19th May 2009

‘What do you actually do all day?’ is a question I’m often asked (it’s a question I often ask myself). I do many things: some of which were on my original job description, most of which I enjoy, and a good number of which – I hope – are useful.

I originally came to work for this NGO as a complement to a volunteer already here who had worked with the first two teachers to set up a curriculum (within the limits of the Ethiopian curriculum), was providing basic training for the teachers on lesson planning etc, and overseeing the general running of the school. I was coming to introduce ‘active learning’, extra curricula activities, and to use my dance, drama and ‘alternative education’ background to help the students develop skills such as teamwork and communication, and to raise confidence. I was also going to work with the teachers to move away from ‘rote learning’.

It didn’t quite work out like that! The other volunteer has left, and although I am still doing everything said above, I am also in charge of the general admin and day to day running of the school. That means I monitor attendance, observe classes, manage the teachers, oversee the delivering of the curriculum, liase with the local government and provide the relevant reports to the people who ask.

I also assist the Project Manager and the Directors by being a bank signatory, preparing accounts, assisting with the construction plan and staff management.

So my days are generally filled with a variety of different things, both based in the office in the town and in the school outside. Sometimes – when there is power, preferably! – I’m in the office writing reports, planning lessons or training, collating the teacher’s daily attendance reports, and I’ve spent the last few weeks creating, with the Directors, a ‘Staff Handbook’ and financial policy and procedures.

Around twice or three times a week I am at the school either working with the students, meeting with the teachers or parent’s committee, running training sessions, or sorting resources. Once a week, I sit down with Ab and we talk to the students, creating files of basic personal information about them so we can personalise learning and fulfil our child protection responsibilities.

It’s being in the classroom I enjoy most. Although I sometimes find the teacher training daunting, it’s really great when I see them using the activities in their own teaching practice, and I can see the effect on the children’s learning.

Then of course there are the children themselves, and working with them is the bit I enjoy most – both in the classroom and out! We took a load of bubble mixture to the school this week and spent a happy 15 minutes seeing who could blow the most bubbles, running across the compound after them, and laughing hysterically – and that includes the staff and the teachers!

I also enjoy the office management side of it – co-ordinating information, setting down policies and procedures, keeping records … and just generally indulging my control freakish tendencies!

I was lucky that my job before I left the UK was so diverse – with some great mentors - and I developed a range of skills I didn’t think I was ever going to use. How wrong I was!