Transformation of Teachers – the Tiny Steps

Tosin

 

         I have been really encouraged by the small changes I am seeing in the lives of teachers that I have been working with.  Tosin talks about how she viewed biblical integration before (adding a moral to a lesson) and after (a deeper concept acknowledging God as Creator).  Doris has a box of activities for the students to do when they are finished their work, and a tin of pencils already sharpened in an attempt to both engage students and make the most of every minute in her classroom.  Jennifer has set up centers in her Kindergarten class.  She borrows books regularly and attends seminars paying out of her own pocket.  Ego shares how her perspective on children has changed (see January blog).  Bell-Gam came in this week to share about how it went when she tried to make her students talk more in class.  Spencer and Ngozi have gone to other schools to lead trainings on Christian Education. Praise God for tiny steps!

Doris

 

Jennifer

Spencer

 

Making the most of unexpected school closures.

The month of January brought about serious disruptions for education in Nigeria. Due to voter registration for the upcoming national elections in April – all schools were closed for the entire month of January. I decided this was an opportunity God could use, and I just HAD to take advantage of it.

So for one week, we had practical teacher workshops here at the Daniel Center. Approximately 115 teachers from about 20 different schools came to attend one or more of the workshops.

Topics included:

Monday: Bulletin Boards with a Purpose

Tuesday: Teaching and Learning Through Games and Play

Wednesday: Classroom Management Techniques and Alternative Discipline Techniques

Thursday: Calendar Activities

Friday: Two different Workshops: 1)Alphabet Strips and Cards 2) Math Can be Fun!

Teachers were excited and engaged. New techniques and ideas left them challenged and inspired to try new things as they returned to their classrooms. And I had so much fun! I love teaching, and this was an opportunity for me to take time to do this too.

One testimony from Mrs. Ego Salami:

I have never been inspired like this in my entire life in the area of teaching. I learn a new way of “correcting” my pupils in the class. I felt so bad and guilty after the teaching on “Classroom Management Tips and Alternative Discipline Techniques” on Wednesday. I actually realised I had been unfair to my kids. Instead of scolding and shouting on them, I should have trained and prepared them so well to behave in a mature way. I asked God to forgive me.

I have learnt a new way of loving them and I believe God will give me the grace to love them more.

Thank you Miss Dykstra. I pray that God will continue to use you to help more people to realise who they are and what God has called them to do.

Thank you once again.

Salami, Ego (Mrs.)
Safe Hands School, Abuja

Reflections and Resolutions 2011

The coming of a new year brings about opportunity for reflection and resolutions.

We can look back on the year that has past...its highlights, joys, sorrows. Its successes and failures.

This year I have so many things I want to do!

Professionally, I want to develop deeper relationships with the teachers i work with, offer more trainings, visit schools more, teach more classes, learn more. I want to communicate better with my supporters.

Personally, I want to be more intentional in my relationships with those around me, live a healthier lifestyle, give more, rest more.

That's a mighty long list!

I was just hearing on the radio that people generally make the SAME new year's resolutions for 10 years. What does that say about keeping them?!

The truth is, I can't do it all. As motivated as I am, I am only human.

So, I will start my year by reflecting on these verses...

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!"
2.cor.5.17

"My grace is sufficient for you
for my power is made perfect in weakness"
2 Cor.12:9

Why these verses?

I need to be reminded that it is not me who can accomplish anything. I am God's child, and he has created me for His purpose. HE is the one who can and will make things new - my relationships, my work, my health. In fact, He already has. And it is only as I give myself to Him that all things will come into perspective. For they are not mine to begin with.

I am resolving to...

"Seek first HIS kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matt.6:33

"In Him we live and move and have our being"
Acts 17:28

As I submit, as I keep my eyes on the One who made me - this is where I will find abundant life.

This is where I will find meaning.
love.
joy.
peace.

From here I can move forward and accomplish that which HE would have me do this year.

Maybe it will include everything on my list.

Maybe not.

But I will have success as I walk with my Creator.

And really, that's all there is to it.

Bring on 2011.

Looking Back at 2010

I will start today by sharing a few snapshots/highlights of the last year.

