Do you hear what I hear?

Today was the last day of our teacher training session before we go observe the teachers practicing this new curriculum in the classroom. It was a day about learning and it was a day where the teacher's personalities truly shined. As teacher trainers, we were able to learn if the trainees heard us while we taught our curriculum the day before. Communication can be challenging in the same language, let alone another. We were pleased to learn that the teachers heard us and were able to deliver the program with minor corrections. Pretty amazing!

Today was a day that Giulietta mostly facilitated. The purpose of the day was to have teachers practice the new curriculum with each other in small teams, role playing as the teacher and students. As we kicked off the day, the teachers divided into groups of 4, reviewing the curriculum and role playing with each other. 

After the teams had some time to practice and share feedback, we reserved an hour for recreational activities, which was something the group had requested the day prior. In the Nepali culture, it is common to allow time for singing, dancing, reciting poems, etc., so we reserved the time to do just that right before lunch. That was truly an amazing experience and very fun! We should learn to take dancing and singing breaks during training sessions or meetings in the states too.  :)

The picture above is the director of the ICRI organization singing a traditional Nepali song. We were able to get video of some of the other dances and activities, but we unfortunately cannot post them here. We will have to post them on Facebook later on. 

After lunch, we called each of the small teams up to present their role play to the whole group. Each team had up to 25 minutes to role play an activity they would conduct with their kids to teach them about the 6 Speak To Children topics  (appreciation, sharing, self-esteem, making choices, having a conscience, and celebrating differences). As each team presented, we were able to see the personalities of the teachers come through. We also learned a lot about the types of activities that are done in the classroom. One thing that really stood out to Giulietta was the examples teachers used for the topic of celebrating differences. This topic is about recognizing that everyone is special and unique, despite our differences. So as the teams went up to role play this topic, the majority of the teachers chose examples from their classrooms of children who are disabled. One teacher played the role of a student who had only one eye, another played the role of a student who had no arms. It saddened us to see this, but this is their reality. It was truly powerful for us to watch.

Melanie was continually moved to watch the teachers practicing and demonstrating Speak To Children's program. Coaching these teachers was truly an honor. They were so excited and eager to learn. Plus, it was evident they embraced the concepts, and would use them in the classroom. It was so exciting for us to watch them help each other, have fun and listen to them laugh.

Following all the presentations, the Chairman of the organization paid a visit. We conducted a formal closing of the training session where the Director of the organization and the Chairman presented the group with a certificate of completion of the training course, and then we wrapped up with a group photo. 

It was truly an incredible day and we feel so blessed to have been able to come to Nepal to have an impact on these teachers. This trip proved that this program is truly transferable across cultures because in the end, the teachers were able to demonstrate that they did in fact hear us and understand the program. 

Tomorrow is our last full day in Nepal. We plan to visit schools to see the teachers we taught in action! 

We leave you with a quote that we think sums up our journey to Nepal in working with these teachers:

"Every child should have a caring adult in their lives. And that's not always a biological parent or family member. It may be a friend or neighbor. Often times it is a teacher." - Joe Manchin 

Namaste