NextGen Teachers’ Bootcamp: Changing The Narrative For The Future Of Education

Karl Menninger said: “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches”. Karl is right, but we have a slightly different belief about building the capacity of teachers. As an organization focused on promoting education through community-led action, we are changing the narratives for the future of education in Nigeria through the NextGen Teachers’ Bootcamp.

The dedication of teachers in delivering quality education cannot be overemphasised and many teachers lack the essential skills, knowledge, and mindsets to prepare students for 21st-century challenges, hindering efforts to achieve quality education as outlined in Agenda 2030 and the global Transforming Education initiative.

To address this gap, the NextGen Teacher Pilot Session Bootcamp, developed by the World’s Largest Lesson (WLL) and DEAN Initiative, with the support of Compass Education and YouthxYouth, has trained and empowered teachers by integrating sustainability and problem-solving into educational delivery.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

The main objective of the NextGen Teachers Training provides a Framework for teachers is to;

Build teachers’ confidence, skills & motivation to deliver effective skill- & competency-based education in the classroom; develop systems & design thinking skills so they can analyse & propose solutions to sustainability challenges; provide them with practical tools & guidance to create sustained & impactful learning experiences; empower them to become changemakers in their educational setting; and instil a culture of lifelong learning & networking among them and their peers.

ARE YOU WILLING?

In Lagos, the session titled “Are you willing?” set the tone for teachers to challenge their beliefs about teaching and learning, opening themselves up to alternative approaches in delivering a more impactful and transformative learning experience.

Mr Semiye engaged with the teachers during the session titled “A Path to Dynamic Learning: The Power of CompetencyBased Education”. 

Here, teachers discovered that their role as educators extends beyond merely imparting knowledge, but encompasses enabling their students to thrive in society. They collaboratively learnt the disparity that makes competency-based education different to skill-based education. He guided the participants on how applying a competency-based approach benefits young learners. 

Concluding the session, the teachers engaged in a skill mapping group exercise reflecting on the following ‘Am I already teaching some of these skills (e.g. problem-solving, communication) if so, where and how?’ ‘How might my students learn more about real-world problems?’ ‘How might I enable my students to learn more collaboratively?’

In Abuja, Taiye Ojo noted that the role of a teacher extends far beyond the classroom. It involves inspiring the next generation to be informed, kind and active citizens; being motivated and passionate, to be a beacon of hope and guidance for students, showing them the power of education and its impact on the world.

ARE YOU READY & ABLE?

Empowering Learners for a Sustainable Future’ facilitated by Mr. Erioluwa, began with a discussion on what the Sustainable Development Goals are. An introductory video tagged ‘We are the people’ for The Global Goals opened up the minds of the teachers to why the SDGs matter. 

The role of education in achieving the SDGs was thought through by the teachers collaboratively and engagingly, prompting them to share their ideas on how education impacts the SDGs. This session helped the teachers understand that, for education to be truly impactful, it must go beyond knowledge acquisition and empower young people to actively drive sustainable change in their communities and the world. Through development of transferable skills like critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and adaptation, students become empowered to become changemakers for the SDGs. This session ended on a high note, as teachers participated in the ‘SDGs in action case study challenge’ group activity.

In Abuja, Mr. Semiye wrapped up the activities of  bootcamp by encouraging the educators to continually practice the learnings of the training. He appreciated everyone for their participation and called for a group photograph. A feedback survey was filled by the educators, lunch and transport stipend packages were given to the educators at the close of the bootcamp. 

ACTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

Becoming willing able and ready is a key approach towards building teachers’ skills for a skill-based learning system which involves systems thinking, design thinking and education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Design thinking involves a three-step process; understanding the problem, thinking creatively about solutions, and turning ideas into a plan of action as iterated by Mr. Ayodeji. The teachers engaged in a group activity; Design sprint where one of the educators described a problem they had at their school, and together they collaboratively generated solutions to the identified problem. 

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