Snow in Dutywa!

Week 3 on the Global Teachers Programme
25th - 31st July

Global Teacher Support Arlene has sent us an update on how the GTs are getting on in South Africa:

"Early in the week the programme was briefly disrupted by some very unseasonable weather with areas of Dutywa District experiencing snow for the first time in 40 years! The GTs were very well looked after by their South African host families during this cold rainy spell which lasted two days. We were all relieved to see blue skies this morning [Wednesday] though with a backdrop of snow on the mountains".

The cluster training workshops planned by the GTs last weekend went ahead as scheduled on Wednesday. They took place in two GT placement schools, with staff from other GT placement schools in the district also attending.

Global Teachers Carmel and Karen demonstrate teaching methodologies at a cluster training workshop.

Arlene informed us that "the workshops incorporated good examples of effective teaching methodologies and team teaching and lasted all day. The teachers engaged enthusiastically in the activities and some lively debates ensued. All participants found the days useful and informative. The GTs will return to their schools to continue working in collaboration with their South African counterparts to address the needs of individual schools".

Global Teacher Carmel and LCD South Africa Project Manager Siphiwo discuss the use of a counting stick.

This weekend the GTs will travel to Port St. John's on the coast, completing a mid-programme evaluation with Steve and Gcina from LCD South Africa, and planning for a single workshop for all GT placement schools.

For more information about the Global Teachers Programme, see http://www.lcd.ie/

First week in placement schools

18th - 24th July

The Global Teachers (GTs) completed their first week in their placement schools in the Dutywa District. The GTs received a profile of their schools in June to give them an idea of what to expect. The GTs are working in nine different schools, ranging from 195 to 421 pupils and 10 - 14 teachers. The main language of pupils and teachers in all the schools is Xhosa, one of the eleven official languages of South Africa. The GTs were prepared to greet the teachers and students in Xhosa, having learned some phrases in their pre-departure training, under the guidance of Gcina and Siphiwo from LCD South Africa.

Global Teacher Loraine with young learners from Reception Year at Candu Junior Secondary School.

The GTs spent their first week in the schools getting to know pupils and staff, and working with staff to identify priority areas of work that they can contribute to during their placement.
They got started by observing classes, identifying resources that schools can use to improve their teaching and learning, and giving lessons to demonstrate some teaching methodologies that the teachers may not have been familiar with.

Staff from Mtshotshisa Junior Secondary School, Siphiwo from LCD South Africa and Global Teacher Karen. 

The GTs met up together at the weekend to catch up with each other and to plan two cluster training workshops for the following week, which will bring together staff members from a number of schools in the district to participate in teacher training. The planning sessions were lead by Arlene, GT Support, and members of the LCD South Africa team.

For more information about the Global Teachers Programme, see http://www.lcd.ie/

Welcome to Dutywa District!

Last Friday, 15th July, the Global Teachers (GTs) travelled from Centurion in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, to their new home, Dutywa District in the Eastern Cape.

Upon their arrival to the Eastern Cape, the GTs received a huge welcome at a reception organised by Link Community Development (LCD) South Africa and the Dutywa Department of Education.

We received this report from Siphiwo Thibane, LCD South Africa Project Manager.

"Various organisations and institutions presented messages of welcome and support, wishing the Global Teachers a happy and fruitful placement in the rural schools of the district".

"The Dutywa District Director of Education talked to a great extent about learner performance in South Africa where for example grade 6 learners were found unable to read, write and compute. He presented this as a challenge with the hope of getting some kind of intervention from the Global Teachers...he advised that sharing of teaching strategies with school teachers could possible lead to the desired outcome..."

Mr. Dwangu, Dutywa District Director of Education addressing the audience at the Global Teachers welcome reception

"Walter Sisulu University representative, Professor Jadezweni, pointed out that as a local university they support this kind of initiative as it aims at improving the quality of education in their feeder schools. He emphasized the problem of teaching and learning in a foreign language [i.e. English] as one of the reasons contributing to poor academic results in this country..." 

Professor Jadezweni of Walter Sisulu University speaks at the Global Teachers welcome reception.

"This was the most interesting moment, Global Teachers and school principals meeting for the first time. The school profiles and introduction letters which were exchanged before placement contributed to a speedy interaction between these two parties. It was a matter of putting a face behind a name already known. After the event, the Global Teachers were left in the good hands of principals to take them to their host families. 

The Global Teachers wait to meet the principals of their host schools.

"Global Teacher Máire Hearty greeted the audience in IsiXhosa language [one of the official languages of South Africa, widely spoken in the Eastern Cape] saying, “Molweni” [hello]. Máire thanked all present for their warm welcome, kindness and support".

Global Teacher Máire Hearty thanks everybody for the warm welcome to Dutywa District.

Visit www.lcd.ie for more information about the Global Teachers Programme.

Welcome to South Africa!

This week on the Global Teachers Programme

Monday - Tuesday

Global Teachers (GTs) Ann, Carmel, Clare, Karen, Lisa, Loraine, Maire, Michelle and Vicky set off from Dublin airport last Monday afternoon, arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday morning. They made their way to Centurion, where they were given a warm welcome by Gcina and Steve from the LCD South Africa head office. The GTs had previously worked with Gcina in Dublin at their initial pre-departure training weekend in April. 

The GTs were later joined by Arlene Walshe, GT Support, who will be providing advice and support to the teachers, and working with LCD South Africa over the next few weeks to coordinate the programme.

Wednesday - Thursday

The GTs participated in training sessions on health, safety and communication. They also learned about the work LCD South Africa does throughout the country, and how they can contribute to this work in order to improve the quality of education in South African schools. The GTs also met a Development Specialist from Irish Aid, the Irish Government's programme of assistance to developing countries, who spoke to them about the role of Irish Aid and the Irish Embassy in South Africa. The GTs also had an opportunity to learn some South African history by visiting the Apartheid Museum, and Soweto, a township that drew the world's attention in 1976 when mass anti-apartheid protests erupted.

This evening (Thursday), LCD South Africa CEO Steve Blunden will host dinner for the GTs and some LCD South Africa staff, before they depart for the Eastern Cape on Friday morning.

Friday - Sunday

The weekend will see the GTs arrive in the Dutywa District in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, their home for the next four weeks. The GTs will be staying with host families in different villages in the district. They have been looking forward to meeting their host families since they were introduced to them through photographs and short profiles at their second pre-departure training weekend in June. The weekend will be spent getting to know their host families and new neighbourhood.

Visit http://www.lcd.ie/ for more information about the Global Teachers Programme and Link Community Development.