Thoughts about Kenya, 2010

I felt fortunate to be part of a hard working, dedicated and prepared group of educators.Our Naivasha team had
decided to prepare the facilitator packages prior to departing Canada
and if everything would have worked out the facilitators would have had them
prior to the beginning of the workshops. In theory this was a perfect idea and
would have given them time to prepare for the workshops along with providing a
Kenyan perspective on the material. Unfortunately the material did not get to the facilitators before the workshops. We're hopeful that some of the Kenyan facilitators will work on the workshop materials for next year and we will be able to distribute them prior to facilitator week.

I enjoyed the experience of traveling in matatus and taxis along with the various drivers we had. Each
driver has stories and information to share with us about themselves, their
families and Kenya.Our accommodation at Utumishi was great and the food was amazing. Thankfully I only gained 2 pounds which Titus found amusing even though he was hoping for more!

From discussions with the Kenyan teachers and other Canadian teachers the EBB model from this summer seems to be the most popular and successful. I’m glad we had the week to visit schools and prepare for the facilitator workshops. The week gave us time to be in Kenya and
experience a small part of the Kenyan way of life. By no means did we become experts but it gave us a small lens to look through. I would definitely enjoy more time in schools particularly in classrooms working with teachers. I would really like to have the ability to communicate with Kenyan teachers prior to visiting again and preparing some team teaching ideas ahead of time. I would be thrilled to teach some math lessons with George or Redfern or work on science projects with Joseph or Christopher’s students. I hope to develop better relationships with the teachers I met so that we could develop opportunities for teachers to participate in classes in their schools.

Week two was an incredible learning curve. We had planned our facilitator week during week one but we had also allowed for flexibility to meet the needs of both ourselves and the Kenyans as the week proceeded. I believe that because our information packages were prepared ahead of time we had sufficient resources to work with the teachers but also valuable resources for them to use after we left. We were very fortunate to stay at Utumishi
with the Kenyan facilitators because we developed personal relationships with the teachers during meals and in the evenings. I think it would be difficult to do this during the day because some of our best conversations were at breakfast discussing the plans for the day or in the evening reflecting on the day. We were also able to get to know each other over a games night, a movie and our “Canadian” supper which strengthened our ability to work together during week three.

I left Kenya with a renewed dedication to teaching and providing opportunities for my students to learn. I find that I’m thinking more about how my classroom can be student centered and directed. My students come from varied backgrounds bringing a lot of difficult experiences and baggage with them. In a student centered classroom I’m better equipped to deal with their individual needs while at the same time developing a collaborative learning atmosphere. As I work throughout the school year I hope to share my experiences with my Kenyan colleagues and learn about any changes
they are making in their teaching practice.