Day 2 of Teacher Training

With my tummy full of porridge and passion fruit I was fired up to start the next day of training. The game plan for today was to have the teachers from each of their subjects: mathematics, language, social studies, and science to each deliver a lesson plan. After delivering the lesson plan the teachers would work together to see what story based learning elements could help improve the lesson or “make it come to life” for the students. Having a lesson taught by the Rwandan teachers was a way for us working with AFP to see and learn how the teachers normally approach curriculum in the classroom. In a sense those who were teaching (the group of AFP volunteers) became the students. It was both a humbling and curious experience of seeing how Rwandan teachers would engage with potential students in the classroom and appreciating how different it is from the Western education system.


My AFP group group leader, Jenai and I were in charge of the social studies teachers group. One of our teachers gave a lesson on the environment and teaching students the differences between manmade and natural components. With the tools from story based learning we were able to utilize kinesthetic movement as a way to make the lesson from a lecture into action.


By the end of the day the teachers came up with a theme that they want to always lean back on in their classrooms when classes resume:


“With strong goals and determination we can move forward towards success.”


This is a concept that the teachers created by themselves and want their students to not only model but understand. Since one thing we constantly are teaching through the Anne Frank Project is the everybody’s stories matter; in the sense that we all have dreams, goals and lives that matter. It’s important for all of us especially the students to remember that.

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