Teaching in Kosovo

The main purpose of our trip to Kosovo was to train teachers. The education system in Kosovo is in disarray, although it is slowly improving. Most of the men and women who are teaching today were educated in terrible schools due to the oppression of the Serbians. Because they received a poor education, they are less equipped to teach the current generation of Kosovars.

We spent four days working with a group of 11 teachers from schools in greater Mitrovica. As we got to know them , it became clear that they loved their students and were willing to do anything to become better teachers. However, it was also apparent that there were some serious deficiencies due to an education system that was severely degraded.

On Sunday evening we introduced ourselves and Mrs. Allen explained the importance of effective communication. We also spent a considerable amount of time fielding questions from the teachers. Our Sunday evening session helped build a relationship with the teachers which served as a foundation for the rest of our sessions. We also confirmed that no matter where you teach, the same challenges are present: absent students, students who don't turn in homework, students who don't listen, etc. Some things are the same no matter where you are!

Monday we taught from 8:30-2:00. Mr. Foote guided the teachers through an extremely valuable session on lesson planning and each teacher had an opportunity to create a lesson of their own. This was a great advancement for them as many of them had never done a formal lesson plan!

We did not meet together on Tuesday because of Independence Day, but on Wednesday we met in the morning to discuss classroom management and in the evening to learn about assessment. In between these sessions we were invited to visit two schools at which several of the teachers worked. Both schools were elementary schools, one in Mitrovica, and the other in a small, neighboring village. We enjoyed the opportunity to see our teachers in their classrooms and observe the Kosovo educational system in person. They were very gracious hosts. 

Our final session was Thursday morning during which we had the teachers put the lessons they

had learned into practice. They created a lesson plan, a rubric, and answered some tough classroom management scenarios. We were grateful for their graciousness and enthusiasm. They came to our sessions faithfully despite a two day blizzard that swept across the city. 

It is clear that the educational system in Kosovo is well below where it should be. Much more work is needed to build up the educational standards with those of the rest of the world. Until this happens Kosovo will struggle. The need to restore the educational system is understood and the Kosovars are doing everything they can to rebuild the system. 

The person we have been working with, is helping this endeavor by starting the  a private school which will train the next leaders of the country. 

Mrs. Allen, Mr. Foote, and I left Kosovo Thursday afternoon and are now safely in Vienna, Austria. Tomorrow morning we fly to Amsterdam and then on to Detroit. We are grateful for your prayers and look forward to sharing our experiences and stories with you in person!