Mundelein High School Math instructors Maggie Sharp and Julie Block are gearing up for what will most likely be an experience of a lifetime—they will be spending part of their summer in Ghana, Africa, as part of the Limited Resource Teacher Training [LRTT] Program. LRTT has created an empowered global community of teachers by leading engaging teacher training. The young women can’t wait to get started.
“Our mission is to run a three-week intensive professional development program targeted specifically at areas of growth that the local teachers identify,” Sharp explained. “We will work with them to develop strategies to implement in their own classrooms to help improve instruction, relationships, and outcomes for students,” she said.
Sharp first learned of the program from a friend of hers who spent last summer in Ghana. Once she shared the information with Sharp, she was hooked. She then shared the information with Block and the two decided it was the right thing to do in the upcoming summer.
“I am excited to learn from other teachers around the world and to learn about the strategies they use in their classrooms and how that might be different from mine,” Block said. Sharp added “Any opportunity to travel and experience a different culture is exciting, but this is such a unique context I know I will grow both personally and professionally.
During their time with the program the two will stay in local guest houses or university housing and travel within Ghana by taxi and/or minivan. They will work hard but also have time to explore their new environment.
According to Sharp, the focus of LRTT is on holistic professional growth for all people involved in the program. LRTT supports and encourages just as much growth and exploration for its fellows [like Sharp and Block] as it does for the teachers they will train.
Block is looking forward to learning the best ways to support Ghana teachers. “Going into it, I have to understand that their philosophy of teaching is totally different than mine and will challenge my ideas.
Sharp is looking for growth and introspection. “I look forward to gaining a more ‘global perspective’ when it comes to defining quality education,” she explained. “It is so important to me in the field of education to constantly push myself outside my comfort zone and experience new and different challenges in order to develop the best model for my own classroom … I know I will learn a lot through this experience.”
Both teachers have hopes for the long-lasting results of their summer. “We believe we will be much more prepared to collaborate with teachers here when we return to problem-solve issues in our own department,” Sharp said. “We will bring new ideas, stories and experiences back with us that we will be able to use to help our students develop a more global understanding of what schooling looks like around the world,” she said. They also expect to be more prepared to take on leadership roles at MHS once they complete this experience.