As you look through the pictures please join me in thanking God for a fruitful year. Thank God for the relationships built and established with teachers, schools, and friends. Join me also in praying for those involved in Christian Education all across West Africa. Pray that as God continues to bring about growth in their lives, each may do their own part in sharing God's love with those in their care.

January.
parents visit nigeria.


February.May.
volunteers come.




Gary Dewey.

John VanderHoek.

May.
train the trainers group launched in abuja.
meeting monthly.

I am very excited about the launching of this group! This year, I have become most passionate about developing leaders in Christian Education who can lead and teach others. The group of teachers, principals, and owners of schools represented here are just those type of leaders.

They are passionate about their calling as teachers. They are eager to live out their faith in their schools and classrooms through how they teach and what they teach. They are thirsty for knowledge, and seek to grow in wisdom! Praise God for each of them!

July.August.November.
visiting other parts of west africa

















January.Takum.
April.Abuja.
May.Jos.
September.Gboko.
and many in between :)
conferences and workshops with schools and teachers
























April.August.Kenya.
developing and testing educational care materials

June.
flatmates!

I moved into a lovely house with two friends: Yetunde and Eunice. It has been great to have people to come home to, laugh and share with.



















All Year.
school visits with teachers and children










working with my colleagues.

It has been a wonderful year growing together with my colleagues Mike and Megan Ribbens. They have been a source of joy and encouragement as we work together in ministry.





December.
trip to Paris with my sister.





christmas in Canada with my family!

teachers become students to reach students

I LOVE teaching. There are so many things I like about it, but the most rewarding is seeing students learn and grow - and the learning and growing I do as a result of that too.
When I took this new position, one of my big concerns was leaving the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed the daily interactions and relationship building. I still miss it.
But God, in His wisdom, has given me opportunity to have a much bigger classroom, with teachers as my students, and me getting to be a student of many teachers. I thoroughly enjoy entering their classrooms, seeing their daily interactions and relationship building.



Mrs. Madueke and her class at Alama Private School

I am also blessed by having teachers in a classroom together. Allow me to give you a picture of some of these experiences...




teacher training follow-up seminar in jos, nigeria












Teachers come together to listen to each other's joys and challenges, and find encouragement in knowing they are not in this alone...




Teachers reflect on their current teaching practices, and how they can do things better...



Teachers also put practice new teaching strategies as they encounter new ideas. Many classes experience the "lecture, copy, memorize" teaching method on a daily basis. During seminars, teachers are stretched as they demonstrate/teach others what they have learned through...



POEMS




POSTERS




DRAMA, GROUP DISCUSSIONS, and much more!


Goal setting is also integral as we meet together. What we learn doesn't mean anything unless there is change in our lives, and in our classrooms!

































I STILL love teaching. And I do miss the classroom. But I still get to experience those things that I love and watch God do some amazing things in the lives of teachers and then on to their students. Praise Him for that!



Mrs. Madueke and I in her classroom

a work in progress

I would like you to meet Rex. Rex came my office at the Daniel Center almost immediately after I arrived in January. He was what they call here a "teacher candidate" (This means someone who is looking for a job). He was very interested in the idea of Christian Education, and began attending the monthly "Prayer Altar" meetings. He came to visit me in my office several times: borrowing books, asking questions that arose as he had discussions with others about Christian Education. He has written today's blog posting. Please join me in thanking God for the work in progress in his life and the lives of many teachers like him.







I must confess that for me “Christian” education is a relatively new term, not to mention teaching with a Biblical perspective. I have never considered teaching as a calling since I had not the least idea of anything called Christian education, moreso that, the least of us here in Nigeria would really want to make a career from teaching. Though I like to impact knowledge to others, if I ever gave it a thought, the university level has been my only consideration. But thanks to Sheila Dykstra and to all of you out there who are making this possible. Thanks a lot.

As a Christian, my familiarity with the “Great Commission” given by Jesus Christ is not in any doubt at all. The doubtful issue is the thought of ever being a pastor/preacher/evangelist. To say the least, I never thought one could actually evangelize others in any life undertaking be him a teacher, doctor, nurse, pilot, engineer, lawyer, etc… But many thanks to Sheila who is walking with West Africa. Through her missionary work, people like us can also disciple others, especially the young ones.

