Teachers and education leaders from around the country are eligible to participate in our ever-improving professional development system--UMWARIMU MWIZA. Our modules were designed by experts with decades of experience in international education and—since 2010—in-country experience with Rwandan teachers and school leaders. Our modules are available in English and/or Kinyarwanda.
The first step in the Umwarimu Mwiza process is an on-site needs assessment at every new partner school.
The cost for this is $150, plus food and transport, for new schools, with discounts available for nonprofit organizations.
After the needs assessment, the mentoring process begins.
Professional journeys are enriched with Umwarimu Mwiza!
The first step in the Umwarimu Mwiza process is an on-site needs assessment at every new partner school.
The cost for this is $150, plus food and transport, for new schools, with discounts available for nonprofit organizations.
After the needs assessment, the mentoring process begins.
Professional journeys are enriched with Umwarimu Mwiza!
Observe in an Exemplary School
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Educators and officials discover high-quality childhood education in Rwanda when they observe in one of our play- and project-based Exemplary School classrooms. All children learn Kinyarwanda, English, and French as part of our engaging, integrated, and emergent curriculum.
- Visitors find themselves delighted with groups of 20 happy, self-directed, curious, creative preschool children led by two responsive teachers who scaffold children’s learning through hands-on, personalized explorations.
- Primary classrooms captivate observers, too! Discover up to 24 children who independently and in small groups experiment with science, write and illustrate their own original stories, read and re-enact interesting books, create curriculum webs, keep brain-search KWLS charts, develop curriculum webs, and do many more hands-on explorations with their well-prepared teacher.
During and after the observation, visitors talk informally with our experienced teachers about the many benefits of active, child-directed learning which expand relevant Rwandan themes. Rwandan culture and modern teaching practices are masterfully blended from preschool through primary!
Opportunities to observe in our Exemplary Schools are open and free. Schools and other sponsoring agencies arrange and pay for teachers’ transport and lunches. A maximum of three observers per classroom can be scheduled to minimize disruptions in children’s learning experiences. To schedule your Umwarimu Mwiza observation, contact our Teacher Mentor at
TEACHRwanda.TeacherMentor@gmail.com or call +25 079 194 5464
Learn About
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TEACH Rwanda’s Umwarimu Mwiza Level 2 mentoring modules are available to Rwandan teachers and school leaders only AFTER they complete Module 1. These engaging, hands-on workshops are conducted at or near the participants’ own schools. They are led by experienced, responsive teacher mentors, primarily Rwandan teachers who started their careers in our Exemplary Schools. Here are some highlights of the modules.
- Each of the four modules is designed to be implemented in a 7-hour session. Sessions are held once a week, every other week, or once a month, at the teachers’ convenience.
- Modules are conducted in Kinyarwanda and/or English, in small groups of 12 to 15 teachers to ensure active participation. Teachers are engaged in learning both knowledge and pedgagogy in many of the same ways they will begin to implement as teachers. Asking questions and sharing ideas are encouraged and supported.
- The workshops scaffold teachers’ understandings and skills in child development, brain development, and early childhood/primary education. The content and skills build on what teachers already know, have experienced in their own schools, and have observed in TEACH Rwanda classrooms.
- Everything in the workshops is congruent with, and expands upon, Rwanda’s competency-based curriculum (CBC). All leaders have successfully taught in schools in Rwanda and/or abroad.
- Workshop leaders introduce practical tools and strategies they can use immediately to help children develop genuine understanding, preserve their natural analytical thinking skills, use executive function skills, and eagerly apply their knowledge to assess children's developmental progress: brain search with KWLS charts, intriguing ideas for themes, free and found Rwandan materials lists, checklists, art explorations, portfolios, curriculum webs, conflict resolution, and other practical, field-tested tools.
- TR Umwarimu Mwiza modules enable teachers and school leaders to practice and refine their new skills with each other through role play and active investigation with Rwandan learning materials. Teachers become confident that they can begin to teach in more responsive, caring, encouraging ways.
- Between sessions, teachers plan and implement new ideas and strategies in their own classrooms. Teachers reflect on and ask questions about their experiences at the beginning of the next session.
Module 2 is offered only after completion of Module 1. This Umwarimu Mwiza series of four intensive, fun workshops is available for a moderate fee, $1000 for partner schools, with discounts to nonprofit organizations, to cover leaders’ time, learning materials, and other expenses. Cost of transport to the site and lunch is additional. To arrange Module 2, TEACHRwanda.TeacherMentor@gmail.com or call +25 079 194 5464
Continue your professional development with a Classroom Mentor
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Rwandan teachers and school leaders are eager to get feedback about how well they are implementing what they learned and can do after participating in Modules 1 and 2. Therefore, we are happy to follow up these experiences with in-person classroom mentoring, a key component of Umwarimu Mwiza.
One or more TEACH Rwanda education experts visit each participating school to observe changes in the learning environment, teaching practices, and children’s engagement. After the observation, teachers and school leaders reflect with TEACH Rwanda representatives on their progress. Goals and timelines are set as next steps to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
Module 3 builds on Modules 1 and 2 and is only available to teachers who have completed both modules. This professional development service is available to schools and agencies for $150 per day (discounts available to nonprofit organizations) plus transport to the school and lunch during reflections.
To arrange a mentor for Umwarimu Mwiza Module 3, contact TEACHRwanda.TeacherMentor@gmail.com or call +25 079 194 5464
Workshops
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Workshops on essential topics are also offered to schools, libraries, and organizations who wish to focus on specific goals for improvement. Umwarimu Mwiza workshop topics include
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