Third Chapter

Third Chapter

And what else did we do in the course?

On the second day of the course, we arrive early at the university. In the yard, some of the participants are already greeting us with a smile; in "Shalom" (peace) in Hebrew (because we learned them a few words in Hebrew last night and so we do every day during the two weeks of the course).

Yesterday, before we were going to the hotel, we asked two volunteers to tell a short story about success in their work. Dr. Boza told us a fascinating story. Dr/ Boza spent a few years in the province of Brazil. There, a veteran teacher watched him and saw that the young teacher was suffering from severe discipline problems. At the end of the class, he offered to teach him some rules to help him become a good teacher:

1. Get to know your students well

2. Try to understand the students

3. Don't conduct a monologue - Have a dialogue with the students

4. Learn so that there is a constant connection between lessons

5. Love your students to join you in the learning process

6. Learn and teach - The teacher learns from his students and students from the teacher

7. Constant dialogue - formal and informal

After the acquaintance activities, we did with the participants yesterday and after the morning story of Dr. Boza, we start with some theory on 'Expanding the concept of learning'. The first days of every course of study are the most exhausting because one must pass the hurdle of first acquaintance, of mutual trust, of cooperation, something that every teacher or lecturer is well acquainted with. Now the people are attentive, cooperating, asking questions.

Later this morning, we address the comments of the participants about the syllabus that was shared last night. The participants asked that we go deeper into the subject of supervision. It turns out that the state has only supervision "on paper", but in practice, almost "every man did that which was right in his own eyes"[1] in the various schools. (This was seen on our visits to the schools). The other topics are acceptable to them and so we approach intensive work throughout the day.

---

[1] Judges, 17:6.

A young woman named Esther, who joins the course a little late, introduces herself as a supervisor. There is an unpleasant noise in the room and we notice that the group members are looking at Esther with a dismissive look. The woman is very skinny and beautiful, has a pleasant and childish voice and she quickly overcomes the cool reception and presents herself and her expectations of the course. Towards the end of the course, she takes us to one of the schools under her supervision. (It was a hard and interesting experience to be told in the chapter on educational institutions).

The cycle of development:

The cycle of development, which members of my Institute know orally, I pass through a laptop and a screen (a wonderful surprise ...) But this time, after presenting the cycle, we divide them into small groups to discuss the questions: In which station do I least visit? In the plenary, we repeatedly find that human beings are alike and it doesn't matter if they live in Europe, Asia or Africa.

Here, too, most of the participants do not visit the stations of satisfaction, comfort, and thought of the act.

When I present the keys offered by Clarkson (the researcher) a fascinating dialogue is held with the participants. Felisa and I feel that we can stay awhile at the satisfaction and relaxation station and hence move on to the next few days for the better.

Responsibility, capability, and feedback in education

One of the fascinating issues in this kind of education is our responsibility and ability as educators. The entire world is astonished at the opacity of the United States of America toward the population of New Orleans. Here is exactly the place to make it clear that responsibility is not equivalent to the concept of guilt but exactly: I will do my best! Residents in Africa frequently ask the Western world: Is anyone doing their best to help them out of the misery of daily life?

One of the tools that served us well last year on the island of Sao Tome, and continues to serve us here in Angola, is the feedback. The feedback is such a wonderful tool in such short training. It teaches us about the atmosphere, serves as a measure of satisfaction, a source for comments, enlightenments, and requests for continuation. Every day, in the afternoon, as we prepare for the next day, this feedbacks are a wonderful barometer and compass for continuing the course. We discuss how to stick to our original plan or make changes based on what we learn from the feedback.

Feedback, gentlemen, feedback

At the end of each day, we ask for feedback from the participants. To that end, we have prepared a very wide variety of forms of feedback. Written feedback such as: Write with what you came the course this morning and how did you get out at the end of the day?

Drawing of a backpack and trash can – what do you take with you and what you want to throw in the trash. (Incidentally, one of our metrics for the success of this course was this feedback. People said they had nothing to throw in the garbage can).

Oral Feedback: A word for the end of the day, Felisa gives candy to everyone and asks for one good word.

Later in the first week and the second week, the participants give each other feedback. Working in groups allows for a variety of observations-related activities to be conducted on schools, creative work in the classroom, and so on.

The participants are full of admiration for the openness that enables feedback. The fact that we approach the feedback given the day before is another lesson for them. It is a tool that can be used for everyday work with the university students and the students they will teach in the future.

The climax of the feedback was held the day before the course ended when the students were divided into working groups and each group wrote a "certificate" for the course. The certificate had to take into account the physical, organizational aspects of the course and the program aspects and the level of course offerings. This feedback activity is most exciting, as it is a kind of mirror that stands in front of us and reflects our work.

And on the evening of the day...

We feel great satisfaction from the work. Our ability to work as a duo allows this feeling. Each one knows her strong parts and that of her friend and we direct the course plan so that we get the best out of each other and from our togetherness. The people in the group feel this connection and are treated with great appreciation.

In the evenings, in the lobby of the hotel, we have engaging conversations with participants who wanted to meet us. Most of them are all asking for advice and ideas on how to improve the education system in their country. We are happy for these meetings that fill our evenings and clear away the sense of closure we are in.

Vera, the only white woman in the course invites us to her house for dinner. Her husband is a mixed Angolan, a very pleasant and handsome man who tells us fascinating stories about the status of women in Angola. Apparently, in this country, there are quite a few women who are married to two men and who decide with whom she will spend the night... Something we know from the other side of the barricade.

Next time: A visit to the educational institutions (continue of the third chapter).

---

[1] Judges, 17:6.