I am privileged to have been selected to participate in an In-Person Access Exchange Program on Modern Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Instruction in the English Language Classroom. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of the English Language Programs. It is implemented by FHI 360 in close collaboration with the partner community-based organization, WorldChicago.
For 10 days, I will be immersed in U.S. culture and the educational system.
Day 1 of the program was quite engaging and colorful. I quickly bonded with fellow colleagues from 10 other countries and with the program's hosts and implementing partners. I ate Thai and Italian food for the first time and enjoyed the whole eating process with laughter and shared experiences. I visited the Millennium Park and many other memorial sites. Between the tall, artistically designed buildings in Chicago, I found myself small yet big, with hopes and dreams for a better-designed education program in Cameroon to suit students' immediate and future needs.
I had the opportunity to talk about my teaching experiences at the Government Bilingual High School Bafia and my role as a facilitator at the Open Dreams Center in enhancing preschoolers' social and emotional well-being through reading activities and storytelling.
My participation in this program is thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde - Cameroon. I remain grateful to them for the continuous professional development opportunities. In the words of Dr. Megan Bang, CNAIR Director, teachers' well-being matters; teachers' interests matter.
Nnane Ntube
Footnote: Visit this link for Nnane Ntube's "Litany of a Foreign Wife"