Outside my window, I hear a mother speaking to her child. She is leaving for work and giving instructions, "go to school and ensure that you listen to your teacher. Do all the assignments that you are given because it’s only through education that you will save your family from poverty." This makes me reflect on the work that I do with teachers and parents of students with learning difficulties: The constant challenges the parents go through when they realize that the dreams they had of their children going through education and later on getting white collar jobs might not happen. I also think of the teacher who has been trying all she can to ensure that the child improves in his learning in vain. I also think of the child who has by now realised that he is performing way below his classmates: the tests that he has continued taking and fail; the 'laughs' from peers and the sad reality that hits him, realising that he has disappointed everyone (parents, teachers, peers and self).
Outside my window I also see hope. I see a teacher leader who has been posted through a non-governmental organisation to work with schools and parents to offer technical assistance in supporting students with learning needs. The challenge looks overwhelming, but she realises that setting goals, investing in students and their families and planning purposefully might just be what is needed to begin helping these learners acquire skills and tools they need after leaving school.
The teacher leader is me. I’m expecting to network with other colleagues globally in order to share my experiences working with schools from marginalised communities and to receive feedback and insights.
#JHUglobaled
JHUglobaled
JHUglobaled
