Uganda 2018

This year marked the start of Advanced Facilitator Training in Kayunga District.

Conference for Principals, Head Teachers and District Officials: By repeating this conference in 2018, we were able to reach 53 new participants in 2018, making a total of 147 over two years. This means that a large number of the district’s school leaders have a greater understanding of EBB and student-centered learning, and hopefully this will lead to increased support for teachers implementing student-centered methodologies and to more teacher professional development initiatives. The conference covered the same topics as 2017, using an updated handout and activities.

Advanced Facilitator Training: The Advanced Facilitator Training week took place from Monday, July 30th to Saturday, August 4th. Of the 41 participants who undertook the training week, 38 completed the required content for certificates – 6 from St. Stephen’s. Redfern Kegonge, one of the trainers from Kenya, joined us during this week to support the training and add context and personal experience for the facilitators.

The three Canadian team members facilitated the week. The Ugandan facilitators were divided by geographical region for the preparation of Teacher Workshops. Each team of facilitators for the Teacher Workshops was composed of 6 to 9 facilitators, which was rather a large number to collaborate and make decisions on workshop design and facilitation. However, it was important that everyone should have the opportunity to facilitate, and indeed it was a condition for obtaining the certificate for Advanced Facilitator Training.

Teacher Workshops: Instead of delivering two 2-day teacher workshops, we delivered four 1-day teacher workshops to reach a larger number of teachers: approximately 200, rather than the planned 100 participants).

This format also allowed us to:

focus more on the practical aspects of implementation and less on the definition, rationale and characteristics of Collaborative Learning and Differentiated Instruction;
spend more time on subject area/level demonstrations of activities by facilitators;
include a longer lesson planning session in small groups. This involved teachers in preparing activities in relation to UG curriculum objectives: one to activate prior knowledge, one to acquire new learning andone to check for understanding. These activities were then modified to respond to the needs of various learners (DI);
deliver workshops in outlying Busaana and Kayonza sub-counties as well as two days in Kayunga Town Centre, making it more convenient for the teachers to attend.

We strategically planned for every school in Kayunga (over 47 schools) to have teachers represented at the workshops. This means there will be good penetration in Kayunga as well as better buy-in for future workshops and peer support. Baaleand Kayonza sub-counties are under represented by facilitators.Help from other facilitators in organizing short workshops and demonstrations will be welcome in these sub-counties. Also, priority will be given to training new facilitators from these sub-counties in 2019.

Sustainability: Sub-counties held meetings to determine their PLC action plans and a schedule for the coming year. Some new leaders emerged and together with others from 2017, they will organize professional development activities within each zone, starting after the holidays. Some of these teacher-leaders participated in the August 11, 2018 Stakeholders Meeting, and expressed their commitment to moving the program forward.

There was good attendance at both the pre and post-program Stakeholders Meetings and strong input from facilitators and other local leaders.Joseph Kajaye (Rotary Club) promised to support the program going forward. Andrew Kwete, of Kayunga District Teachers Union, (UNATU) promised the full support of the union, whose priority is quality education.