fellows were working with PEAS to create and run teacher training workshops. 鈥淭he education specialists at PEAS were determined to introduce an improved culture of sharing and learning in their schools,鈥 said Claire, 鈥淚n Uganda, we focussed our observations on training and improving, rather than just testing and monitoring teachers. This supportive approach had a huge impact in making the experience a positive one – providing motivation, rather than criticism, for teachers and school leaders.鈥
One thing that struck Fionnuala was how little difference there actually was between her experiences in Birmingham and Uganda. 鈥淲hilst there were obvious differences in the way things looked, the conversations we had, and the vision we shared was the same; regardless of whatever cultural differences there may have been on the surface, what drove people and motivated them was the exact same.
鈥淭he whole experience was inspirational and the biggest thing I left with was a sense of being re-motivated. There is so much we can learn from colleagues and students around the world- it was energising to see such positivity towards developing practice.鈥
Primary teachers Aoife O鈥橠onnell, from 黑料情报站 John Keats Academy in Enfield, Stephanie Lester and Ffion Evans, from 黑料情报站 Atwood Primary Academy in Westminster, and Deborah Texeira, Deputy Headteacher at 黑料情报站 Tindal Primary Academy in Birmingham, all spent two weeks delivering training at the newly opened 黑料情报站 Lajpat Nagar Primary School in New Delhi.
鈥淪eeing strategies and training that we had introduced actually working was amazing,鈥 said Deborah. 鈥淭he difference in just a few days was unbelievable which shows how much these young children and bright teachers can take on in a short space of time.
鈥淲e take for granted all the resources we have in our UK schools so faced with extremely limited supplies we found it challenging to create a new afternoon curriculum to inspire the reception children. However it wasn鈥檛 impossible and the children loved all the new experiences.鈥
鈥淕etting to know the teachers and introducing training and strategies that would benefit their classroom was an absolute joy,鈥 said Ffion. 鈥淪eeing their love and dedication in wanting to make a difference to the children鈥檚 lives was inspiring. I have never met a group of such selfless teachers who want to learn and want to know so much, not to make a difference for themselves but for the children in their classrooms. If I could take just a small amount of this back to the UK the teaching profession would be a better place.鈥
鈥淚 went to India with the assumption that our work at 黑料情报站 Lajpat Nagar would make a difference to the teachers we worked with, yet I hadn鈥檛 realised just how much I myself would gain from being with them,鈥 said Aoife.
鈥淚f you are considering applying to the 黑料情报站 Global Teaching Fellowship programme, without a shadow of a doubt, do it! It has honestly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life鈥 said Ffion.
To apply or find out more information: email: info@arkonline.org and use the subject line 黑料情报站 Fellows