I went to Sierra Leone with Mission Direct in 2008 on other business. But as a newly retired teacher I was shocked by what I saw in the schools. The classrooms were dilapidated; the walls were dank and unpainted. There was not a single picture on the walls. There and then I realised how much I had taken for granted when I was a teacher – all the resources, all the training I had received to make learning more exciting, enjoyable and effective. So when the chance to lend a hand with Teaching Teams came up I was keen to lend a hand.

These kids were desperate to learn, but school wasn’t much fun – often it wasn’t even very educational for them.

There were up to 80 children in a class, and most of the teachers had barely had any training. Children sat in rows repeating facts and figures in parrot fashion – grammar, geography and times tables. In spite of their teacher’s best efforts many of these children were barely learning.

We came armed with pencils, crayons, puzzles and books. But mostly we came to share our own insights about effective teaching, and to learn from their passionate commitment and humility.
We shared ways of teaching and engaging with the children that we take for granted in this country. For instance: we broke the classes down into smaller groups and sat them down with a little pile of bottle tops. Two piles of four tops – how many was that? Was it the same as four piles of two? We also got the kids to paint pictures, write stories and poems.

were such a delight to teach: well behaved, attentive, and - when they realised they were allowed to be - full of life, energy and creativity. They could hardly believe school could be like this.
I was worried about how the teachers would respond to having their normal school day turned on its head, and ‘going back to school’ themselves. I needn’t have worried; I remember one time I took the children out of the classroom and sat them under a tree. We sang songs and told them stories. As soon as we had finished one of the teachers rushed up to me and asked ‘should I do this every day with my class?’ That was typical of their attitude; they just wanted to teach to the best of their abilities.

It was one of the most satisfying experiences I have had in 40 years of teaching. Our small team gave 100%, but we all felt like we had received 120% back! The dedication and willingness of the teachers to learn was great also.
My fortnight on a Mission Direct Teaching Team has transformed my outlook on life: I hate any kind of waste now, be it money, clean water or electricity. I have learned to be less demanding in a society which constantly says ‘I want it and I want it now’.