Imagine: A Stick-Free Society

Teacher Development Workshop 2014

“How can there be something better than 'The Stick'?” a teacher asked sincerely.

“Through this workshop we’re going to learn many other ways to manage your classroom besides 'The Stick,'” John countered.

And so our 2 weeks of the Teacher Development Workshop progressed. Last night was our final session.  

We hadn’t taught this particular material in Egypt before so we weren’t really sure what to expect.  A friend of ours arranged the location (our local village), the building (the neighborhood mosque), the time of day (5:30-8:30 pm) and the attendees (teachers in government schools).

Our first night we had around 33 in attendance and also 3 babies, a couple toddlers and various elementary-aged children running in and out.  Some came initially for curiosity.  Over the days we finally settled into an attendance of averaging 20-22 (plus the tiny to mid-sized people who came with their mothers).

We used a translator because frankly even some first-language English speakers would have trouble initially understanding some of the educational concepts that are necessary to the teaching.  (And let's be real...NO ONE wants to learn from a Tarzan-like speaking delivery.)

Imagine if you were a government teacher in Egypt.  You have a small classroom, the walls are scuffed and there aren’t enough chairs or desks.  Each textbook is shared between 3 students.  The teacher/student ratio ranges from 25-45 to 1. The school year is from October to December and Mid-February to April.  There are four periods in the day including one period for Islamics.  The remaining three are used to teach all other required educational benchmarks required by the government.  The only form of discipline you’ve been taught to use is “The Stick.”  It’s what you experienced when you were a student and it’s what you know as “normal” as a teacher.  No cooling (in the long summers), no heat (in winter).  You tutor students after class to supplement your salary trying to help them achieve the standards that you are unable to reach in the allotted classroom time. "Lack" and "same" are the two words you mutter most.

Yet here were these teachers gathered in this room together all sitting with their notebooks and pens ready.  They long for new information, new approaches, different resources.  We even taught them a couple affirmation cheers, i.e. “Rollercoaster,” “Fantastic,” and “Firecracker.”  They loved them and insisted we use them throughout the teaching.

I believe this kind of teaching is especially poignant right now for Egypt.  As my Grandma said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’re gonna get what you’ve always got.”  In other words, unless new types of thinking and problem-solving are interjected into a society, they will “get what they’ve always got.”

As they began to soak in some of the concepts, we could see understanding in their eyes.  Things could be different.  Life doesn’t have to be the same from generation to generation.  Hope was forming.  

John closed asking God to bless them and telling them that as a man of prayer he will be praying for each of them.  They smiled and did the “Rollercoaster” cheer for us.

We then presented completion certificates to each of them and took a class photo.  Some of the ladies weren’t keen on photos so we told them “no problem” and made sure they weren’t included.  I had made bupcakes (“cupcakes”) and passed them around.  They all clapped and took pictures making me feel like Tom Colicchio in the airport.

Kids then came out of the woodwork and we gave all the treats away.  We hugged one another, took a few selfies and then said our goodbyes.

The teachers were already planning what they’d like to learn at the next workshop.

It was a good week; one filled with hope and promise (and no stick) for a beautiful people.