“Most of the students sometimes don’t even realise that they’re learning because it’s all hidden within the fun,” says Tanvir Amin, teacher at Aga Khan Academy Dhaka.
“I can now handle learners with different speeds of learning, those from different backgrounds, and according to their gender. The course has also made me very proud of my lesson plans.”
Kasena Karisa (teacher who enrolled in a remote training course with the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa’s Professional Development Centre)
Tanvir Amin of the Aga Khan Academy (AKA) Dhaka was discussing literary devices with his class when he noticed a student doodling. How should he have reacted? What determines whether students stay focused on a task? How can teachers create an inspiring atmosphere?
Educators from public schools in Kenya and Uganda and the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka in Bangladesh reflect on how their experience of Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) professional development courses have helped them deepen their connections with students and give them more from each lesson, whether helping four-year-olds to count to 10 or 17-year-olds to translate vectors.
Former businessman Kasena Karisa has been a teacher for four years, following two years of training to get his certificate. He joined Kilifi AIC school in Kenya this year, teaching maths to four-to-six-year-olds, and had the opportunity to take a one-year remote training course with the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa’s Professional Development Centre. He describes some of the outcomes.
“I am very happy to have joined that class.
“With our culture, we use the term duduvule (a type of insect) for someone who cannot meet expectations, for example, is unable to write an answer on the blackboard. Avoiding this language has created a friendly environment between me and the learners. When no harsh language is coming from me, the learners expect to hear something good from their teacher.
“Some of the learners are Muslim, some are Christian, some don’t have a religion. You need to be very careful in what language and examples you are using. I can now handle learners with different speeds of learning, those from different backgrounds, and according to their gender.
“The course has also made me very proud of my lesson plans – maths has turned from attendance into fun. Instead of being given information, the learners explore things. I have gained a reactive method of handling maths: if today a teaching method does not work well then tomorrow I will change this method.
“When I applied for the training, I hoped I would learn how to be a better maths teacher, and learn skills for handling my class – and I achieved 90 percent of what I hoped for. If today a teaching method does not work well then tomorrow I will change this method.”
More at Spotlight, Aga Khan Development Network
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