A school without teachers is really just a building. We partner closely with our teachers to understand their challenges and to help tackle those challenges.
Teachers work on a joint project at our March 2017 teacher training. Thirty-six teachers came together for 5-days of learning how to better help our kids. Local professional teacher trainers lead the sessions.
Our teachers have a lot on their plates. Our teachers live in the remote villages where they teach, often far from family and friends. They face huge classes (as large as 100 students!). They have extremely limited classroom materials -- many schools in Mali don't have any textbooks at all.
To top all that off, Mali's teacher shortage means that many teachers receive little training before the classroom and more often than not they have no chance at continuing education to help polish their skills.
We partner with our teachers to address some of the most crucial issues. Currently, our work focuses on providing professional teacher training and evaluations.
In addition, we support peer groups where small groups of teachers can exchange ideas, challenges, and creative solutions. This year we're also launching a peer-nominated awards process to recognize just a few of our most outstanding teachers.
The Latest From the Teacher Project
Mahamadou Doumbia is a dedicated educator with over a decade of experience teaching biology in rural Mali. Mr . Doumbia has served in various village schools, and for the past six years, he’s been a pillar at Ross and Marilou Moser Middle School. His commitment and passion for education led to his appointment as the principal in 2022, a role that has deepened his connection to the village of Nieguekoro and its families.
We invest in teachers because teachers invest in students. Our year-long Intensive Teacher Support Campaign has a proven track record of strengthening teachers’ classroom skills, but we do not rest on the historical record….we grade ourselves just like we do our students. It’s only fair! :) This year participating teachers did a great job. Overall, teachers’ in-classroom skills improved by an average of 29% That means the average grade for a participating teacher went from an “F” to a “B”!
Teachers and principals really set the tone for a school. That’s one of the reasons I love working with our teachers and principals — good leadership in the classrooms and the school overall means the kids can really learn and grow in our schools. That’s why I’m sad when we sometimes have to say goodbye to good principals, like principal Make Ezai Mounkoro of Sue Chung Chiu Middle School.We will miss Mr. Mounkoro and his steady leadership. But, when his replacement arrives in the village this fall we will be just as ready to help the new principal as we were to support Mr. Mounkoro. Anything for our students!
As we wrapped up one school year this June, I was already shifting gears to plan for next school year! As part of that planning, I think a lot about how to make the largest difference for our teachers and, through them, our students. One of my favorite campaigns I work on is our Intensive Teacher Training Campaign. One reason I like it so much: our teachers and principals love it!
Principals in Mali have a hard job and they are often literally hours away from any peers. These principals face struggles with students, parents, and bureaucracy and can often feel quite alone. The principals at the 28 Mali Rising partner schools are no exception.
That’s why a few years ago we established the Principals’ WhatsApp group. This group uses a tool nearly everyone in Mali uses, WhatsApp, to allow our principals to know each other and share useful information and experiences.
Being a middle school principal is a hard job no matter where you are. But being one in Mali is particularly tough! Mali Rising principals are in remote places, far from their families or professional support. They manage young teachers and parents who are often unfamiliar with the education system. Many have classes with 100+ students in them. Sometimes, a principal needs a little support and maybe just a little fun when they face this reality day to day!
A Mali Rising donor wanted to find a way to give just that to our principals this year — an experience that would make them feel like someone saw just how hard they worked. So with that donor’s support we set up a year-end party for the principals. We gathered 19 principals at a national park outside of Bamako for a day of relaxing, good food, games, and awards. Read on to hear what one principal thought of the experience…
At a recent Mali Rising Teacher Peer Meeting one teacher stood out from the crowd…and all because of a peanut plant!
We want our teachers to get to know each other, so they can help each other and work together. to help with these connections, Mali Rising Foundation recently organized a soccer tournament for the teachers of our eight schools in the Baguineda area. Thirty-two teachers came together for some fun and bonding at the tournament.
Each year Mali Rising honors three of our most outstanding teachers with an award. They are nominated by their principals, and a panel of teachers selects the best candidates for each award — most outstanding, most helpful, and most improved. Last month I was happy to deliver the award for Most Outstanding Teacher to a a very hard-working teacher, Mr. Chaka Diarra.
