Did you know that some teachers re-enter the school system for further studies after our seminars? These revelations can variously be traced in our You Tube Channel.
Mind you, statistics on the ground continue indicating that only 10% of teachers joined the career by choice. Another 40-50% of teacher’s ended up liking teaching. So, there is a balance of 40-50% of teachers who don’t like teaching. Could they unknowingly be a problem to themselves, the students, as well as the entire education system? Search for answers to this question, made us become concerned about the situation of teachers.
Meanwhile, there are two interviews on the issue of challenges in the education system, in our YouTube channel. Expertise that led to realization of these developments evolved over time, more particularly, as we continued interacting with the school system.
But first, the school system has now resumed usual routines and is settling down well. It has now been possible to engage on serious discussions regarding the direction of the education system.
As such, there have been interesting discussions with institutional managers, based in Nairobi, Kiambu, Muranga as well as Nyeri county, in the last two weeks or so. Particularly, it was quite exciting responding to questions about the foresight on the ongoing education transformation.
One principal of a Nairobi based school had very provocative questions, upon being alerted that the visitor is a trainer of teachers. After sharing greetings with this principal, who started acquiring our publications, while based in a Machakos County School, an interesting conversation ensued.
Principal: I would be interested to know how you became a trainer of teachers. Have you ever been a classroom teacher as well?
Me: No Please! I was at some stage and even now, a workplace trainer, with authority from the National Industrial Training Authority – NITA. While training in organizations, I noticed a number of disempowerment challenges, which I realized had originated from the education system.
Principal: Have you now solved them?
Me: Not as such, but I have attempted. The first step was to write the KICD approved concept titled “Career Dynamics in the 21st Century,” as an empowerment tool that could enable me interact with the school system. Serious educationists like you have continued reading it, especially since the approval by KICD. You specifically, have kept acquiring the same, in whichever institution we find you stationed.
Principal: Agreed. They easily enable us to understand the direction of the education system. Since the KICD approval, nobody can doubt your ideas, articulated through the concept. But, at what stage did you become a trainer of teachers?
Me: As institutional managers continued internalizing the content of our publications, some felt the need for inviting us for empowerment seminars. Initially, they were for students only, then students and teachers included as participants as well. Finally, we developed content for teachers only seminars.
Principal: How did you achieve this?
Me: After each empowerment session in schools, we kept encouraging teachers and students to ask as many questions as possible. In the process we learnt the challenges and concerns of each category of participants. Alongside, our expertise in research (Our research on SME development, was published in Business in Africa Journal in July 2007), led us into understanding most of the challenges associated with school system. Most importantly, we understood how to correct the situation. This is how we eventually developed seminars for teachers only, which we have conducted in numerous schools.Today, it is about a school deciding whether they want a seminar for teachers, students or both.
Principal: You have convincingly answered my questions. Let me have more copies of your second publication titled “Living Beyond Survival: No More Tiptoeing in Life.” Soon, we will discuss the modalities of a teachers’ seminar for our school.
Why follow this research oriented strategy? While introducing the newly published concept titled “Career Dynamics in the 21st Century,” to the school system, as from 2015, we initially targeted leading extra- county and national schools, spread around Nairobi and Kiambu. We needed to know whether our empowerment strategy makes sense to institutional managers of such schools.
In one national school, we were requested whether we had any content that was ideal for training of teachers. That caught us off guard since we were still in a learning mode of the empowerment modalities in the school system. Nevertheless, we indicated that we could take teachers through leadership training, one of our programs largely meant for corporate bodies. But, could that be befitting for teachers?
Seemingly, the principal was not attracted to the same. As such, laying a strategy of encouraging questions from teachers is what worked. It guided us on understanding the challenges faced by teachers and how we should address them.
As such, when invited to conduct a teachers’ seminar for a Meru based Mixed Day Secondary School in December 2017, we were again invited to conduct a seminar for all students in the same school, in February 2018.
In May 2018, the questioning strategy was still ongoing. We reached the apex upon engagement for a seminar for the form 3 and 4 Classes, plus ALL Teachers of a Boys’ School in Nyeri County. The mean-grade of the school shot from 4.4-5.0, then 5.5, followed by 5.8 when we last checked.
When invited to conduct a seminar for teachers of a leading Muranga School in 2018, feedback indicated that the teachers had seemingly experienced a trainer of trainers course, which equally benefited their students. Later on, the school acquired several copies of our publications. Certainly, they couldn’t have acquired the publications had they not found value from the seminar.
More still, when we conducted a teachers’ seminar for a Nyeri County girls’ school in April 2019, we one week after returned to the school for a seminar for the form 4 class. These experiences entrenched our empowerment strategy not only for students, but also teachers. Most importantly, the experiences reliably endorsed our questioning approach, as we developed content for teachers’ seminars, isn’t it?
FYI
Some of the greatest challenges facing almost every Kenyan school include:-
- Inconsistent Attitudes
- miserable focus/strategic direction
- Poor reading culture
The three lead to high levels of indicipline as well as challenged performance. Our well tested empowerment strategy always focuses towards improvement of the 3 attributes, at once. Reduced indiscipline gives way to improvement of performance. Failure to follow this empowerment strategy has some drastic consequences, after school, which include:- - Eventual unemployment/unemployability of school graduates
- Mediocre performance at the work place
- Inability to cope with change
- Difficulties in dealing with constantly changing technology
Apparently, every institutional manager needs to be aware of these realities that are directly related with the empowerment of our future leaders and their handlers too. Meanwhile, our holistic and well tested students’ seminar titled “CREATING THE FUTURE TODAY” or that of teachers titled “RE-CREATING THE FUTURE TODAY,” could be all that is needed for transformation of performance in your institution.
Most importantly, all are able to align their personal strategy, based on the 21st Century paradigms. It doesn’t matter whether one is academically in the A or D category. WELCOME!!
Rgds
Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach,
Speaker/Trainer on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Seasoned Trainer of Trainers,
Competency Based Curriculum-CBC Architect,
Author of 1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, 2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life
- The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018) for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254722516210
Welcome to our YouTube Channel under Mwangi Wanjumbi – Empowerment Forum
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