I was looking for an exciting and challenging project to work on as part of my continuing professional development and for a way to develop an engaging and relevant unit of work for S3 pupils in the Core RME curriculum. The Teach Global Ambassador (TGA) project encompassed both of these challenges. At first, the project seemed like a great opportunity to get some time away from the classroom to develop something meaningful for my own classes. However, as the training developed, so did the working relationships I had with colleagues from another local school who were also involved in the project. Through our professional dialogues, we recognised that we were more motivated and enthusiastic about this project than many others we had been involved in because it gave us the time and space to work with colleagues both within and outwith our own departments - a rare experience!
"The methodologies we were given in our initial training allowed us to really tap in and develop the pupil’s critical thinking skills and empathy."
Collaborative approaches
This was a working relationship we were keen to build on and through conversations about our next steps, we realised that we were all heading in the same direction – exploring gender issues. Our subject backgrounds lent themselves well to working collaboratively. I am History and RME trained and I was working alongside my PT (RME). Our other local school TGAs were also social subject based – RME and Modern Studies. It seemed natural to us to develop a unit of work together that covered the range of skills and contexts common amongst social subjects and RME.
Gender issues
We identified ‘Gender Issues’ as the global issue we wanted to explore. After designing an introductory unit of work, which we all contributed to, we each created our own unit that took the issue to a deeper level. The introductory unit will be shared citywide in Dundee amongst social subject departments, as it includes elements from History, Geography, Modern Studies and RME.
I worked on the historical aspect of gender issues, drawing pupils’ attention to the unique historical position of women in Dundee. Unlike most historical gender roles, Dundee women were the breadwinners, working in the Jute Mills whilst their husbands stayed at home and looked after the children! It was fantastic to see the pupils engage in the history of their city and compare how times have changed.
Discussions during the International Training
Developing critical thinkers
From here we went our separate ways. I created a course focusing on gender and education, whilst my colleague focused on forced marriage. It was fantastic to see the pupils talking to their peers in other classes and making the connections between these issues. We spent a lot of time looking at the issues surrounding girls accessing education, examining case studies, and discussing possible solutions.
The methodologies we were given in our initial training allowed us to really tap in and develop the pupils’ critical thinking skills and empathy. This was evident in their evaluative work where they produced an ‘issue tree’. Pupils identified the root causes of gender inequality in education and the impact this had and then generated solutions. I was really proud of how pupils took ownership of the issue and tried to find meaningful and sustainable solutions – we moved past the usual solution of donating money to charity and dug much deeper. Pupils were making links between social issues like forced marriage and poverty and trying to find a way to break the cycle of inequality.
What shone through for me was the pupils’ feeling of injustice. We often assume our pupils are desensitised to many of the global issues; but when given the opportunity to really explore an issue - its root causes, the impact it actually has on people, and possible solutions - the pupils were sharing their opinions, discussing ideas and listening to each other. They knew how much their voice counted.
"We have built a working relationship that will be sustained long after the project is completed and we hope to roll this out to other schools in our Authority."
A local authority approach
I came into this project thinking it fitted in brilliantly with my aspirations and what I already knew. I have had the opportunity to go back to basics with global citizenship education and build up a much stronger and deeper knowledge base of what it actually means. Working alongside colleagues on an IDL project was invaluable. We have built a working relationship that will be sustained long after the project is completed and we hope to roll this out to other schools in our Authority. It has opened up the opportunity for citywide professional dialogue about citizenship education and I can’t wait to see what further positive impact this will bring.
New methodologies
From our TGA training, I also have a whole toolkit of methodologies to make sure it’s the pupils doing the thinking and not just me doing the teaching. This has been a learning process for both me and my classes and we have all come through it with a better understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. It has inspired my MEd projects, encouraged my professional dialogue and, most importantly, it has noticeably developed global citizenship skills amongst my pupils. I’m already planning my next unit of work for the same pupils, who are now in S4, and I am excited to measure the impact that sustained global citizenship education has on our young people. I went into this project to develop professionally and to plan a more engaging scheme of work for my S3 classes. I have done that and more. I have recognised the need to highlight to our young people that their voice matters, their opinions matter and that they can be the change they want to see in the world.
For more information about the project visit www.teachglobalambassadors.org.uk
Photo credits: Chris Ross
