A week in Senegal

Abudacar

In International Schools local school staff are often those with the longest institutional memory. At the International School of Dakar in Senegal, Abudacar holds that role! As my driver on my first visit to the school he picked me up and shared a warm welcome to the school and his country. He shared the names of all the directors he had worked for over the past 12 years, including Mr Wayne, Ms Barb and now Mr Paul, his pride in his role and place in the school was evident. ISD is lucky to have Abudakcar!

I am lucky to have had this opportunity to visit ISD and work with the staff. The timing of the session was good, school has been in session 5 weeks, the initial anxiety at the start of the school year has dissipated but a long time remains to get tasks accomplished and to change and make the very best of the year ahead. The staff approached the work with open minds, energy and enthusiasm despite the fact that challenges where apparent. Currently it is very very hot in Dakar 95 -100 daily with humidity which makes it " feel" like 105 -110 and Dakar is in the midst of a water problem so many teachers have no water at home and the school is reduced to using the swimming pool as a water supply. Currently the only usable bathrooms are in the pool block. . Plus they are in the midst of a director search with 4 candidates arriving for interviews this week and next.

Nevertheless the friendliness and enthusiasm of the faculty was infectious and made me feel very much at home here

These issues which could easily have frayed tempers did not however phase the staff who welcomed me and clearly focused on the work we did together. Time was tight but we managed to prepare a small group of teacher volunteer leaders over a few days to then work with me and co facilitate a day with the whole faculty of 50 teachers and teaching assistants. This was really a trial by fire for the teacher leaders as it required they put into practice facilitation tools and processes with their peers which they had only just begun to get comfortable with themselves. They all more than rose to the occasion and the success of the full faculty day should make them breathe a sigh of relief and feel pleased with their efforts. This day successfully jump started the work and moved it from theory to practice.

The school will I hope now have a bunch of new strategies,

 tools and thinking to boost their ability to collaborate. I believe

 the interest and success generated will pave the way to new

 understandings and opportunities for them this school year.

       The key now will be practice, practice, practice.

I will leave with many great memories from this trip among them meeting Shelley Stein a fellow Vermonter and past Mt Abe teacher, a school I had been in literally the week before I flew to Senegal! Proof of the fact it is really a small small world.

Many people helped make this trip possible. The AISA group from 2012 - Murray, Tamara and Tracy who on their return shared what they found useful in last years session. Tracy has now moved on from ISD  but she helped a bunch in making this trip happen. This would also have not been possible without the support of Ian Clark, elementary principal who I first met in Delhi in 2010 at a NESA event. Ian ably picked up the reigns when the curriculum coordinator had a family issue and made sure I had a visa and accommodation, skyped to make sure I was well prepared and made me feel at home on arrival. Thanks Ian!

So long ISD I wish you well this school year, success in your search process and most of all water, water, water, buckets and buckets of it!   I look forward to seeing many of you in a few weeks at the AISA conference at the Lincoln School in Accra Ghana!