I could tell Tyler Tomas-Izuagie was going to be effective in her teaching session with the Ghanaian students. She had a contagious confidence and seemed like an incredible teacher even though I had never seen her teach. But there was this subtle nervousness I had. My nervousness had nothing to do with Tyler, but rather the students. Kids in Kindergarten can be unpredictable. God knows what they might unleash on a foreign teacher with an accent.
Right from the start, Mr. Tete encouraged all teachers in the cohort to practice gracious space which is a core principle of the Witness Tree institute of Ghana. Giving gracious space for the American teachers was easy. It was a part of my Ghanaian heritage to be as hospitable as possible to our guests. My experiences as a teacher were limited to the few classes where I have taught. I had never taught a kindergarten class and I admit I was a bit scared of the notion of stepping into one.
The American teachers were all awesome and diversely unique. Tyler was unique in in her own “Tylerish” way. It was nice to be paired up with her for the teaching exercise. The idea behind the exercise was to give the American teachers a taste of a Ghanaian classroom. The American teachers were to lead the lessons, and the Ghanaian teachers they were paired up with were to offer support if needed.
Tyler was really excited and had everything planned out. Her confidence seemed reinforced by her experience. It was sure to be perfect. But then again, it’s four year olds we were dealing with. Is there such a thing as perfect when four years olds are involved?
As we walked towards the class I hoped for the best. I took comfort in Tyler’s excitement. I took a deep breath at the class entrance. This was the moment we had been preparing for. The class rose to their feet as soon as we walked in. The children greeted Tyler and me in unison. This was a show of the informal education the kids had received from home: the Ghanaian tradition of respect and the value of hospitality. I looked at the faces of the kids. They seemed excitedly anxious.
I looked at Tyler. She looked extremely happy to be there. We exchanged pleasantries with the kind class teacher and then it was time for Tyler to teach.
The kids were far more enthusiastic about the lesson than I could have imagined. Tyler was simply amazing. Her optimism paid off. She matched the chaotic energy of the kids with charisma and enthusiasm. For me, it was like watching an artist at work, from the singing at the beginning of the lesson to the activities that engaged the class. It was beautiful to watch.
As a teacher, I was reminded that children will always be children. They hold no judgement or bias. It didn’t matter if it was a Ghanaian or American teacher who stood before them. And just as I learnt so much from Tyler’s optimism, it serves as reminder that we can all learn from one another. From an American to a Ghanaian teacher and from a Ghanaian teacher to an American teacher.
by Mawuli Komla Fianyo, Teacher at The Chati Basic School, Oti Region, Ghana