I met Ann Williams in
2009. She was teaching at Westwood Park
School located in Jos, Nigeria. She was
part of a training that CRWM was putting on for teachers with Ko Spyksma. One training was entitled “For the Love of
the Child”. The goal of the training was
to deepen teachers’ understanding of the potential for Christian education in
the West African context . One point
that struck many teachers was the idea that each child that is taught is
created in the image of God. This
challenged the typical teacher-student relationship. Ann was one of these teachers for whom this
training left a lasting impression.
I have had the privilege of getting together many times with
Ann since that time. She has attended
more trainings and talks about the impact of Christian education strategies on schools
in Nigeria. The discussion of timely
topics like corporal discipline and classroom management have brought about changes
in how the today’s teachers relate to students.
Each child is valued for their uniqueness and creativity. Each child is an image-bearer of the Creator.
Last week I had the opportunity to visit Ann again in
Jos. I hadn’t seen her for a while, so
it was great to catch up. As I stepped
into her office the first thing that caught my eye was her bulletin board. There was a snowflake. The message next to it read: “Like snowflakes, every child is
special.” This was a focus during one of
the trainings Ann had received some time back!
We got to sit down and chat. Ann has been doing trainings of
her own too. She takes what she has
learned and “steps it down” to take the information to the other staff at her
school. But other schools have also called her.
She has been asked to help with school improvement and quality
assurance. She takes what she has learned,
resources recommended to her, and passes on what she is learning to others.
I am reflecting on that message on her wall – each child is
indeed special. And every teacher is
special too! I am thankful for the
variety of teachers I have the privilege of working with. And I thank God for their uniqueness and how
God is using them to share His love with other teachers and children. Thank you, God, for the work you have given
me, to spread Christian education initiatives on fertile ground.
