Faces of Anguilla a common thread

Faces of Anguilla ~~ a common thread ~~ Project Overseas

Before travelling to Anguilla, our project began with an orientation session in…

…Ottawa Teams met at the Canadian Teachers Federation Administration’s Office for a three day orientation~ Each team had an opportunity to spend an afternoon with a representative of their host country in order to become acquainted with the country~

On July 10th, the teams left Ottawa for Africa, Mongolia, and the Caribbean~

I went to Anguilla with 3 other teachers from Nunavut, the Yukon and Ontario~

Anguilla... …is the most northerly of the leeward islands in the Eastern Caribbean

The island is 3 miles wide and 16 miles long with a population of about 15,000~

We were warmly welcomed by the Anguilan people…

…and the Anguilla Teachers’ Union, the co-tutors and teachers~

The island is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise waters, snorkeling and diving~

Its main industry is tourism~

The island is safe and hospitable. Everyone we encountered was courteous and helpful~

On a hot Friday afternoon, soon after we had arrived in Anguilla, I found myself in the Technology and Communication classroom for a planning session~ • My co-tutor had brought her nursing baby and her daughter, who was busy sketching a masterpiece… In the process of our discussion, I invited her daughter to join us at the workshop. She was pleased with the invitation and took me up on it~

Being a small island, word-of-mouth had spread quickly! On Monday morning, many teachers came to the workshops with their children…

…the builders of the future!

~Bringing their children to the workshop seemed to fit very much with the Caribbean way of life~

Typically, the day began with an assembly led by Marilyn Hodge~

Participants and guests were invited to take part in the opening exercise…

…to sing

…to tell a story

…to share a poem

My team and I taught alongside co-tutors and gave workshops on…

… classroom management …classroom management

…make and take

…English as a Second Language

…technology and communication

I was responsible for the technology and communication workshop… …the teachers’ initial uncertainty turned to awe when they had accomplished something they had thought was impossible~

Some helped other teachers~ Teachers also discovered things that I didn’t know, so we learned and shared together~ An older teacher came in early each morning to show me pictures of her family, grandchildren, the life she led as a young girl and important milestone as an adult~

Workshops in HIV / AIDS were also presented Week 1 Mrs. Patricia BeardHIV / AIDS Coordinator Week 2 Mr. John Lake National AIDS Program Officer

Teachers from week 1

Teachers from week 2

Our team met with Mr. Rodney Rey, an Education Ministry official, who was supportive of Project Overseas and the workshops

At the Anguilla Radio Station we were interviewed by Mr. Ken Hodge

Each morning, we awoke …to the call of the rooster’s crow …to a brilliant blue sky …to the turquoise ocean~

Each day, we walked to school, getting to know the local people and a bit about daily life~

Anguilla’s beauty, spirit and charm fits very much with what the locals call their little island “tranquility wrapped in blue"

As part of the web of humanity we are all connected in some wayIn this case our web of friendship is formed ~

Project Overseas is a joint professional development initiative of the CANADIAN TEACHERS’ FEDERATION and Member organizations commonly referred to as PO~ Team Anguilla

The Project involves Canadian teachers who volunteer their time and talents to assist in raising the academic and professional qualifications of teachers in developing countries~

50 teachers from across Canada were accepted by CTF to participate in Project Overseas to professionally assist fellow teachers in 13 developing countries ~Africa, Mongolia and the Caribbean~ for July and August 2007

The primary purpose of Project Overseas is to improve the quality of education in developing countries~

Professional development is the primary focus…

…and the goal is improved teaching and learning for students around the world~

Working towards quality public “Education for All” is the driving force behind the project~

In addition to raising the profile of the teacher organization in the developing country, Canadian teachers learn from their host country colleagues and each other~

This year alone, 1,691 teachers in 13 countries received in-service training~

Faces of Anguilla a common thread