Partner Schools hold gathering about teaching amidst insecurity
We’re pleased to share that last Tuesday we were able to organize a gathering for four of our partner schools. The theme of the day-long meeting was, “What impact is the country’s insecurity having on our students and families?,” and “What are the best methods to teach students in this time of crisis?”
They used the Open Space approach to elicit topics for discussion from the 43 teachers and leaders from the four schools. Here are just a few of the topics addressed:
- How can families help children in times of insecurity?
- What means do we have to fight against insecurity?
- How can a person manage depression in a time of insecurity?
The topics were then addressed in small groups, based on participants’ interests. Here are just a couple of the conclusions they arrived at together:
- Listen carefully to student grievances so as to better understand them and the reasons for their learning difficulties.
- Meet more often with parents and to engage them more in their children’s education.
While the ostensible objective of the meeting was to address these critical issues, it was also an opportunity for teachers and staff from the four schools to reconnect and find some collegial support as they work through these difficult times. In this way the gathering worked to strengthen the Partner School network itself as a source of support.
We are very grateful to our colleagues on the ground in Haiti who made this gathering possible. We very much look forward to the next time we’re able to bring everyone together, both in Haiti and from abroad.
