Lynsey Robertson, an Art & Design Teacher based at Alloa Academy in Clackmannanshire, spent four weeks living and working in Nyamasheke in the Western Province of Rwanda during the summer of 2016.
Prior to placement, Lynsey was concerned she didn’t have sufficient skills or knowledge to meaningfully support the development of educationalists in Rwanda. In her own words, Lynsey shares how the experience of working with Rwandans and other Scottish based teachers has helped increase her awareness of, and confidence in, her own skills and abilities whilst providing greater insight into the Scottish education system and her potential within it.
“For me, the placement was a very special experience. I got so much from it, personally and professionally. As a result of this opportunity, I have moved away from viewing myself as just an art teacher.”
I was very lucky with my placement. It was fantastic. My IEE mentor was an absolute pleasure to work with; very committed to his job but open and honest about the challenges that exist within the Rwandan education system; something I could never understand without living and working in my host community.
Initially, I wasn’t confident that I, as an art teacher, could make an impact. I decided to spend my first week immersed in observations, I wanted to get an indication of how things worked. I attended many nursery and primary lessons, trying to establish what was working well and where I could provide some support. From here, my mentor and I developed and delivered a number of CLPL sessions focused on active learning strategies. The sessions were met with some real enthusiasm from the local teachers, but, if I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure if the teachers were being polite or, they actually felt the sessions were useful. Thankfully, my short-term uncertainty was soon quashed. After attending a mid-phase review with IEE and the full Cohort of teachers, I returned to my host school; my mentor was very excited to see me. Whilst I was at mid-phase review he had taken video footage of the nursery teachers with their students in the playground…. teaching using the active learning techniques we had worked on together! It was such a lovely, special thing to see.
In my final week, we (the Cohort) worked together in small groups, developing and delivering CLPL for IEE mentors which they could use to support teacher training in their schools. I worked with two other members of my Cohort; our CLPL session was designed to be delivered over 2 ½ days and we delivered two courses to 19 mentors over the final week. At the request of IEE, we focused on “incorporating skills and competencies in the classroom.” Initially, I was very wary of delivering this session as I didn’t feel like I was “expert” enough. However, working alongside other members of the Cohort provided me with the opportunity to learn, ask questions, and, identify where my skills and knowledge could compliment the work they had planned. In the end, I contributed so much more to the CLPL sessions than I thought I would be able to, it was a massive eye opener to me, I realised that I had more skill and ability than I had given myself credit for.
Through working alongside Rwandans in Rwanda, I have learned so much about their culture and their education system; insights you can only gain through a first-hand experience. Another added bonus is the relationships you build with other members of the Cohort; and in my view, this is just as important as the relationships you build with your Rwandan hosts. Working alongside other teachers and educationalists, I have developed a much stronger understanding of our own curriculum, subject areas, specialised job roles and our collective responsibility within the Scottish education system. I’m not just an art teacher, I have a responsibility to support the wider remit and I am very excited about getting stuck in and developing Learning for Sustainability not just in my daily practice, but within my school and the wider learning community.