Since Sheila assumed work in Abuja, people like me have learnt so much in the area of Christian Education. I have been attending conferences, seminars, workshops all on Christian Education. These and the Prayer Altar for Christian Schools raised by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) have really touched and brought meaning to what some of us do as teachers.



When I first attended the prayer altar meeting and when the prayer was done with, “Biblical Worldview” was introduced and a demonstration was carried out. Ever since then it has been fantastic and exciting you know. I just discovered who I am: that God has called me to be a teacher so I could evangelize and make disciples of kids. The Christian teacher needs to lead kids to Christ and build them in Christ so they will serve Christ in all areas of their lives. To achieve this, I needed to teach kids the truth. But what is truth? All truth is God’s truth. They are imaging God and so must flee from all sins and receive Christ for them to be saved. This is where I must use the story of “Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration”.

In one of the Leadership Conferences titled “Rescuing the Next Generation: Now or Never”, I was exposed to the dangers faced by today’s youths and the imperative to rescue them which rests squarely on Christian schooling.
To achieve all these in the present world is a huge task. So Christian educators need to understand our times as we prepare students to the battle of truth (and I tell you what, great just was done to this by our sister Tosin during one of our prayer altar sessions**). I was exposed to the challenges of Christian schooling such as competing and conflicting worldviews. We also discussed the window of opportunity available in our time despite the opportunity that has been lost.

I must also mention the fact that the array of literature on Christian Education*** has been very helpful. Textbooks like “Walking with God in the Classroom” have particularly been found handy especially for classroom management . More and more is being revealed everyday and I tell you what, it’s been exciting all the way!

Thanks and keep doing what you do. Bye.

Rex Edward Gbangban








**Tosin is another teacher we have been working with who is passionate about training others. She has received very basic training, but is already taking what she has learned and teaching it to others. Praise God for that!

***I have a resource library in my office that teachers can come and borrow books from. We are also trying to import some for sale, and publish some here to make resources available at a more reasonable cost.


Rex relays stories from his classroom:
• One day a child’s father came to me and asked, “What have you been teaching in your classroom?! My child comes home always telling me to be a good accountant, that I am responsible for the money that I deal with.”
• One day the students were having difficulty answering a question that I had posed. A Muslim child in the class stood up and said, “But, Mr. Rex, you didn’t pray at the beginning of the lesson, maybe that is why our heads are blocked.” :)

students joining the movement..

A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak at a career day at a local Christian Secondary School. I was asked to speak on becoming a teacher. Wow, I thought, what an opportunity. Here in Nigeria, the teaching profession is not highly regarded. In fact, I would venture to say that 5% (?) of teachers are teaching because that is what they want to do. Teaching is viewed as a job to take if nothing else works out. Most students here have their eyes set on one of the following professions: doctor, architect, engineer, banker, lawyer.

So...what was I going to do? I really prayed that God would give me wisdom to know what to say and how to say it.

I spoke of the privilege it is for me to teach. I spoke of the opportunity teaching presents to impact so many people in profound ways. I asked the students what qualities a teacher needed to possess.
Patience.
Sincerity.
Integrity.

Wow. I told them I was challenged, and I also told their teachers I hope they were challenged too.
I shared with them that even though teaching is not highly regarded, it needs to be. That teaching is the place where change of a child, a class, a generation, a country can really happen. And until some of us step out in faith to take up the call, things would continue as they are.

The students, teachers, and parents SEEMED engaged. I prayed that impact would be made.

I had to leave early to get to another meeting, so I was not even able to talk with anyone to get a feel of people's response.

As I left the building, a student came out running after me. She said that she was really touched by what I said, and that she had written a poem for me as and after I was speaking.



She said that she has always wanted to become a teacher. This is the first time I have heard a student here in Nigeria tell me this.

I was touched.

Pray that God would use this girl, and students like her to rise up and bring about change in the state of education here in Nigeria.