In my last post, I said that this school I love is, I fear, headed in a bad direction. I still fear this. But the diversity here (kids from all over Africa) makes me think these classrooms are the most important in the world. Every class includes deeply committed Muslims and Christians, woke liberals and ardent atheists too. If these kids can figure out how to talk about heated topics (feminism, gay rights, god, economic systems etc.) without killing one another, they would be an example to all their elders.
But let me say more about that next time.
Because as I was thinking about this, my colleague Sumanah Mustafa posted in a chat group to all the faculty and I thought you might like her eloquent distillation of teaching and teachers and so of the variety and forms education can take.
It will not surprise you, after you read, to learn that Sumanah is a stunningly good teacher of writing. In the words of Mr. Dash, she “has given language for what our students love, and has given our students love for their language.”
My thanks to Ms. Su for letting me share her Friday afternoon affirmation.
I am writing this as an affirmation for the things that have always been done and are being done everyday. So here’s a shout out to all faculty that pour their hearts, minds and souls into their work. Thanks to Mr. Keshav who makes students say “physics is fun” - a term I rarely heard in my own schooling, to Mr. Dash who is fostering a love of nature and who inspires with his great sock collection, to the dynamic Ms. T whose class I can hear giggling with delight very often (where there is joy, there is learning), to Mr. Tago with his earnest consistency in ethics, to Mr. Nkembo who has a never-ending well of enthusiasm and energy, to Ms. Ssanyu who oozes empathy and empowerment, to Ms. Maria who battles with the intricacies of maths (a war I would never take on), to Mr. Chris who shows absolute devotion to his vocation, to Mr. Keen who sees that play and rigour can live together in harmony, to Ms. Lina who has fearlessness and intellect, to Ms. Maya - a river of calm who instils a real sense of social justice in her students, to Ms. Kea who holds so many students’ worries in her heart, to the Wellness team that carry so many of the students’ hopes and fears with them, to UG who deals with the work of making our students’ dreams come true, to Mr. Mopati who leads with efficiency and compassion, to Mr. Ted who lets students (and teachers) carve their own paths with understanding and care, to Mr. Ouma who always has a smile for anybody, to Ms. Anne - a show of how maternal love can be turned into everyday warrior-hood, to Ms. Louise, our advocate for the importance of art in being a leader (and a whole human), to Ms. Pelumi who shows care through her thorough perfectionism in practice and fight for her students, to Ms. Mary Fox who is the backbone of this school, to Ms. Deepshikha who understands the students deeply (while being so stylish), to Ms. Efua who promotes loving introspection, to Ms. Efua (science) for her cheerful aura, to Ms. Mona who has left a legacy of radical kindness and justice…I cannot name everyone here but everyone contributes so enormously - in the ways that only they can. These are the things that make me proud of working here. These are the things I see everyday walking past classes or in brief daily encounters. This is the real work being done everyday. Each person brings their “thing” and we are so lucky to bear witness to it.