Reflecting on my time at ‘Freedom Worldwide Colleges – Africa’
My LIA was wonderful. I learnt a lot and did a lot. I used to be endlessly busy and I cherished it. It was nice. I’ve continued working for FISA since leaving Kenya. I’m now making use of for a Main PGCE as I’ve learnt how a lot I like instructing and dealing with colleges. My reflection is especially instructed by way of (many) images.
I’m just a little late to my reflection however I’ve now accomplished a good quantity of reflecting. My time in Kenya was a lot greater than I might have hoped for. I labored extraordinarily arduous, providing as a lot assist as doable. I additionally took on new challenges I beforehand would have shied away from, and made actually good pals.
For work, I used to be given quite a lot of roles. I taught artwork and pictures, labored on signage and promoting on social media, and did quite a lot of pictures for the varsity.
Educating
Throughout my keep, I taught artwork and pictures to totally different age teams. Earlier than leaving the UK, I arrange a GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/fc0286b9) to boost cash for buying DSLR cameras and gear, which I deliberate to donate to the varsity. It labored out so effectively. As a baby, I’d have been thrilled to make use of correct cameras, and since I’ve some expertise with pictures, it felt like the right alternative. The scholars completely cherished it.
I wrote concerning the first few pictures classes in my earlier put up, so I gained’t go into element, however I used to be thrown in on the deep finish upon arrival and taught 8–9 lessons on my first day. After that, I labored with the scholars intermittently. Sadly, the plan had been to show many artwork and pictures lessons in my fifth and sixth weeks after exams, however because of critical protests occurring in Kenya throughout my keep, the varsity was shut instantly after exams. This was just a little disheartening, as I had ready plenty of classes and knew the scholars had been disenchanted too.
Fortunately, lots of the college students had already developed the essential abilities they wanted to make use of the cameras, in order that they’ve been capable of proceed utilizing them. Youngsters as younger as 4 obtained their fingers on Nikon D50s and D70s, which was plenty of enjoyable. They took great images and had been an absolute pleasure to show and be round.
On the ultimate day, I arrange a studio with Kitenge material. I purchased some dashike (a method of Kitenge) for the reason that kids put on this on Fridays. The images had been impressed by a Kenyan photographer, Thandiwe Muriu.
A couple of of the images (some by college students, some by me):
In direction of the tip of my time there, we had loads of material left over and thought it will be an amazing concept to brighten the lecture rooms with one thing just like the bunting proven under. I discovered a stitching machine and managed to make a number of strings of bunting. Sadly, I didn’t have sufficient time to complete the challenge earlier than I left. Nonetheless, all the material was left behind, so hopefully another person had the possibility to finish it.
We additionally did some artwork/craft lessons too.
Promoting and social media:
Throughout my time there, Youngsters In Freedom College (CIFS) was present process a technique of rebranding to turn into Freedom Worldwide Colleges – Africa (FISA), taking up the Worldwide Baccalaureate Curriculum (IB). It was a extremely busy interval, with many modifications that had been new to workers, mother and father, and college students. There have been considerations about what number of kids would return as soon as the modifications had been carried out, because the IB programme was unfamiliar to many mother and father and, subsequently, met with some apprehension. The administrators, Utheri and Oku Kanayo, selected the IB curriculum as a result of it intently aligned with the varsity’s ethos.
This transitional interval offered me with loads of alternatives to contribute, as there was a big quantity of labor to be accomplished in preparation for the upcoming time period. I used to be given the duty of designing billboards, which I fortunately accepted, assuming they’d be comparatively small street indicators. I rapidly learnt that the billboards had been huge–12 by 10 metres– and could be positioned in numerous for distinguished places in Kenya, together with three within the capital, Nairobi.
There have been a number of challenges right here:
- Time limitations: I used to be instructed the designs had been wanted “yesterday”. I solely had quick period of time to finish these. I did my finest to finish the work throughout the quick timeframe obtainable.
- Stress and duty: These billboards had been an enormous funding for the varsity so this felt like an enormous duty.
- Technical issues: My laptop computer struggled to deal with the big doc sizes, leading to excessively lengthy loading instances and frequent crashes.
- New software program: Whereas I’m pretty snug utilizing Photoshop and Procreate, these instruments had been unsuitable for such large-scale designs. I needed to study Adobe Illustrator from scratch to finish the duty.
- Assembly the varsity’s necessities: One of many extra advanced challenges was aligning my designs with the varsity’s ideology and the director’s particular wants. Initially, I wasn’t given detailed specs. After presenting a number of ideas to the varsity’s management group, I acquired suggestions and realized the size and needed inclusions for the ultimate designs. We labored from my preliminary concepts, implementing the requested modifications.
This expertise taught me classes in balancing my concepts with shopper necessities, dealing with constructive suggestions, and navigating new instruments underneath stress.
After finishing these within the 2nd week, I used to be requested to work on related duties.
I redesigned the varsity gate, street indicators, and college buses.
As I turned actually snug on the faculty, I felt capable of provide my enter. I recommended that the gate must be painted darkish inexperienced (above).
Buses earlier than:
The administrators wished the buses to be easier.
I loved being entrusted with a lot freedom and duty. I knew that every thing I used to be doing was genuinely contributing to the varsity, and I’ve by no means felt extra appreciated. The belief I used to be given boosted my confidence to such an amazing extent.
Along with the billboards, I additionally redesigned the handbooks that had been distributed to all the scholars. I created flyers for occasion promotions and was even requested to design a automobile sticker for promoting functions. Now, all of the mother and father have these stickers on their automobiles.
I helped to handle FISA’s social media channels throughout my 4th-Sixth weeks. Listed here are some adverts:
I’ve expertise in pictures and have photographed a number of occasions previously. On the faculty, I readily utilized this ability, particularly as the web site and social media platforms had been in want of updating. For instance, I took the images used within the adverts above.
I photographed quite a lot of faculty actions, together with the services, such because the swimming pool and swimming lessons, in-class instructing, the brand new uniforms, faculty assemblies, kids sporting dashiki, debates, and sports activities day occasions.
Although I’m now reflecting on my time at FISA, it’s not work that’s behind me. I’ve continued to work remotely for the varsity.
For instance, listed here are some adverts:
Whereas working in Kenya, I got here to grasp that sure traits I typically criticise in myself—similar to issue focusing for lengthy intervals, impulsiveness, and an inclination to get simply distracted—can really be strengths in the proper atmosphere. Although these typically make academia difficult, in settings the place creativity, flexibility, and adaptableness are valued, they are often extraordinarily helpful.
Following my LIA, I got here to grasp how a lot I like instructing; I’m now making use of for a PGCE! I do know that I undoubtedly wish to work with kids and colleges sooner or later. It has been so motivating to come back away from this era having gained a lot path, and self-confidence.
