Teach

I have to admit, I was nervous about introducing Senegal and Senegalese culture to my students, for fear that they either wouldn’t be as excited as I was or that they would treat the students and the opportunity as extremely “different”. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by their willingness and excitement about engaging with and learning about students on the other side of the world.

I say that, with full transparency, to say that if you are nervous about beginning, don’t be. Start small, with a simple lesson that explores notions and slowly build a unit of study. Think about what is most important to share and invite the students to share their thoughts. They will tell you how to lead them if you are willing to listen.

I started thinking about what it means to be globally competent and how those skills and characteristics fit with lessons and units that I’ve previously taught.

In addition to the Resources Page, you can also visit the Buck Institute for Education for additional support with creating project based learning opportunities.

This is the lesson that my partner teacher, Gretchan, and I created and successfully implemented while in Thiès, Senegal. Click the link to download. Warning: The file is large because of the amount of pictures included.
The unit of study that I created, “Identity: I Am, They Are, We Are” considers multiple perspectives and stereotypes, and self-perception. Click the image to access the document. Click here to read an “in the moment” reflection about the process.

This website is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the participant’s own and do not represent the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, the U.S. Department of State, or IREX.