We just wrapped up three wonderful days working
with some truly motivated teachers and instructors from the Samarqand Center for Teacher Training. Our first two days focused on the instructors, exploring ideas for building engagement and improved learning for the thirty content area teacher they work with every week. We really explored the 5E's instructional concept of "Engage before you Explain" - giving them hands-on experience with a variety of icebreakers, team building activities and initiatives that can serve to help assure that students are active and ready to learn. These often blend with what we call "relationship builders" - activities whose prime focus is have students get to know each other and use social-emotional learning strategies to building a safe, learning community.
Our final day brought together some old STEM teacher friends with whom Allan had worked during his "pre-pandemic" Fulbright Fellowship, along with some new friends who heard about Project NEGA and just asked to join us for a day. Even though it was a national holiday as the last day of Ramadan, there were still 15 teachers who gave up their "free day" to come learn with us. This wraps up our Project NEGA work in Samarqand, so great to leave with such a positive experience under our belt and that knowledge that at least some of the learning is going to making some Uzbekistan classrooms and teacher trainings more engaging for years to come.
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