"Great teachers empathize with kids, respect them, and believe that each of them has something special to be built on..."
While Omicron is also making the rounds in Zambia, Impact Network ensured that the teacher’s conference could take place this week under the best possible conditions by postponing the training and separating it out into five different sites. In small group sizes, familiar and new faces found themselves in the classrooms and immersed themselves in various academic and operational topics over five days. While some of the workshops served to refresh and supplement existing knowledge, there was also a lot to learn.
For example, Impact Network changed from a termly schemes of work to an annual one: a book with all lessons. This not only gives teachers a better overview, but also offers the organization more flexibility. The new Cinyanja curriculum for grades 1 and 2 is another innovation. The success of the pilot phase last year meant that we were able to scale-up this program across all of Katete West. Since initially only sounds are used, it was important to practice them and to learn to read and write them with speech movement pictures. Can you read this word just based on the pictures? *
The language teachers also familiarized themselves with the new English curriculum, focusing it exclusively on listening and speaking in the first two years. The teachers enjoyed trying out the new content! The new mathematics syllabus for grades 1-4 equally aroused enthusiasm. It differentiates the previous learning objectives and gives daily examples of what is to be taught. The teachers found it easy to write lesson plans and to create teaching materials such as dominoes which were then played in an astonishingly competitive manner!
The maths teachers were also introduced to the new teaching unit "Let's Do Maths" and "Catch Up Maths". The aim of both is to reinforce mathematical knowledge through play.
“Great teachers empathize with kids, respect them, and believe that each of them has something special to be built on.” (Ann Lieberman)
To strengthen empathy, respect and belief in every child, the teachers' conference also provided a platform for the topic “Child Protection and Safeguarding”. In addition, the School Support Officers received methodological training on empowering individuals.
The last two training days were dedicated to operational topics. Young teachers learned from their experienced counterparts how to handle school materials, tablets, speakers and solar panels so that the school day can run smoothly. After the introduction to rights and duties, the signing of the contract was the culmination of an intensive but instructive week for teachers and managers alike.
-Isabelle
* FULU which means tortoise in Cinyanja