#TeacherTuesdays World War One Trench Model

This week's challenge was a model of a World War One trench on a limited budget! First up the lid of a copier box had part of the sides cut out, display border stapled on and the top edge folded in. I then stuck tea died bandages on the folded cardboard to act as sandbags. A few used tea bags and some polystyrene packaging for more internal sandbags:

Mud coloured paint liberally added:

Today we added more polystyrene sandbags, a wooden ladder to reach the trench front and some more little features:

More photos:

#TeacherTuesday Week 2 Natelee, Honduras

This is part of a UNESCO campaign to highlight the difficulties teachers around the world face. Today its Honduras and Natelee:

Interview with Natelee - a teacher on the Bay islands, Honduras 

I still remember my first experience as a young teacher. I was 19 when I started teaching at a preschool. I was working in a bilingual private school and I was amazed by the learning pace and products of the students. I believe that everything hinges on the presence of intelligent, passionate, caring and sensitive teachers working day to day in country’s classrooms. We also have to find way to motivate and appreciate them. As a young teacher I realized early that I had to keep upgrading myself, which is why I attended self-development classes. I am hyperactive!! 

During my third year of teaching, I realized that one of students was an autistic child. I wanted to ensure that I cater to his needs, so I had to get training to try my best to make my class dynamic. Sometimes we have limited resources, however that did not detour me from changing the décor in my class every month, I also invited speakers to come speak to my class. I brought in people (police, firefighters and dive masters) as a way to complement the curriculum. As the years went by, so did my need to do more, so I got myself certified as a teaching instructor and did a lot of traveling to help me better understand why intercultural education is important in a multicultural context. Building a solid relationship with parents was a way for me to motivate them about getting more 
involved with their kids learning. By integrating all those elements into my teaching style, I feel like I’ve become a better teacher. The kids that I taught in 1st grade are now in the 9th grade, and it’s so nice when I see them, I can say I did something! 

My teaching style is based on the teachers I had in school because they saw I was hyperactive so instead of bashing me, they helped find ways to respond to me and to integrate it into their teaching. It was important to have teachers who understood and saw my potential. Those teachers helped shape the way I teach and learn. For that I am thankful. And most importantly my mother and grandmother are teachers, as was my father. Teaching is in the family! 

In Honduras there are 9 indigenous groups (Miskitu, Tawakha, Lenca, Tolupan, Maya-Chorti, Garifuna, Nahao, Pech, Negro de Habla Ingles) and 7 languages. Two groups have lost their language and became fragmented. One of those languages (lenca) is almost extinct, there is now a process of revitalization to try and keep that language alive. 

#TeacherTuesday Esnart Chapomba in Malawi

This is part of a UNESCO campaign to highlight the difficulties teachers around the world face. For the first week we are hearing from Esnart Chapomba in Malawi. 

Esnart and her family

This is a transcript of an interview with her:



• I am a self-motivated person who strives to make a positive impact on other people’s lives so that they can use their knowledge to change their own lives and those of others.

• At present, I am no longer teaching full time in class but I train Complementary Basic Education (CBE) facilitators who teach out of school youths and children. These facilitators are met in their village zones/clusters.

• The schools in which facilitators teach are in the rural areas and a maximum of 60 facilitators are trained though mostly such trainings would take place at zonal level where a group of 15 facilitators are trained. CBE classes are held in borrowed premises such as school classrooms or any other community building as they only exist for three years to help school drop outs catch up with learning and those who have never been to school to learn before they go back to formal schools.

• I have been a teacher for 25 years.

• I teach adults who in turn teach children and youth of ages 9 to 17 years.

• There are about 60% males and 40% females in my class.

• My classroom is a permanent building with all facilities available. It has model teaching and learning resources that my students could learn from and make their own in their respective classrooms.

• My students are of diverse abilities and backgrounds, but I create an environment where all are given equal opportunity to learn from me and from others.

EXPERIENCE AS A TEACHER IN MALAWI