Jenn Cauley is a teacher at a primary school in Renfrewshire. She travelled to Uganda in the summer of 2018 in a bid to improve her own understanding, and in turn her pupils’ understanding, of global citizenship.
By immersing herself in another culture and education system, she developed skills and learned lessons which are continuously influencing her teaching.
“I absolutely love my job and one of the highlights is the fact that every day, each and every young person brings a different idea or perspective to the table. Part of my responsibility as an educator is to help pupils recognise their worth and their place in society as well as to grow their confidence. Regardless of your place of birth, your background or your experiences we all must do what we can with what we have to support the lives of others.”
Jenn is now being more resourceful in her classroom and incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals into her lessons. She has used her photographs, videos and experiences of Uganda to stimulate discussions with her pupils. She has shared her experiences with staff, hosted an assembly and is conducting a lot of her lessons outdoors.
“It’s had an interesting impact on my teaching philosophy, both within and outwith the classroom. I’ve realised that every day brings with it a new opportunity for learning – for both pupils and myself.”
Jenn’s other observations from her GLP experience:
“Our Ugandan mentor Faith said something that really stayed with me: “We may not have money, but all we need to be wealthy is to be satisfied with what we have. We can grow our own food. We have a strong community, good weather and we work hard. We are in the Pearl of Africa. That is being truly rich.” It was a lovely sentiment.””
“The teacher is the true resource in the classroom – everything else enhances the learning experience for the children.”
“GLP has given me the confidence to take more risks and to think outside of the box. I have been trying to build much more outdoor learning into my lessons, using natural resources in their natural state as well as adapting them to teach about things like pattern and symmetry.”
“Being part of this year’s cohort has taught me so many things about myself, about teaching and about the world around me. The Wood Foundation, GLP and Redearth were fantastic to work alongside.”